pulled the trigger... LQ4/4L80 swap (6.0 vortec)

[foreverfalcon40]

Nice build! Hope you are recovering well from the surgery bud!

x2

 

[Nickleahy23]

sorry for the hiatus gentlemen, been kinda laid up since the surgery. some according to doctor's orders, some just cause i've been taking advantage of the time off. anyihow, put my valley pan and new knock sensors back down, ordered my head gaskets and water pump gaskets tonight. kinda let the cam/converter/springs, etc., go by the wayside for now, i gotta get this thing running and dependable for now. i can always recam/spring/converter it later. so, sorry for the long wait, but hopefully in the next couple weeks things will start rolling again.

thats the same thing i did, and i regret it to this day..if theres anyway possible to cam/spring/verter, do it now..you are not going to want to pull it all apart again to do it..ive been waiting 2 years to pull mine apart and cam it lol shoulda just done it on the stand

 

[branndon_b]

well nick, if it was a like and kind swap, like, if i was modding my 350 (original equipment) or in your case a 5.3 or 6.0 already in place and running, i might be more inclined. but for now, i think i'm gonna have enough bugs to work out just getting it swapped in with just internet help. but once i get all the kinks worked out, i can cam it or stall it later with nothing more to do but a tune. i just hate to have too many variables in the mix, and i'm murphy's law's *****. but hopefully i'll have my head gaskets this week, and i'll start putting stuff together. if i really want a fire breathing ls, i'll build one on a stand, oversized intake, forged bottom end, cam, etc. i say that anyway... but we'll see how it goes. sorry it's been taking so long, a lot of it has just been me debating on cam and stall and such, on top of the surgery crap. hopefully i'll get industrious and get it swapped out before i have to go back to work, wish me luck.

 

[branndon_b]

head gaskets FINALLY got here, evidently they got processed, but never ordered. gotta love my luck. anyhow, think i'm gonna go ahead and cam it. waiting on my bro in law to pull some strings with thunder racing here in LA in baton rouge. he used to work there. looking at the thunder racing trutorq level 2 and some dual springs. can't wait to finally have all my parts together so i can start doing my stuff. anyhow, that's where i stand now. sorry it's been taking forever. stay tuned

 

[bottomline2000]

Sub'n! Nice build and way to snag a hella find under us local boy's noses! I have an 0411 PCM tuned by Justin/Blackbear and recommend it. definitely more flexible.

 

[branndon_b]

alright. wrote the check for the springs, cam kit, everything but the converter, and some 243 heads from a gto. so, hopefully in a couple weeks i'll be able to start throwing it together. oh yeah, and they upgraded me to the stage 3 cam. hope its lumpy enough to sound like it's cammed. they said prob about 450 at the motor. i'll probably converter it later, and put another intake if i see it necessary. stay tuned!!!

 

[retorq]

You're leaving alot on the table by not doing a convertor now ... I'm pretty sure a 450 hp motor is gonna sound cammed.

 

[branndon_b]

i'll probably wait another check or 2 and then throw the converter in it. i figure i can put a converter in easier than i can pull the whole motor apart to do the heads. probably 4 hour turnaround or less for a converter vs. an all day ordeal to jerk the motor apart over the fenders later.

 

[robhenry2990]

thats sweet man. 450 at the crank? i wonder what im gonna get outta the lq9 when i get it in.

 

[branndon_b]

well, with the lq9 you have more compression, so you can go more radical with the cam. the lq4 is nice if you wanna go forced induction later, with the dished pistons. especially the later ones, i think they have forged bottom ends instead of the nodular iron or whatever they have. i kinda dove into this build without as much homework as i probably should have had, but i'll be ok. an lq9 would have been a nice find, but i jumped on the first good deal i found on an LS motor. i'm sure an lq9 with the same mods i'm gonna have would be a beast too, probably good for another 10 or 20 hp, but with better heads than i'm gonna have (L92s) and a more radical cam, i wouldn't be surprised to see 500 hp.