What Would You Do?

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coz3z3

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Hello! New here and wanted to get some opinions on what I should do.

Back in November, I acquired a 2013 Yukon XL Denali in great shape, with a seized motor (I knew it was), for VERY cheap. It has 200k on the odometer. My initial plan was to fix it and keep it as I love the Suburbans/Yukons. My plans have changed as I have too many vehicles (projects) and don't have the room or really necessity for such a large vehicle at this time. I thought I would be able to find a used motor for fairly inexpensive, slap it in, and get rid of it. That hasn't been the case since I have seen these 6.2's rising in price it seems. The weekend I brought it home, I found one for $1500, now I can't seem to find on for less then $2800. I've searched my local junkyards with no avail. I would REALLY love to keep the motor out of this. I have a 78 K10 I could put this in, or a 55 Pickup that would also love it.
So with that, I guess my options are:
1) Buy a brand new shortblock
2) Have this one rebuilt
3) Bite the bullet on a used one
4) Keep the motor and trans and part out the vehicle
5) ???


So, what would you do? Thanks!
 

mikeyss

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This kind of depends on your budget. The Denali would make a nice ride, but there are other expensive fixes that you could run in to, mainly the suspension. But..... A 6.2 in your 78 K10 would be a very cool project. My 6.2 decided to eat a valve seat a few years back, and I spent over 8K building a new one. It is nowhere near stock though, so you may be able to get a short block for around 5k. Check out Texas Speed Performance
 
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coz3z3

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Sweet thanks for the reply. I'm not too concerned with the budget right now. Because at first, when I wanted to keep it, I went straight to Texas speed for a forged short block lol. And you're correct, around 5k. Now with the intent on selling. My budget has seemed to become much lower as I would like to sell it and use as much of the "profit" to build the seized motor for my 78/55.
I've read on here a little bit lately about the suspension and that's been kind of concerning. Which again is why I kind of thought of a part out. Sell that stuff for fairly cheap while it's still decent
 

Dustin Jackson

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Unless you are looking to make profit I would just sell it and recover any cost you’ve invested so far.

I don’t think it’s worth it to put any more time into it unless the profit would be worth it
 

petethepug

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Make a profit by installing a 6.0L from a 3/4 or 1T. They’re just under 40hp shy of the 403hp of the 6.2, No AFM, e85 capable, runs on regular, bolts in & plentiful at about 2.5-$3.5k from a wrecker.

They just need a tune on the Denali existing ECM to turn off the AFM. If you planned on keeping it I’d cam the 6.0 and turn it into a 400hp+ Reg fuel/e85 beast for towing or super inexpensive limo/hauler.

If you listed it nationwide for sale in States where 91 is $5.25 & e85 is $2.69 someone would pay damn fine money to have a truck that spec’d knowing a fill up would be $80 or $150 vs $165 with 91 (CA). $20k would be a dream price for a truck that still pass smog if it had a 2013 or newer donor motor.
 
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Marky Dissod

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Make a profit by installing a 6.0L from a 3/4 or 1T.
They’re just under 40hp shy of the 403hp of the 6.2L.
No AFM, e85 capable, runs on regular, bolts in & plentiful at about 2.5-$3.5k from a wrecker.

They just need a tune on the existing ECM to turn off the AFM.
If you planned on keeping it I’d can the 6.0L and turn it into a 400hp+ Reg fuel/e85 beast for towing or super inexpensive limo/hauler.

If you listed it nationwide for sale in States where 91 is $5.25 & e85 is $2.69,
someone would pay damn fine money to have a truck that spec’d knowing a fill up would be $80 or $150 vs $165 with 91 (CA).
$20k would be a dream price for a truck that still pass smog if it had a 2013 or newer donor motor.
^^^x2^^^ ^^^x2^^^ ^^^x2^^^

In fact there's a possibility that a 6.0L impersonating a 6.2L would actually find it easier / more likely to pass CA emissions, even if it was only running 87 octane!

I'd not be surprised to find out that very few 6.2L owners / drivers (not all) would either barely notice or not care if their 6.2L was replaced by a 6.0L, especially after learning that they could now safely use 87 octane and still work / play as hard as they wanted / needed.

WARNING:
Any 6.2L being driven on 87 octane should be driven as gingerly / gently / conservatively as possible, until the 87 octane is flushed out by 91 or 93 octane!
 
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coz3z3

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Unless you are looking to make profit I would just sell it and recover any cost you’ve invested so far.

I don’t think it’s worth it to put any more time into it unless the profit would be worth it
Sell it as is right now? Or do you mean like take the motor and send it on its way? My initial investment is almost nothing. I paid very, very little for it. So if I can get a motor for 2k, install and sell for 10k, I would profit 8k. And it is in very good shape. Has the normal wear and tear you would expect out of 200k
 
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coz3z3

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Make a profit by installing a 6.0L from a 3/4 or 1T. They’re just under 40hp shy of the 403hp of the 6.2, No AFM, e85 capable, runs on regular, bolts in & plentiful at about 2.5-$3.5k from a wrecker.

They just need a tune on the Denali existing ECM to turn off the AFM. If you planned on keeping it I’d cam the 6.0 and turn it into a 400hp+ Reg fuel/e85 beast for towing or super inexpensive limo/hauler.

If you listed it nationwide for sale in States where 91 is $5.25 & e85 is $2.69 someone would pay damn fine money to have a truck that spec’d knowing a fill up would be $80 or $150 vs $165 with 91 (CA). $20k would be a dream price for a truck that still pass smog if it had a 2013 or newer donor motor.

^^^x2^^^ ^^^x2^^^ ^^^x2^^^

In fact there's a possibility that a 6.0L impersonating a 6.2L would actually find it easier / more likely to pass CA emissions, even if it was only running 87 octane!

I'd not be surprised to find out that very few 6.2L owners / drivers (not all) would either barely notice or not care if their 6.2L was replaced by a 6.0L, especially after learning that they could now safely use 87 octane and still work / play as hard as they wanted / needed.

WARNING:
Any 6.2L being driven on 87 octane should be driven as gingerly / gently / conservatively as possible, until the 87 octane is flushed out by 91 or 93 octane!

This was my third option I was looking at. A gen 4 6.0. My second option was looking at a L92 and then just tuning out DOD. For some reason I can get a L92 a few hundred dollars less than a L94. My question comes back to, how much, if any, would the vehicle devalue with a stock 6.0 instead of the 6.2. Thanks for the ideas though! I thought I read the 6.0 was not e85 compatible? That was one thing that kind of threw me off of it. I can tune out DOD by myself since it's a simple switch in HP Tuners. But e85 might be a little more complex for me.
 

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