# Rainier 5.3 mods? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [April 19, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rainier-5-3-mods/78794 "2013-04-19T16:34:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rainier-5-3-mods/78794/1 "2013-04-19T16:34:36Z")
saw a used rainier for sale. had the 5.3 V8 LS motor rated at 303hp. owner said it had a special chip or was tuned and had a cold air intake and was now producing 390 hp? anyone here buy that claim? i know its easy to put a new cam and nice ported heads and exhaust on corvettes and camaros and make lots more power but than i believe the motor actually flows more air and can really make more power on that version of the LS motor. but this guys claim to a 90hp gain on his rainier seems like a bunch of baloney. i suppose a chevy trailblazer SS which is the same setup might make more power. since chevy is higher performance than buick. hehe. ---
**Author:** ![MG-McAnick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mg-mcanick/32/188_2.png) [@MG-McAnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MG-McAnick)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rainier-5-3-mods/78794/2 "2013-04-19T16:52:52Z")
I’d stay away from any vehicle that had been modified like that. It’s certainly not a good selling point. Whether it’s true or not, (probably not) the car has obviously been tweaked and used hard by its owner. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rainier-5-3-mods/78794/3 "2013-04-19T17:35:47Z")
Cold air intake might be good for a few (less than 10 I bet) hp, chip, no way. Unless there are serious engine mods like you describe (heads, cam, etc.) it’s pretty much stock, with stock hp. ---
**Author:** ![bscar2](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar2/32/2468_2.png) [@bscar2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar2)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rainier-5-3-mods/78794/4 "2013-04-20T04:17:18Z")
depends on the chip they used. I’ve seen Bullydog tuners that’ll up the HP on diesels, but the tuners are a good $500. The chip might also be one of those scams they have on ebay where it’s really a 5 cent resistor they sell for $50 ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 5:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rainier-5-3-mods/78794/5 "2013-04-20T05:20:55Z")
Chips (actually a reprogrammer for the engine control computer) can work on turbo cars/trucks, like a diesel. But no on a 5.3 that has none of that. More likely a scam chip. And a while back we had the sad tale of a Ford diesel owner who blew up his engine with one of the best name in the business for aftermarket diesel parts. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rainier-5-3-mods/78794/6 "2013-04-20T18:16:54Z")
I have no clue what parts or mods are available for the Chevy SS version. I do not go to any Chevy hipo sites. I think any claims of 50+ HP gains on NA motors is bogus. Maybe this sellers butt dyno is miscalibrated?