Hey guys, I need a little help here. I'm trying to get my L33 (07 aluminum 5.3) assembled and I have a question about the lifter cups and such. On my engine the lifter cups on the center 2 cylinders on each side have springs poking up into them. After removing the spring cup I found that these springs are attached to the lifters for that cylinder. I have an earlier iron 5.3 as well and the lifters cups don't have any of this silliness in them. One of the springs (#1 cylinder) is junk, I got a used set of car lifter cups and they don't have the little spring in the cups or on the new set of lifters I got with them.

Can I just swap over to the car lifters and lifter cups and eliminate these damn springs on the lifters?

Do these have something to do with the gen IV DOD?

There's a pic at the bottom of one of my lifters next to one of the "new" ones they look identical except for the damn spring attached to the lifter.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

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They are on the DOD cars. If you aren't planing on using that, or are going with a even remotely agressive cam, then you need to get rid of them.

 

Definitely not using that DOD stuff. I'm using a carb intake and a stock cam for the time being. So I can swap for the other lifters and lifter cups and all will be well?

 

Ok, new issue. "New" lifter cup on the bottom, original one on the top. The "new" one is missing the notch so it won't sit down in the hole. If I take out the spring equipped lifters and replace them with normal lifters they fit but the hole in the lifter cup is larger on one side (second picture).

Will this be ok like this?

Should I notch the new lifter cups to match the old ones?

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As long as the lifter can't spin in the cup all should be right, yes?

I really wanted to get this bitch together this weekend but this coupled with a broken piston ring have thwarted my attempts. Stupid JY engines.

 

FWIW, those pistons are cool as hell, lol.

How much did you pay for the L33? I have an auto recycler here in town that said he would do a complete engine, accessories, electronics, harness, fuel pump, etc drop out for me about $1k on a 5.3 iron motor. A L33 would be awesome, but since they are so new I don't know how much more it would be. I would do a 6.0L before I paid more money for an aluminum 5.3, but that's because my car is already heavy as hell.

 

I picked it up as a core from the GM dealer for $300, missing the intake, rails, most everything except the water pump, balancer, oil pan and a few other pieces. It had broken a valve spring and killed the #1 piston (not really that bad just beat it up a bit) rocker and pushrod. I'm pretty excited about getting it going but this friggin DOD lifter thing has me pulling my hair out. If I didn't already own the MSD 6012 for the later model engine I'd swap everything over to an earlier 5.3 that's sitting on a stand in my living room.

$1000 for a complete drop out sounds pretty reasonable, I know I've got more in that just trying to complete this thing.

 

You must be a bachelor.....

 

Nope, I just have a very understanding girlfriend.

Anybody have any thoughts on this lifter situation? I'm really thinking that as long as the lifters can't spin in the cups, I'm set right? I'd just really like to get this right the first time, I have too much money in this damn thing to have it eat shit the first time I fire it up....

 

if ur not comfortable with the current lifters. payin a 100$ for set of new conventional replacements is cheep insurance imo. i would.

 

Just did a cam swap on my brothers G8 which had the DOD setup from the factory. We replaced the lifter trays wtih LS2 trays which have the "notch" in them on both sides of the cup rather than just the one. For what it's worth I also used these newer style trays in my 6.0 as well which doesn't have the raised part on the heads for either side. As for lifters you can use the standard old non DOD lifters from any of the GenIII motors... If your iron 5.3 came with lifters pull them out and use em in your aluminum block, no issues there. Not real sure what your concern is with the lifters.... From what I can see in the pic the lifter trays for the DOD stuff have no flat spot for the standard style lifter and are completely round for one piston on each tray correct? If so, you can't use em. I would not recommend notching the truck lifter trays you have in the picture (non DOD ones) if you do they will be weak and the way they're designed I don't think I'd chance it. The LS2 trays new from the dealer are $9.39ea at retail. I can get em for $24.60 for all four here at the local dealer though so you should be able to as well.... Definitely get the LS2 trays. Cheap insurance and most recommend changing em out when you do a cam or anything else when you're in there anyway. I've seen a couple motors fail (or at least the trays anyway) from the person going cheap and not replacing them. they tend to crack when things get funny with valvetrain or maybe even just due to age...

I still have that MAP sensor too if you need it. Sorry man I've "been gonna" send it you a bunch of times and never brought it to work so I could. Lemme know if you still need it. I will PM you my number give me a call tonight if you still want/need any clarification on the lifters/trays. I also have most all of the accessories for a truck motor if you need em. Will sell it all for cheap if you need it or hell if anyone else here needs it all. Have AC Compressor, alternator, PS Pump and the brackets for all of it too. Although I believe the PS/Alternator bracket may be the one I cut to get rid of the PS portion since I was planning a manual rack (mustang swap).

Dave

 

I've got a new set of lifters, Just unsure about the lifter cups. Looks like it gets answered here....

They're not totally round, they have one flat side and the other is mostly flat with a key way that matches the lifter, they only wiggle a little bit but I'm not sure if "a little bit" is ok or not. I hate to screw things up because I thought "a little bit" was ok. Maybe just being paranoid.

Thanks for the input big dave, I'm going to order those LS2 lifter trays tomorrow, as well as the pushrods you recommended. I really appreciate the help.