Did a 6.0 swap in your 1/2T....what cam did you use in the 6.0?

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Rocket Man

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I highly recommend contacting Roger Vinci @ Vinci High Performance and tell him what your goals are. The dude will be more than happy to discuss the pros and cons and help you come up with a cam, valve springs, pushrods etc to suit your build. I’m running his “Trucker” cam in my 02 6.0 with a blower. Specs are
DUR @ .050" 216*/ 224*
LIFT .553/.553
LSA 115*
5A


Not super high lift but you will need good springs- I went with duals.
Roger will answer emails himself, he’s been engineering LS valve train products for something like 50 years. He even answered questions I had on weekends. His website needs a redesign but it’s navigable.
 

Dantheman1540

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Well since I originally posted I have a single beehive valve spring break so I highly recommend dual springs as well. I also highly recommend talking to Roger Vinci he was very knowledgeable when I spoke to him and the only reason I didn't buy a cam from him is that I already had one close to what he suggested laying around. I have since installed the 224/228 .600/.600 113lsa cam in my lq4 and it has been awesome! Pulls better up top than the 212/218 did and sounds cooler at idle. I didn't notice any change in MPG but I think it may be a little big for a truck with a stock converter in an automatic.
 

91RS

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There is no need to run dual springs with a .553 or .600 lift cam. You don't need all that spring pressure beating up the valve seats. Just buy better quality springs than PAC. PSI is the way to go.
 
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The 6.0 lq9 Tahoe is a big step closer to reality and driveability. Recently picked up my all 'new' 6.0 from the builder that did the assembly. I had sourced all the parts on my own from WS6Store and had the machine work done at a local Socal shop that did an excellent job. Unfortunately they are so busy with machine work, they do not do any assembling of long blocks, so I found another builder willing to take the assembly job. I was considering doing the assembly myself after discussing it with the machine shop. He was really emphatic that an LS assemble job is pretty straight forward and not difficult for a garage mechanic that's worked on their own **** and has the necessary tools. I did the disassembly and it was straight forward with no gotchas.

What all I ended up doing is bore .020", new flat top pistons, bearings, recondition conn. rods and crankshaft, 317 heads recond. and cut to raise CR (10.5:1), bowl blend work & valve job, Smith Bros trunnion upgrade, LS6 springs, Summit 8718R1 camshaft, new Johnson Hylift lifters, and other bits and pieces I can't remember. Most everything is new except for block, crankshaft, cyl heads, connecting rods(which I got lucky this engine had Gen4 floating pin rods).

I'm currently trying to decide if I'm going to do the swap or farm it out to an automotive repair shop. This is kind of an out of the ordinary job for repair shops in this area, and a few places have looked at me sideways when I told them I want the engine swapped. Time is always the thing in short supply which is why I'm considering having the swap done so I don't lose multiple nights and/or weekends. If you did a swap yourself, how long did it take?

Around the same time the engine goes in, I need a trans rebuild done. The original 2004 L59 5.3 and 4L60 both have 334k on them, so they both needed attention. Neither one gave up the ghost, but I'm not chancing a new engine with an old trans. The trans I will be having done by others, the same shop that does the rebuild will R&R it too. Don't know if it matters which order this is done in....engine in first, then take to trans shop OR take to trans shop to do their thing, then swap the engine after the trans is done. Anyone have .02 cents on this?


The new engine is so clean, I'm considering painting the block. I wish it were painted before assembly, but it wasn't so here I am. Also would like the clean up the valve covers a bit. They are squeaky clean, but still have this dull, rough chalky look to them. Anyone ever done a light polishing or anything else on factory valve covers? Suggestions and examples(pics or video) are much appreciated of cleaned up, detailed engines.
The driver's side cover is the factory 04 with the fixed PCV opening. Now is the time for me to change it if it's the better option. Earlier valve cover with removable PCV? Later valve cover with the same fixed orifice and the larger rectangular opening on the baffle?

Thanks all for any and all suggestions and info.

6.0lq92.JPG6.0lq9.JPG
 

mattbta

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There's a newer/updated valve cover (still fixed PCV) that drastically reduces oil getting into your intake/consumption. I would recommend that. Lots of folks have painted their valve covers with great success.
 

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Rocket Man

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It’s way easier to pull the trans if the engine isn’t in. As far as rocker covers, I painted mine with VHT High Heat Crinkle which covers up all the casting imperfections and has a nice wrinkle finish.
 
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mattt

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There's a newer/updated valve cover (still fixed PCV) that drastically reduces oil getting into your intake/consumption. I would recommend that. Lots of folks have painted their valve covers with great success.
Thank you. I was aware of that update valve cover. Is there any way to ID that specific updated valve cover from the outside if it were installed on an engine? Or is the only ID by looking at the internal side? I thought I had read a thread somewhere recently that mentioned going back to the separate PCV valve version(as opposed to the fixed orifice type) of the valve cover, but I can't lay my hands on the actual thread yet. Thanks for the heads up on the valve cover update.
 
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mattt

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There's a newer/updated valve cover (still fixed PCV) that drastically reduces oil getting into your intake/consumption. I would recommend that. Lots of folks have painted their valve covers with great success.
Looking for a little more info on the valve cover revisions. I see the newest version is the one with the square breather hole with wings. Earlier versions though, I've found 2 earlier versions and not sure which came first. As your pic showed, one earlier version had 1 round breather hole opposite the pcv fitting. There is another version floating around out here with 2 or 3 round breather holes across the whole valve cover baffle. Which came first, the 1 breather hole, or the 2-3 breather hole valve cover version? Which is the worst for allowing oil into the intake tract? Thanks.
 

mattbta

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I want to say the OEM cover on my 2004 had a round hole at either end. I don't know about multiple revisions and/or ordering of when what came out, but I put 12570427 on mine after I had to replaced cracked heads 2x last summer. There's barely any oil in my catch can after 1000 miles. It just doesn't get driven enough to see what the can holds after 3-5k miles.
 

Tonyrodz

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I want to say the OEM cover on my 2004 had a round hole at either end. I don't know about multiple revisions and/or ordering of when what came out, but I put 12570427 on mine after I had to replaced cracked heads 2x last summer. There's barely any oil in my catch can after 1000 miles. It just doesn't get driven enough to see what the can holds after 3-5k miles.
Which heads cracked on you? 862's?
 

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