L33 Engine Specs: Performance, Bore & Stroke, Cylinder Heads, Cam Specs & More

Mechanically similar, General Motors’ LS and LS-based Vortec engines wound up on almost every branch of the GM family tree: Chevy, Pontiac, GMC, Cadillac, Buick—heck, even Saab, Hummer, and Isuzu got some LS love.

Since LS and Vortec engines are so common, they’ve become the go-to performance and swap engines of the modern era.

These motors are capable of making a lot of horsepower, and respond well to upgrades like turbos, superchargers, high-flow cylinder heads, intake systems, cams, and nitrous oxide.

[NOTE: Looking to upgrade your L33? Read: L33 5.3L Engine Upgrade Guide: Expert Advice for L33 Mods to Maximize Performance.]

The aftermarket is strong, crate engines are available, and used motors are often cheaply sourced through junkyards.

Summit Racing has created a series of comprehensive guides for each engine in the LS family, so engine builders and tuners can have a handy reference for their projects.

This guide is specifically about the GM L33. You can find our other LS engine spec guides and LS-related tech articles here.

(Summit Racing’s Paul Spurlock and Brian Nutter contributed to this article.)

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Chevy L33 Engine Specs

The L33 is a 5.3L, Gen. 3 small block engine used in GM trucks between 2005 and 2007.

Although it is a truck engine, it used cylinder heads closely related to the LS2 and LS6. It came with flat-top pistons for increased compression, and has a unique camshaft.

For marketing purposes, it was known as the Vortec 5300 H.O.

The information listed below is for the stock engine.

 

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