"06 Escalade Build: Engine cover finished!

[m1949]

-Lengthy Post Alert-
Details of 06 Escalade build and a short Punch List.

Our 06 Escalade Base rwd build is almost done! The photos I recently shared were taken during 3 days last week when I was in N. AL to check out the build and help make up a final punch list. Overall, I'm really pleased. There are many positives as well as a few things that still need attention. Below, the work that's been done so far is briefly discussed followed by a list of items which need to be addressed to complete the build.

1. Suspension: The Belltech 2/4 lower/leveling suspension kit and other steering/suspension components we replaced have produced a stable, solid feeling, smooth ride. Among improvements are upgraded wheels from stock 17" to 2016 Escalade 20s" running on 275/55/20 Michelin Defender LTX tires. Really, the Esky ride feels as solid, responsive and is more comfortable than our 2015 Lexus RX350!

2. Engine Bay: The GM Performance Ls364/450hp engine we installed screams! Because of a transmission issue yet to be sorted out, we never went to full throttle. But even accelerating at half throttle pushed me hard into the seat. I think full throttle from dead stop would burn the tires off this beast! Installed new LS3 heads (rectangular ports) compatible intake, throttlebody, fuel injector rail and higher pressure fuel injectors. New coils and wires installed. All bolt on components (alternatore, starter, etc.) were replaced. All hoses were replaced and all wiring was inspected and cleaned or replaced. New radiator and a/c condenser were installed, and a new battery. The engine bay was cleaned and touchup painted. The custom paint/decal engine cover fits the new intake manifold and adds a nice touch. Two issues with the engine need sorting out: 1. A noisy idler pulley needs to be replaced. 2. An improper vacuum hose fitting on the manifold needs to be replaced and the vacuum hose properly connected instead of being closed off as it now is.

3.The transmission was rebuilt and beefed up for additional horsepower and torque. However, it has an odd issue we need to sort out. Under normal driving conditions it shifts smoothly. But when you really get on it the transmission shifts correctly from 1st to 2nd, but holds too long before shifting to 3rd; and when it does shift it slams into 3rd gear. I'm hoping this is a PCM shift table issue. Sorting this oddity out is job one on the punch list. But I'd like to hear from any of y'all who have had a similar experience and found the cause.

4. Exhaust System: The exhaust assembly lets you know the engine is not a stock LQ9. It includes Summit Racing shortie headers, cats, X pipe with 2.5" pipes connecting to a single dual pipe Magnaflow muffer and a center mounted Civic Si exhaust tip. The sound is just right. Not too loud. With its LS6 cam, the engine sounds a lot like a C6 era Corvette!

5.Brakes: Went with Powerstop all around and did the 08-13 front rotor/caliper upgrade. Checked all brake lines and replaced any showing corrosion or wear.

6. Exterior mono-color-paint finish is awesome! Builder repainted the front bumper, grill, hood, rear bumper including step pads, the running boards and all the side panel cladding. The remainder of the body was wheeled and polished. It turned out so well its hard to tell new from reconditioned paint. Builder also spray coated undercarriage with rust resistor/inhibitor.

7. Interior: Went with custom Escalade instrument cluster with 140mph speedo and 7000rpm tach. All the gauges appear to be working properly. With the exception of the Bose head unit, all the electrical seems to be working properly. I scored a great deal on ebay for a refurbished Pioneer AVIC-W8400NEX model to replace the Bose. Also the new A/C is charged and working great. The Leatherseats .com upholstery fits well. Product and install have the look and feel of OEM quality or better. The red/gray color combo is pleasing to the eyes and lends a more modern feel to the interior. Only issue is the door mounted armrests did not take color well; coming out a different shade of red from the seats and accent trim. This week they go back to upholsterer to be covered with the same material we used for the center console lid.

Here is the Punch List of things needing attention to complete the build:
1. Sort out transmission 2nd to 3rd gear hard shift issue.
2. Replace noisy idler pulley DONE!
3. Replace vacuum fitting on manifold with proper size. DONE!
4. Replace cloudy driver side mirror glass
5. Replace headlights
6. Replace missing cover for tire lowering tool opening
7. Recover door armrests
8. Charge and leak test A/C DONE!
9. Replace Bose head unit with Pioneer AVIC-W8400NEX DONE!
10. Install backup camera DONE!
11. Replace fuel pump and inline filter and replace fuel lines as needed. DONE!
12 Replace evap solenoid and canister DONE!
13. Sort out/calibrate TPMS to remove message
14. Install resister to Airride circuit to eliminate service message.

 

[Tonyrodz]

-Lengthy post alert-

The photos I recently posted were taken during 3 days last week when I was in N. AL to check out the build and help put together the final punch list. Overall, I'm really pleased. Here is a description of some of the work done so far followed by the punch list.

1. The Belltech suspension kit and other steering/suspension components we replaced have produced a solid feeling, smooth ride. Among the improves is are upgraded wheels from stock 17" to 2016 Escalade 20" wheels running on 275/55/20 Michelin Defender LTX tires. Really, the Esky ride feels as solid and the ride is more comfortable than our 2015 Lexus RX350!
2.The engine screams! Because of a transmission issue yet to be sorted out, we never went to full throttle. But even accelerating at half throttle pushed me hard into the seat. I think full throttle from dead stop would burn the tires off this beast! All bolt on components were replaced. We installed new radiator and a/c condenser. All hoses were replaced and all wiring was inspected and cleaned or replaced. Engine bay was cleaned and touchup painted. The custom paint/decal engine cover fits the new intake manifold and adds a nice touch. Two issues with the engine need sorting out: 1. A noisy idler pulley needs to be replaced. 2. An improper vacuum hose fitting on the manifold needs to be replaced and the vacuum hose properly connected instead of being closed off as it now is.
3. Exhaust assembly lets you know the engine is not a stock LQ9. It includes Summit Racing shortie headers, cats, X pipe with 2.5" pipes to a single dual pipe Magnaflow muffler and a center mounted Civic Si exhaust tip. The sound is just right. Not too loud. With its LS6 cam, the engine sounds a lot like a C6 era Corvette!
4.The transmission has an odd issue that needs to be sorted out. Under normal driving conditions it shifts smoothly and according to the rpm settings of the tcm. But when you really get on it it shifts correctly from 1st to 2nd gear, but holds too long before shifting to 3rd and when it does shift is slams into 3rd gear. I'm hoping the manifold vacuum line issue I mentioned above is the source of the problem. Sorting this oddity out is job one on the punch list. But I'd like to hear from any of y'all who have had a similar experience and found the cause.
5.Brakes: Went with Powerstop all around and did the 08-13 front rotor/caliper upgrade. Inspected and replaced brake lines as needed.
6. Exterior mono-color finish is awesome! Builder repainted the front bumper, grill, hood, rear bumper including step pads, the running boards and all the side panel cladding. The remainder of the body was wheeled and polished. It turned out so well its impossible to tell whether the whole truck was painted. Also sprayed rust resistant/inhibitor on undercarriage.
7. Interior: Went with custom Escalade instrument cluster with 140mph speedo and 7000rpm tac. All electric controls appear to be working except Bose the cd/dvd player in the Bose head isn't working. To fix this I scored a great deal on ebay for a refurbished Pioneer AVIC-W8400NEX model receiver. Also the A/C hasn't been charged yet. It's on the punch list. Seats covers fit well. Product and install have the look and feel of OEM quality or better. The red/gray color combo is pleasing to the eyes and lends a more modern feel to the interior. Only upholster issue is the door mounted armrests did not take color well. They came out a different shade of red from the seats and accent trim. They are going back to upholsterer to be covered with the same material we used for the center console lid.

Here is the rather short Punch List:
1. Replace noisy idler pulley
2. replace vacuum fitting on manifold with proper size
3. Sort out 2nd to 3rd gear hard shift issue.
4. Replace cloudy driver side mirror glass
5. Replace headlights
6. Replace missing cover for tire lowering tool opening
7. Recover door armrests
8. Charge A/C and test
9. Replace Bose head unit with Pioneer AVIC-W8500NEX
10.Install backup camera
11.Order and install floor mats

I'd love to hear what the exhaust sounds like.

 

[m1949]

I'd love to hear what the exhaust sounds like.

Once I get it home I plan to do a video and will make sure to get some good audio of the exhaust. The punch list work should be complete by next week, barring unforeseen issues with the transmission. Then the builder is going to drive it a couple of weeks for shakedown. So, it should be ready by early to mid July. But because we are traveling quite a bit in July its likely I won't be able to pick it up until toward the end of the month.

 

[iamdub]

-Lengthy post alert-

The photos I recently posted were taken during 3 days last week when I was in N. AL to check out the build and help put together the final punch list. Overall, I'm really pleased. Here is a description of some of the work done so far followed by the punch list.

1. The Belltech suspension kit and other steering/suspension components we replaced have produced a solid feeling, smooth ride. Among improvement are upgraded wheels from stock 17" to 2016 Escalade 20" running on 275/55/20 Michelin Defender LTX tires. Really, the Esky ride feels as solid and the ride is more comfortable than our 2015 Lexus RX350!
2.The engine screams! Because of a transmission issue yet to be sorted out, we never went to full throttle. But even accelerating at half throttle pushed me hard into the seat. I think full throttle from dead stop would burn the tires off this beast! All bolt on components were replaced. We installed a new radiator and a/c condenser. All hoses were replaced and all wiring was inspected and cleaned or replaced. Engine bay was cleaned and touchup painted. The custom paint/decal engine cover fits the new intake manifold and adds a nice touch. Two issues with the engine need sorting out: 1. A noisy idler pulley needs to be replaced. 2. An improper vacuum hose fitting on the manifold needs to be replaced with proper fitting and the vacuum hose properly connected. (Right now its just plugged.)
3. Exhaust assembly lets you know the engine is not a stock LQ9. It includes Summit Racing shortie headers, cats, X pipe with 2.5" pipes out to a single dual pipe Magnaflow muffler and a center mounted Civic Si exhaust tip. The sound is just right. Not too loud. With its LS6 cam, the engine sounds a lot like a C6 era Corvette!
4.The transmission has an odd issue that needs to be sorted out. Under normal driving conditions it shifts smoothly and according to the rpm settings of the tcm. But with hard acceleration it shifts correctly from 1st to 2nd, but holds too long before shifting to 3rd and when it does shift is slams into 3rd gear. I'm hoping the manifold vacuum line issue I mentioned above is the source of the problem. Sorting this oddity out is job one on the punch list. But I'd like to hear from any of y'all who have had a similar experience and found the cause.
5.Brakes: Went with Powerstop all around and did the 08-13 front rotor/caliper upgrade. Inspected and replaced brake lines as needed.
6. Exterior mono-color finish is awesome! Builder repainted the front bumper, grill, hood, rear bumper including step pads, the running boards and all the side panel cladding. The remainder of the body was wheeled and polished. It turned out so well its impossible to tell whether the whole truck was painted. Also sprayed rust resistant/inhibitor on undercarriage.
7. Interior: Went with custom Escalade instrument cluster with 140mph speedo and 7000rpm tac. All electric controls appear to be working except Bose the cd/dvd player in the Bose head. To fix this I scored a great deal on ebay for a refurbished Pioneer AVIC-W8400NEX model receiver. Also the A/C hasn't been charged yet. It's on the punch list. Seats covers fit well. Product and install have the look and feel of OEM quality or better. The red/gray color combo is pleasing to the eyes and lends a more modern feel to the interior. Only upholstery issue is the door mounted armrests did not take color well. They came out a different shade of red from the seats and accent trim. They are going back to upholsterer to be covered with the same material we used for the center console lid.

Here is the rather short Punch List:
1. Replace noisy idler pulley
2. replace vacuum fitting on manifold with proper size
3. Sort out 2nd to 3rd gear hard shift issue.
4. Replace cloudy driver side mirror glass
5. Replace headlights
6. Replace missing cover for tire lowering tool opening
7. Recover door armrests
8. Charge A/C and test
9. Replace Bose head unit with Pioneer AVIC-W8500NEX
10.Install backup camera
11.Install resistor to override airride service messaage
12. Sort out TSMs

I'm NOT a tuner, but I know there can be TPS versus MPH discrepancy in the trans tuning causing a delayed and harsh shift. When you're making more power, you'll reach speeds more easily with less throttle. The PCM is like, "Waitaminute, you're not supposed to be going fast enough for me to command a 2 to 3 shift with that small amount of throttle", so it holds the current gear for you to accelerate. I guess it ignores the actual vehicle speed during this. You have to adjust the tables so that the PCM will allow the upshift even with "such low throttle". Not saying this is your issue, but it's all I have and hoping it's just a tune problem and not an issue within the trans.

 

[m1949]

I'm NOT a tuner, but I know there can be TPS versus MPH discrepancy in the trans tuning causing a delayed and harsh shift. When you're making more power, you'll reach speeds more easily with less throttle. The PCM is like, "Waitaminute, you're not supposed to be going fast enough for me to command a 2 to 3 shift with that small amount of throttle", so it holds the current gear for you to accelerate. I guess it ignores the actual vehicle speed during this. You have to adjust the tables so that the PCM will allow the upshift even with "such low throttle". Not saying this is your issue, but it's all I have and hoping it's just a tune problem and not an issue within the trans.

Thanks for this. After reading your post I went to youtube and found a video which also cites this problem as a possible tune issue. You and the video have been informative and helpful!

 

[m1949]

Losing CD changer/gaining wireless charging station
Next upgrade is converting 6cd changer space into a dash pocket as shown in the video (shown below). Interior dimensions are 7"w x 7.5"d x 2"h. The dash pocket will be used as a cell phone wireless charging station. To do this we will install two USB ports and two 15W JADA Qi-certified fast charging pads. Dimensions of the charging pads are: 6.22 x 3.23 x 0.2 inches. Will post photos when completed.


youtube.com
Converting/Eliminating 5 CD changer 04 Denali into a storage POCKET /TRAY.

 

[m1949]

I have debadged all the Escalade emblems on my '06 and am toying with the idea of replacing them with SS badges. I know some of y'all prefer a completely debadged look. I do not. But neither am I fond of the Escalade badges. So, I'm thinking of adding SS badges to signify the upgrades and modifications we've done. I thought of using V series badges but decided not to after I read the specs and saw the performance videos of the "23 Seclade V Series. Frankly, my build is not up to that level; and, I don't want the grief that I'd expect to get from putting V-Series badges a non-supercharged, lower horsepower Escalade. However, the GM Performance Engine and many upgrades we've done are in-line with engine and handling upgrades GM Performance adds to make stock models into SS models. So I figure, why not? If people ask why the SS badges, I'll tell them this is my idea of what GM Performance could have done back in '06 had Cadillac decided to make an Escalade SS model. My photoshop skills are pretty poor, so the the scale is not correct; but here are some photoshopped images of how it will look. BTW I made the front license plate fillers using photoshop. Can't decide which I prefer. Which do ya'll like?

 

[Tonyrodz]

I have debadged all the Escalade emblems on my '06 and am toying with the idea of replacing them with SS badges. I know some of y'all prefer a completely debadged look. I do not. But neither am I fond of the Escalade badges. So, I'm thinking of adding SS badges to signify the upgrades and modifications we've done. I thought of using V series badges but decided not to after I read the specs and saw the performance videos of the "23 Seclade V Series. Frankly, my build is not up to that level; and, I don't want the grief that I'd expect to get from putting V-Series badges a non-supercharged, lower horsepower Escalade. However, the GM Performance Engine and many upgrades we've done are in-line with engine and handling upgrades GM Performance adds to make stock models into SS models. So I figure, why not? If people ask why the SS badges, I'll tell them this is my idea of what GM Performance could have done back in '06 had Cadillac decided to make an Escalade SS model. My photoshop skills are pretty poor, so the the scale is not correct; but here are some photoshopped images of how it will look. BTW I made the front license plate fillers using photoshop. Can't decide which I prefer. Which do ya'll like?

I don't think it looks bad. Maybe just 1 rear emblem instead of the ones on the fenders. It's your ride, so who cares if someone will complain that it isn't a real SS. It's a 1 of 1--Custom build.

 

[m1949]

When the armrests were dyed the color shade didn't exactly match the leather upholstery. So we decided to go ahead and have them covered with the same material as the seats even though the shape and of the grab handle made doing so a bit complicated. But, I think the result is amazing!

BTW the two flat boxes on the seat contained cell phone charging pads. We removed the 6cd player and are converting the space to a two cell phone charge station. I will post photos when its done.

 

[Rocket Man]

When the armrests were dyed the color shade didn't exactly match the leather upholstery. So we decided to go ahead and have them covered with the same material as the seats even though the shape and of the grab handle made doing so a bit complicated. But, I think the result is amazing!

BTW the two flat boxes on the seat contained cell phone charging pads. We removed the 6cd player and are converting the space to a two cell phone charge station. I post photos when its done.

They did a great job on the armrests, like the rest of the upholstery work. Must be costing you a small fortune!