5.3 vortec out of 2wd tahoe to put into a 4X4 yukon

[Jeffs5-3]

Hello, I'm new to the forums but have used many of your guy's solutions to fix my truck which has helped me tremendously. now i unfortunately face a much bigger task. Finding a 5.3 motor to put into my dads yukon. he recently just hydrolocked his engine today i'm in search of a 5.3 out of a 4x4 yukon but no luck i am however finding a lot from the 2wd variants. the motor i'm pulling out is 5.3 from a 2001 gmc yukon slt 4x4 with roughly 170k miles and i found a motor from a 2002 chevy tahoe 2wd. does anyone know if i can just slap in the new motor without having to fiddle around with wiring or anything just want it to go in and turn without hassle. thank you in advance!

- 5.3Jeff

 

[rockola1971]

Hello, I'm new to the forums but have used many of your guy's solutions to fix my truck which has helped me tremendously. now i unfortunately face a much bigger task. Finding a 5.3 motor to put into my dads yukon. he recently just hydrolocked his engine today i'm in search of a 5.3 out of a 4x4 yukon but no luck i am however finding a lot from the 2wd variants. the motor i'm pulling out is 5.3 from a 2001 gmc yukon slt 4x4 with roughly 170k miles and i found a motor from a 2002 chevy tahoe 2wd. does anyone know if i can just slap in the new motor without having to fiddle around with wiring or anything just want it to go in and turn without hassle. thank you in advance!

- 5.3Jeff

Engines are the same. The only difference would be the oil pan which can be pulled off the old engine and installed on the replacement.

 

[Fless]

Engines are the same. The only difference would be the oil pan which can be pulled off the old engine and installed on the replacement.

And maybe the fuel injectors if one is Flex Fuel and the other, not.

EDIT: based on parts availability at Rock Auto the 2001 is probably gas. The 2002 could be either gas or Flex Fuel.

 

[rockola1971]

And maybe the fuel injectors if one is Flex Fuel and the other, not.

Absolutely but that isnt determined between being a 2wd or 4wd engine. He wants to swap a 5.3L out of 2wd into a 4wd vehicle.

 

[Fless]

Absolutely but that isnt determined between being a 2wd or 4wd engine. He wants to swap a 5.3L out of 2wd into a 4wd vehicle.

Understood. But going a bit deeper than just having it bolt up, if the replacement has FF injectors those will likely need to be changed to the gas injectors; different connectors, different flow.

 

[strutaeng]

01 vs 02 should be the same (same as 99-02 trucks) LM7. I don't recall when the L59 flex fuel showed, maybe 2003?

I swapped an L59 from an 04 suburban into my 99 Silverado, but I had source another harness and ECU from a 2000 Silverado (did a V6 swap). The trucks 99-02 wiring harnesses are different and not compatible with the 03-06/07.5 trucks. I'm sure SUVs are the same. Also, the earliest GMT 800 trucks had EGR, and they deleted that at some point. Swapping manifolds I suppose is an option. And they sell EGR block off plates for the intake

I didn't know there was differences in the engine oil pans. I thought they were all the same on 2wd vs 4x4? Next time I'm down on my 4x4 suburban I'll take a closer look.

 

[Fless]

01 vs 02 should be the same (same as 99-02 trucks) LM7. I don't recall when the L59 flex fuel showed, maybe 2003?

I swapped an L59 from an 04 suburban into my 99 Silverado, but I had source another harness and ECU from a 2000 Silverado (did a V6 swap). The trucks 99-02 wiring harnesses are different and not compatible with the 03-06/07.5 trucks. I'm sure SUVs are the same. Also, the earliest GMT 800 trucks had EGR, and they deleted that at some point. Swapping manifolds I suppose is an option. And they sell EGR block off plates for the intake

I didn't know there was differences in the engine oil pans. I thought they were all the same on 2wd vs 4x4? Next time I'm down on my 4x4 suburban I'll take a closer look.

I based my FF comment on the fact that Rock Auto shows both injectors for the '02 Tahoe, but only gas for the '01. The L59s were first offered in 2002, if what I read online is correct.

 

[strutaeng]

Agreed. Yeah looks like 2002 could be an L59. You should be doing that anyways, otherwise op may be getting a 4.8?

Time to look at the RPO codes on the doner's vehicle. In that case of the L59, swapping and keeping the original engine's intake would be simple enough.

 

[rockola1971]

Agreed. Yeah looks like 2002 could be an L59. You should be doing that anyways, otherwise op may be getting a 4.8?

Time to look at the RPO codes on the doner's vehicle. In that case of the L59, swapping and keeping the original engine's intake would be simple enough.

8th digit of the VIN tells the story. Vin Z is a flex fuel and Vin T is not. Both of my 2003 LT's have the Flex Fuel VIN Z.

 

[Jeffs5-3]

Thank you everyone for the replies I had manage to find a motor at a junkyard that came from a 4x4. The oil pan on the old motor was cracked and he shot a rod through the block when he blew it but he got the new motor installed and running. The trouble he is facing is a cloud of white smoke he sees blue but I see white and he says the truck is just not running how it should which he’s right. Any thoughts on what it might be I know he used his old intake but he never switched out the intake manifold gasket.