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GPI – Complete Gen 5 L83 5.3L Drop-In Piston / Connecting Rod Package (14-19 Silverado / Sierra / Tahoe / Yukon)
From: $1,988.89
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This kit includes:
- 6.125 Compstar Connecting Rods
- Heavy Duty Pin, Locks, and Ring Package
- Diamond Pistons with 2618 Forging Material
- Maintains OE Compression of 11.0:1
- Thick Wall, Heavy Duty Wrist Pins
- No Balancing Required! Drop In Piston and Rod Upgrade!!
Applications
- 2014 – present Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra
- 2014 – present Chevrolet Tahoe / GMC Yukon
- 2014 – present Chevrolet Suburban / GMC Yukon XL
Total Seal Recommended Ring Gap Chart
Frequently Purchased Together
Pistons
$1,051.60
Connecting Rods
$805.40
$131.89
$387.99
$61.99
Camshafts & Valvetrain
$79.00
Description
GPI - L83 Drop-In Piston / Connecting Rod Package
Bulletproofing the L83 for Boost
The LT series GM engines are incredible powerplants as designed – however unlike their predecessor (LSx) – the LT’s commonly rebel when power adders such as superchargers, turbos, and nitrous are added.
unlike the LS – the LT’s commonly rebel when power adders such as superchargers, turbos, and nitrous are added.
The LT powerplants have several weak links when boosted:
- the unique piston and ring land design which was intended for naturally aspirated duty is subject to failure under even minimal detonation.
- preignition has been associated with various detergents found in certain motor oils which become emulsified resultant of the fuel being sprayed under pressure into the cylinder creating unintended combustion
- We have found ring end gaps as small as .008 which will certainly butt together causing cylinder, piston and ring failures when subjected to increased heat and cylinder pressure.
- We have found L83 connecting rods during engine upgrades on stock forced induction engines which were slightly bent even though they were still asymptomatic.
Overcoming Limitations
Understanding these limitations – and because GPI strives to provide the best combination of power and reliability for our clients – we have worked with Diamond Racing and Callies to offer a no rebalance, standard bore, stock compression, drop-in solution for the Gen V 5.3 liter L83 engine.
What does this mean for you? No machine work and no balancing needed. This is a complete drop-in assembly that can be installed while the engine is still in the car!
The Solution
Gwatney Performance is proud to present a Complete Drop-In Piston and Rod solution for the Gen V L83 (5.3L) Engine! This package is designed specifically for boosted 14+ Silverado / Sierra / Tahoe / Yukon.
By working directly with Diamond Racing and Callies, and were able to get the exact same bobweight as the factory piston / rod assembly, and due to the heavier weight of the factory assembly – we were able to build an extremely robust piston and rod package.
This kit is designed to support 900+HP applications and is the perfect match for your forced induction L83!!
Results?
Reliable and consistent high horsepower Gen 5’s! Here is a recent build with these our very popular Gen 5 LT pistons. This is a street car, so power and boost levels are fairly conservative.
This car is fitted w/ the full assortment of GPI Gen5 LT goodies including:
- GPI LT Drop In Pistons & Rods
- GPI LT Cylinder Heads
- GPI LT Camshaft (SS1)
- G1Pro Sheet Metal Intake Manifold w/ GPI Port Fuel Injection System
Questions?
Give us a call at (501) 985-4947 or email [email protected]
To apply for a dealer wholesale account – visit our GPI Dealer Application Page.
Questions & Answers (11)
Customer questions & answers
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What break in oil do you recommend with this rod/piston combo?
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Q What break in oil do you recommend with this rod/piston combo? answer nowAsked by on May 18, 2022 10:57 amA https://gwatneyperformance.com/product/driven-racing-oil-br30-5w-30-1-quart-break-in-oil-for-ls-engines/
Does Diamond have a different piston for the L83 using Port injection instead of DI ? Seems like I should be using a different piston. While I am asking---Will the L8T crank fit the L83 block and does anyone make a piston for that--with Port injection? Thanks, I know this is no longer a kit thing.
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Q Does Diamond have a different piston for the L83 using Port injection instead of DI ? Seems like I should be using a different piston. While I am asking---Will the L8T crank fit the L83 block and does anyone make a piston for that--with Port injection? Thanks, I know this is no longer a kit thing. answer nowAsked by on December 31, 2021 5:56 pmA A non di piston would be the same piston that would be in a gen iv 5.3 but it's best to keep the di piston when using a lt head. And not certain on l8t crank
I have a 18k mile 5.3 gen 3 gm crate engine can i take the perfect gen4 ls3 crank i have and use the drop in piston and rod combo with the ls3 crank! If not what is the cost to send crank in and balance everything?
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Q I have a 18k mile 5.3 gen 3 gm crate engine can i take the perfect gen4 ls3 crank i have and use the drop in piston and rod combo with the ls3 crank! If not what is the cost to send crank in and balance everything? answer nowAsked by on November 27, 2021 5:23 amA Our drop ins are designed to work with the existing crank that come in those engines not from different platforms, not sure a ls3 crank would work for this application but if it did balance is 300
Will these clear your Stage 4 cam or do we still need to fly cut? What about BTR 220 or 225 cam?
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Q Will these clear your Stage 4 cam or do we still need to fly cut? What about BTR 220 or 225 cam? answer nowAsked by on October 16, 2021 1:36 pmA Yes they'll clear our cam not sure on btr cam
Do you recommend upgrading the crankshaft or will the stock one work fine with this setup? Looking for power but also reliability.
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Q Do you recommend upgrading the crankshaft or will the stock one work fine with this setup? Looking for power but also reliability. answer nowAsked by on September 4, 2021 3:49 pmA That will depend on power adder type and power goals. I would recommend going to an aftermarket crank above 900-1000 RWHP
Can I substatute .010 under rod bearings for the standard bearings.
Thanks Doug
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Q Can I substatute .010 under rod bearings for the standard bearings. Thanks Doug answer nowAsked by on June 21, 2021 6:35 pmA Yes under rod bearings you can select the extra clearance bearings
How much boost can this setup handle
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A That depends on how aggressive the tune is on the vehicle. We have seen the pistons live happy on 16-20lbs with a proper tune. The block will give up before the rods and pistons do. We are comfortable with these rods up over 900 rwhp.
Is it suggested to have forced induction before installing this kit or is it ok to install before forced induction?......will the truck still run ok without the forced induction until installed ?
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Q Is it suggested to have forced induction before installing this kit or is it ok to install before forced induction?......will the truck still run ok without the forced induction until installed ? answer nowAsked by on January 28, 2021 4:16 pmA We recommend the upgrade before the install, those factory pistons are weak, our recommendation is to not chance it
Will this kit be a direct drop in for the 2020 Sierra 5.3 the l84? Thanks
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Q Will this kit be a direct drop in for the 2020 Sierra 5.3 the l84? Thanks answer nowAsked by on January 15, 2021 9:24 pmA This kit will work for the L84, However keep in mind the phaser is different on these models and the ECM has to be sent to Hp tuners to get unlocked
Do you offer a drop in kit for a L83 with a reduced compression looking for 10.5 - 10.7 unsure looking to play a little safer on higher boost.
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Q Do you offer a drop in kit for a L83 with a reduced compression looking for 10.5 - 10.7 unsure looking to play a little safer on higher boost. answer nowAsked by on April 7, 2020 10:23 pmAnswered by the admin
We do not offer lowered compression for the L83 since we recommend sticking with stock compressions on the majority of builds. Very rarely does lowered compression offer an advantage on modern engines - only on the most extreme setups.
Will this combo work with a texas speed stage 2 cam, are the recommended torques and ring gaps provided, what is the break in, and are there any guarantees about the balancing.
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Q Will this combo work with a texas speed stage 2 cam, are the recommended torques and ring gaps provided, what is the break in, and are there any guarantees about the balancing. answer nowAsked by on December 5, 2019 12:05 amAnswered by the admin
The rods and pistons match the factory pistons and rods on the weights. The ring gaps are determined by the power adder choice. We can advise you on what to set them at. Torque specs are included. They will have adequate piston to valve with that camshaft as long as you have not excessively milled the heads.
Evan (verified owner) –
Took awhile to get here but product is good
David Zepeda (verified owner) –
Very Happy with all the pistons, rods, bearings! Best bang for your buck! I’m building an l83 with a magnuson supercharger in my 71 C10! Definitely putting this to the test!
Mike Mangold (verified owner) –
Wow, this company went above and beyond my expectations! Super nice, very knowledgeable, I definitely recommend GPI and look forward to sending in my heads to y’all ASAP!
Anonymous (verified owner) –
Couldn’t be any happier came faster than I thought and glad I listen to all my turbo truck friends guiding me they say they love them besides the quality the price is amazing if I build another gen v these will be the brand to go with without a doubt