2004 Chevy Tahoe LT Engine Swap?

[StottAH]

I know engine swaps have been discussed on this thread before and I spent a lot of time investigating this site before posting about this and asking what I am about to ask, there is a long list of posts and I personally feel that my questions were not really answered.

As the title suggests I have a 2004 Chevy Tahoe LT, I know it is a 5.3 V8 Vortec with flex fuel, I know the 8th digit on the vin is a Z, which if my research is correct leads me to believe that I have the L59 in my Tahoe currently as I know for a fact the engine is stock.

The engine I would like to put in is the L96 which from my research should be a good match to swap in. What I want to know is if this engine and the transmission to match it is a good fit for this model of Tahoe? What exactly do I need to do to mate this engine with my Tahoe? Is there going to need to be an extensive engine bay modification to make it fit and what wiring am I going to have to change? Any helpful suggestions would be welcomed. I apologize if this has been asked before and I simply missed it.

 

[S33k3r]

This is not my area of expertise, at all. That said, I do try to help people as best I can, and I found a thread for you. Please note this starts in the middle of the thread:

https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/best-budget-upgrades-on-a-5-3l-rebuild.125731/post-1558924

Good luck, and I'm sure others will sound off soon.

 

[StottAH]

This is not my area of expertise, at all. That said, I do try to help people as best I can, and I found a thread for you. Please note this starts in the middle of the thread:

https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/best-budget-upgrades-on-a-5-3l-rebuild.125731/post-1558924

Good luck, and I'm sure others will sound off soon.

Thank you. I appreciate the feed back and I will deeply read everything said I. The thread you linked. This particular post is discussing the LQ4 but there may be information I can gleem from reading it as it follows with what I am attempting to do. I will admit, it may be impractical to swap a Gen 4 motor into a Gen 3 engine bay. But I want it and I think it will have the best capabilities for the application I wish to put it to work on.

 

[StottAH]

Wow really?! This post has had only 1 reply sense I posted it this morning?! No one has any thoughts about this?

 

[S33k3r]

I believe the takeaway from the thread I linked is that an L96 will bolt right up. Wiring and computer is where you can have problems. But give this post a few days. People will come around. It is worth the wait.

Also, you might tag some of the people who contributed to that thread. They may have additional knowledge not captured there.

FYI-- My linking to that thread was not trolling or "use the search function". I just tried digging up something that might help you. The amount of information in this forum *is* overwhelming.

 

[Eraschaub]

Physically, the L96 fits fine in the bay—same mounts and similar accessories line up. The trick is in electronics. The stock harness from the 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe engine 5.3 L V8 won’t plug directly into the newer sensors and throttle body. Either run the complete donor engine harness and ECM or have your existing harness re-pinned and tuned. Expect some custom exhaust work too.

 

[Marky Dissod]

... As the title suggests I have a 2004 Chevy Tahoe with an L59 5.3L V8 ...

Engine I would like to put in is the L96 which from my research should be a good match to swap in ...
is this engine and the transmission to match it is a good fit for this model of Tahoe?

Not easily.
Any tuner worth his weight in vinegar would be able to transcribe the engine tables constants & switches from any Gen4 V8 into a Gen3 V8's pcm.
Plenty in the past have 'converted' Gen4 V8s to work with Gen3 V8 pcms, that's not the hard part;
do NOT hesitate to get your hands on any L76 / L77 / LY6 / L96 / LC8 / LFA / LZ1 (LS2 will cost more than any of the others).

Physically installing the 6L80 is pretty easy, GMT800 & GMT900 frames are very nearly identical except for the front steering.
Getting the 6L80 to work requires that you rewire your '04 Chevy Tahoe like an '07-'14 Tahoe, including the use of nearly every GMT900 control module.