Engine Swap to stroked 6.0 (408) and general vehicle refurbishment

[Chooko]

I shamelessly stole all kinds of his hard work/research/step by step photos when I did mine. Even had a few questions here and there. Chris @iamdub is a wealth of information and damn good dude.

It's been nearly a year since I did my engine trans so I'm a little foggy on the specifics. The one thing I do remember is to take your intake off and get the top bell housing bolts from the top, after you remove the hood. So much easier. I didn't do that when I pulled the trans but I learned from my mistakes and did it from the top when I put it back together

I'm glad that you said this. Even though I bought the Dirty Dingo lift plate, I was still thinking about trying to get the engine out and in with the intake installed. But after reading this and then looking at some other postings on it that your advice triggered, I am just going to take the intake off.

 

[Chooko]

More parts came today.


This is an oil pickup. The box was kind of mangled and a little bit open at one end. The pickup looks OK, but I noticed that it does not have any bolts with it. Could these have fallen out of the damaged box? Or does an oil pickup normally not come with bolts?

I also got a Yukon U-Joint.

A Dirty Dingo lift plate


A pair of new headlight housings.


And lastly a pair of poly engine mounts.


And here is a question...I've been reading a lot about adding on a Derale transmission cooler with an electric fan. My question is, other than providing minimal cooling of the transmission oil, does the stock transmission cooler in the side of the radiator serve any other function? In other words, if I completely remove the factory transmission cooler hard lines, cap the bungs in the radiator, and run hoses directly from the transmission to and from the Derale, will I be losing any functionality other than the little cooling provided by the stock cooler?

 

[pwtr02ss]

Have I ever left you hanging?


Well, besides that one time Stephanie came home early. View attachment 356982


Sorry for the derailing, @Chooko!

Yea, sorry for the thread clutter. Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants. It doesn't care who's thread it's in...

Back on track!

 

[Chooko]

Yea, sorry for the thread clutter. Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants. It doesn't care who's thread it's in...

Back on track!

Hahahahaha , all is forgiven, as long as you guys keep giving me good information and advice!

 

[pwtr02ss]

More parts came today.
View attachment 356993

This is an oil pickup. The box was kind of mangled and a little bit open at one end. The pickup looks OK, but I noticed that it does not have any bolts with it. Could these have fallen out of the damaged box? Or does an oil pickup normally not come with bolts?

I also got a Yukon U-Joint.
View attachment 356989
A Dirty Dingo lift plate
View attachment 356990

A pair of new headlight housings.
View attachment 356992

And lastly a pair of poly engine mounts.
View attachment 356991

And here is a question...I've been reading a lot about adding on a Derale transmission cooler with an electric fan. My question is, other than providing minimal cooling of the transmission oil, does the stock transmission cooler in the side of the radiator serve any other function? In other words, if I completely remove the factory transmission cooler hard lines, cap the bungs in the radiator, and run hoses directly from the transmission to and from the Derale, will I be losing any functionality other than the little cooling provided by the stock cooler?

We both used the hummer H3 mounts. They are a direct bolt on if you get two passenger mounts. They are solid and not fluid filled like the stock ones.

As for the trans cooler, I always use the factory one in line with new, external. It adds cooling so may as well use it. I'm sure you can bypass with no issues, but I prefer to keep it working since it's already there

 

[Geotrash]

More parts came today.
View attachment 356993

This is an oil pickup. The box was kind of mangled and a little bit open at one end. The pickup looks OK, but I noticed that it does not have any bolts with it. Could these have fallen out of the damaged box? Or does an oil pickup normally not come with bolts?

I also got a Yukon U-Joint.
View attachment 356989
A Dirty Dingo lift plate
View attachment 356990

A pair of new headlight housings.
View attachment 356992

And lastly a pair of poly engine mounts.
View attachment 356991

And here is a question...I've been reading a lot about adding on a Derale transmission cooler with an electric fan. My question is, other than providing minimal cooling of the transmission oil, does the stock transmission cooler in the side of the radiator serve any other function? In other words, if I completely remove the factory transmission cooler hard lines, cap the bungs in the radiator, and run hoses directly from the transmission to and from the Derale, will I be losing any functionality other than the little cooling provided by the stock cooler?

Yes, when I first installed my Derale cooler, I bypassed the oil to water cooler in the radiator. I had a hell of a time keeping temperatures under control until I plugged it back in. Made all the difference in the world… And the upfitters manual says to use them in sequence with each other With the radiator plumbed in before the external transmission cooler, which is how I ended up plumbing mine, and it works beautifully.

 

[Chooko]

Yes, when I first installed my Derale cooler, I bypassed the oil to water cooler in the radiator. I had a hell of a time keeping temperatures under control until I plugged it back in. Made all the difference in the world… And the upfitters manual says to use them in sequence with each other With the radiator plumbed in before the external transmission cooler, which is how I ended up plumbing mine, and it works beautifully.

Wow, that is not at all what I expected, but exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for the response. I will plan to plumb them in as you describe!

 

[swathdiver]

My question is, other than providing minimal cooling of the transmission oil, does the stock transmission cooler in the side of the radiator serve any other function? In other words, if I completely remove the factory transmission cooler hard lines, cap the bungs in the radiator, and run hoses directly from the transmission to and from the Derale, will I be losing any functionality other than the little cooling provided by the stock cooler?

The in-tank cooler also serves to heat up the fluid quicker in cold weather. Imagine if it were -10 out, that fluid would be much thicker and not warm up at all. Not sure what it might do to the transmission. I don't tow over mountains or through deserts so the stock coolers suit me just fine. Derale's are quality products.

 

[Geotrash]

Yup. Think of the radiator tank like a regulator that cuts off the extreme lows and highs of transmission fluid temps, keeping it in the safe zone. When towing our heavy camper over the blue ridge, that transmission fluid would heat up to 260ºF before I plumbed the radiator back in. But with that radiator sitting at 200ºF +-, it'll take a bunch of heat out of the fluid because it's an oil-to-water cooler before it gets to the Derale. Plumbed in, I never saw anything above 225ºF even pulling that thing all over the Rockies in the summer heat this year. GM says that temps up to 285ºF are allowable for short periods, and 220ºF is fine with them all day long in the 6L80E with the modern Dexron fluid. On the cold side, GM says that they like to see a minimum of 150ºF for "continuous operation", so again the radiator sitting at 200 will warm the fluid up. On cold days, it'll hold between 145-170 depending on how I'm driving, without towing. It's the perfect setup, in my opinion.

 

[iamdub]

I'm glad that you said this. Even though I bought the Dirty Dingo lift plate, I was still thinking about trying to get the engine out and in with the intake installed. But after reading this and then looking at some other postings on it that your advice triggered, I am just going to take the intake off.

There is ZERO benefit to removing and installing the engine with the intake manifold in place. It's so easy to remove and once it's removed, gives you access to the upper bellhousing bolts. You'll have so much more room to move the long- or shortblock around to get it up and out from under the wiper cowl and not have to worry about busting the manifold. Like I said, I did the whole thing by myself with one hand on the hoist chain and the other rolling the Tahoe forward or backward by pushing on the wheel. Having a massive chunk of hollow plastic in between a car and few hundred pounds of dangling engine on complicates things no matter how many hands are on it.

 

[iamdub]

More parts came today.
View attachment 356993

This is an oil pickup. The box was kind of mangled and a little bit open at one end. The pickup looks OK, but I noticed that it does not have any bolts with it. Could these have fallen out of the damaged box? Or does an oil pickup normally not come with bolts?

I also got a Yukon U-Joint.
View attachment 356989
A Dirty Dingo lift plate
View attachment 356990

A pair of new headlight housings.
View attachment 356992

And lastly a pair of poly engine mounts.
View attachment 356991

And here is a question...I've been reading a lot about adding on a Derale transmission cooler with an electric fan. My question is, other than providing minimal cooling of the transmission oil, does the stock transmission cooler in the side of the radiator serve any other function? In other words, if I completely remove the factory transmission cooler hard lines, cap the bungs in the radiator, and run hoses directly from the transmission to and from the Derale, will I be losing any functionality other than the little cooling provided by the stock cooler?

Not sure on the bolt. But, the original isn't a wear item or TTY, so it's perfectly reusable.

As Dave @Geotrash said, there is a minimum temperature for fluids. It's not always "colder is better". Heating and cooling cycles create condensation inside the engine and trans, which mixes with the oils. They have to reach a minimum temperature for a minimum amount of time to steam the moisture out of the fluids. People that drive very short distances to and from their jobs can build up enough moisture in their engine's crankcase that it'll look like they have a blown head gasket with the milkshake under their oil cap. The trans is very similar.

 

[Rocket Man]

Yes, when I first installed my Derale cooler, I bypassed the oil to water cooler in the radiator. I had a hell of a time keeping temperatures under control until I plugged it back in. Made all the difference in the world… And the upfitters manual says to use them in sequence with each other With the radiator plumbed in before the external transmission cooler, which is how I ended up plumbing mine, and it works beautifully.

The in-tank cooler also serves to heat up the fluid quicker in cold weather. Imagine if it were -10 out, that fluid would be much thicker and not warm up at all. Not sure what it might do to the transmission. I don't tow over mountains or through deserts so the stock coolers suit me just fine. Derale's are quality products.

Yup. Think of the radiator tank like a regulator that cuts off the extreme lows and highs of transmission fluid temps, keeping it in the safe zone. When towing our heavy camper over the blue ridge, that transmission fluid would heat up to 260ºF before I plumbed the radiator back in. But with that radiator sitting at 200ºF +-, it'll take a bunch of heat out of the fluid because it's an oil-to-water cooler before it gets to the Derale. Plumbed in, I never saw anything above 225ºF even pulling that thing all over the Rockies in the summer heat this year. GM says that temps up to 285ºF are allowable for short periods, and 220ºF is fine with them all day long in the 6L80E with the modern Dexron fluid. On the cold side, GM says that they like to see a minimum of 150ºF for "continuous operation", so again the radiator sitting at 200 will warm the fluid up. On cold days, it'll hold between 145-170 depending on how I'm driving, without towing. It's the perfect setup, in my opinion.

My trans builder (Performabuilt) specifically states to bypass the cooler in your radiator. They state the reason is they see a few that fail from engine coolant being mixed into the trans fluid due to leaking internal factory coolers since the trans cooler is exposed to the coolant inside the radiator and that’s not covered under their warranty. They say if you’re in the northern climates you can use a thermostat in-line that won’t allow the fluid to go to the cooler until it is warm. Myself, I bought a brand new OEM radiator just to be safe and plumbed mine after the radiator. Just something to keep in mind if your radiator is old. You don’t want it leaking internally and ruining your trans.

 

[Chooko]

Thanks all for the opinions on the transmission cooler. I did replace the radiator fairly recently, so hopefully I dont have to worry to much about it leaking, but that seems like a legitimate concern.

Got my backup camera in the mail today.


Also ordered gears last night. Decided to stay with the 10 bolt, at least for now, since I already have the Truetrack coming for it. I went back and forth on gear ratio for a while, but finally decide on 3,42's from Nitro Gear and Axle. Hopefully its not to low. I do like how effortlessy the Tahoe cruises at high speed now. I also bouth a rebuild kit with all new bearings, seals, etc, as well as a crush sleeve eliminator kit. Rebuilding this rear end and putting in the stereo and rear view camera will be my first projects, while I wait for the engine to be built.

 

[Chooko]

And today I also got new heater hoses in the mail. I specifically bought these for the metal T-fitting, after reading about them on a couple of posts here on the forum. Should be a good preventative maintenance swap-out during the larger project.

 

[1badjimmy]

Short time lurker, first time poster. I got that same hose assembly from the local O’really store. I like the metal “T” but really dislike the plastic fitting that attaches to the heater core or “Ts” at the heater core. Those fittings or the “Ts” have broke on me in my 05 Surburban 2500, 04 Tahoe and my 12 Yukon XL 2500. Really wish someone would make a metal replacement.

 

[Chooko]

Short time lurker, first time poster. I got that same hose assembly from the local O’really store. I like the metal “T” but really dislike the plastic fitting that attaches to the heater core or “Ts” at the heater core. Those fittings or the “Ts” have broke on me in my 05 Surburban 2500, 04 Tahoe and my 12 Yukon XL 2500. Really wish someone would make a metal replacement.

Dang, I havent taken it our of the package yet, and so hadn't noticed that plastic end. Thats dissapointing since I bought this specifically to try to get the plastic out of this area of the vehicle. I wonder if there is a metal replacement? I'm going to do some searching this evening.

 

[iamdub]

Short time lurker, first time poster. I got that same hose assembly from the local O’really store. I like the metal “T” but really dislike the plastic fitting that attaches to the heater core or “Ts” at the heater core. Those fittings or the “Ts” have broke on me in my 05 Surburban 2500, 04 Tahoe and my 12 Yukon XL 2500. Really wish someone would make a metal replacement.

Welcome!

Dang, I havent taken it our of the package yet, and so hadn't noticed that plastic end. Thats dissapointing since I bought this specifically to try to get the plastic out of this area of the vehicle. I wonder if there is a metal replacement? I'm going to do some searching this evening.

I didn't like the feel of the hose on the Dorman replacement. It felt and smelled like the rubbery plastic on the cheap pliers at Harbor Freight. I cut it all off and just used the metal Y. I used heater hose I bought from the bulk roll at O'Reilly (Gates?) and OEM spring clamps.

The OEM Ts at the firewall are plenty reliable for 100K+ miles. Mine had 200K on them and were still fine. I still elected to replace them with aluminum ones. Grüven makes some (Here: https://www.gruvenparts.com/billet-gm-heater-core-coolant-tees/) and so does JTR/Stealth Conversions, which are the ones I have (Here: https://jagsthatrun.com/collections/cooling-systems/products/traditional-hose-tee).


My ish starts here: https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/growing-up-doesnt-have-to-suck.93510/post-1451010

 

[1badjimmy]

The OEM Ts at the firewall are plenty reliable for 100K+ miles. Mine had 200K on them and were still fine. I still elected to replace them with aluminum ones. Grüven makes some (Here: https://www.gruvenparts.com/billet-gm-heater-core-coolant-tees/) and so does JTR/Stealth Conversions, which are the ones I have (Here: https://jagsthatrun.com/collections/cooling-systems/products/traditional-hose-tee).


My ish starts here: https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/growing-up-doesnt-have-to-suck.93510/post-1451010

Thank you for the welcome.

I have never seen those and was thinking more inline with the GM fuel line quick disconnect to AN adapters. Similar to the Russel 644123 (Here: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rus-644123).

Where you push the “T” over the heater core and then thread a retainer nut to secure. Would cost a pretty penny to make and not sell very well I’m sure. However I would buy three pair.

Hopefully I got the quotes right and the message posts the way I want. On mobile and dislike this forum’s interface. Maybe because I am not used to it yet lol.

 

[iamdub]

Thank you for the welcome.

I have never seen those and was thinking more inline with the GM fuel line quick disconnect to AN adapters. Similar to the Russel 644123 (Here: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rus-644123).

Where you push the “T” over the heater core and then thread a retainer nut to secure. Would cost a pretty penny to make and not sell very well I’m sure. However I would buy three pair.

Hopefully I got the quotes right and the message posts the way I want. On mobile and dislike this forum’s interface. Maybe because I am not used to it yet lol.

I guess you could machine a T-shaped manifold out of a block of aluminum and thread the holes for -12, -8 and -10 fittings, then use the AN-to-tube adapter fittings. That'd be seriously over-complicating it and adding so many potentials for leaks. Would look pretty sick, though!

OR, cut and flare the 3/4" and 1/2" lines with inverted flare tube nuts and screw them into the manifold like brake lines into a master cylinder. The 5/8" to the water pump would have to be a crimped or compression style fitting. While still over-complicating it, this would eliminate splices, hose clamps of any kind and have very tight joints, yielding very little chance of leaks.

I'm not sure how the forum appears on mobile as I always use a laptop. But, I have heard that rotating the phone (or tablet/phablet?) to portrait mode reveals additional features such as signatures.

 

[pwtr02ss]

I just bought all new OEM GM hoses when I did mine. ALL of them. I figure they lasted 200k miles, hopefully they'll last another 200k.

Wait, all OEM except the power steering. I used gates for those.