Engine Masters

Stock Vs. Built Vs. Boost Vs. Both

In the modern world of bulletproof bottom ends, boost has become the go-to for bolt-on power. But is it really the best way to get where you want to be? On this episode of Engine Masters presented by AMSOIL, David Freiburger, Steve Dulcich and Steve Brulé take a bone-stock 5.3 truck LS and test four different combos of built and boosted. Building off the baseline of the naturally aspirated motor, they pull big numbers with just an intercooled turbo setup. Next, they pull the turbo to build it N/A with heads, a cam, and an intake, and then finally hang the turbo back onto the newly built mill. The choice is up to you (and your budget), but the guys will give you all the data to decide where to spend your dough.