Blown 5.3, Looking for 6.0, which ones fit?

[mattt]

man I am starting to feel like a lucky one here, I am picking up an 05 escalade for $500 for parts, but it has complete drivetrain, rear vent covers, rear glass and brake light, possibly some inside stuff too like the cluster.

That would be a STEAL out here in CA. Would you sell the gauge cluster? I thought I was going to use the Denali cluster, but then I saw the 05-06 Escalade cluster and decided I liked that one better. Thanks.

 

[bigdog9191999]

not sure what I am doing with it all just yet. I do have a fleet of trucks and could probably use most things in ours (part of the reason to get a whole parts truck in the first place, as well as what is left from my avalanche)

 

[Tonyrodz]

To the OP, I was in the same boat as you, but my 5.3 didn't go boom. It just has really high mileage and leaks like a stuck squealin' pig. I figured why throw rebuild $$$ at a 5.3, when it's basically the same $$$ to rebuild a 6.0. The hard part is procuring a 6.0 as you've come to find out. Core long blocks in my area run in the $600-$1000 arena and they go quick. At some point you just gotta bite the bullet and drop the coin if you want a 6.0.

One piece of advice; before you agree to purchase any used 6.0, check the cam bearings and cam tunnel in the block prior to purchase. These things are know to eat cam bearings and in the process eat into the block casting of the cam tunnel which makes them nothing more than a boat anchor. Once the cam tunnel is out of round, you will not be able to install new cam bearings into the junk block. It is most common on cam bearing #1 & #5 from what I've been told and seen personally.

I have seen one like this, it's a damn shame that a highly sought after 6.0 LS block is junk after a cam bearing failure that takes out the block.

Cam bearings is what went in my 05 6.0. I should've just had di$khead replace them and call it a day.

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

To the OP, I was in the same boat as you, but my 5.3 didn't go boom. It just has really high mileage and leaks like a stuck squealin' pig. I figured why throw rebuild $$$ at a 5.3, when it's basically the same $$$ to rebuild a 6.0. The hard part is procuring a 6.0 as you've come to find out. Core long blocks in my area run in the $600-$1000 arena and they go quick. At some point you just gotta bite the bullet and drop the coin if you want a 6.0.

One piece of advice; before you agree to purchase any used 6.0, check the cam bearings and cam tunnel in the block prior to purchase. These things are know to eat cam bearings and in the process eat into the block casting of the cam tunnel which makes them nothing more than a boat anchor. Once the cam tunnel is out of round, you will not be able to install new cam bearings into the junk block. It is most common on cam bearing #1 & #5 from what I've been told and seen personally.

I have seen one like this, it's a damn shame that a highly sought after 6.0 LS block is junk after a cam bearing failure that takes out the block.

I saw that note about cam bearings on one of the ads. It said, may require oversized cam bearings. Now I know what they were down playing... Is it poasible to have a machine shop clean that up a bit and install bigger bearings? Or is that really pricey... Not that I am looking for something like that.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Cam bearings is what went in my 05 6.0. I should've just had di$khead replace them and call it a day.

That sucks! I recall your post

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

 

[mattt]

I saw that note about cam bearings on one of the ads. It said, may require oversized cam bearings. Now I know what they were down playing... Is it poasible to have a machine shop clean that up a bit and install bigger bearings? Or is that really pricey... Not that I am looking for something like that.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

Good luck finding a machine shop that will take the job for correcting the cam tunnel and doing O/S cam bearings. Sounds like it's a major PITA kind of job that most don't have the fixture or ability to do. I only found 1 place in Michigan and it was cost prohibitive. Better to just find a good block.

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Good to know mattt...

damn even sorrier about your ride tonyrodz

So how do you avoid the cam bearing issue? Is it a result of a certain type of cheap factory bearing, or what?

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

 

[Mudsport96]

I can't say how much upper-RPM them heads would cost you. But, they can always be replaced later. If you drive like a grandpa and tow often enough, you may not miss anything.

Or, you can get the 317s and have a stock LQ9. Back when I was shopping for heads for my brother's '05 5.3, we saw 799 (same as 243) everywhere for $250-$350. Settled on a set of low-mile units from a 2010 Silverado for $300. The 243s would make it an iron LS2 and you'd definitely have to run premium.

Richard Holdener did a 799 vs 706 comparison on a 6.0 with a comp 459 cam. 706s are up 12 tq and 799s have 9 hp above like 4500 so I'd take the tq over the hp in a heavy tahoe. View attachment 261708

As for everyone saying you need an lq9... just get an lq4 and put 706 or 862 heads on it. The added compression will net you in the ballpark of the flat tops and the lq9 heads. Jr from TDE did just that a stock lq4 with 862 heads and Trailblazer 5.3 exhaust manifolds and made damn good power, I'll link the vid.

You will pay more for an lq9 because of the mystery factor, it's just a 6.0 with different parts. If you are doing a true rebuild you're putting whatever parts you want in it anyway dont pay extra for just a rpo designation.

 

[Mudsport96]

Richard Holdener did a 799 vs 706 comparison on a 6.0 with a comp 459 cam. 706s are up 12 tq and 799s have 9 hp above like 4500 so I'd take the tq over the hp in a heavy tahoe. View attachment 261708

As for everyone saying you need an lq9... just get an lq4 and put 706 or 862 heads on it. The added compression will net you in the ballpark of the flat tops and the lq9 heads. Jr from TDE did just that a stock lq4 with 862 heads and Trailblazer 5.3 exhaust manifolds and made damn good power, I'll link the vid.

You will pay more for an lq9 because of the mystery factor, it's just a 6.0 with different parts. If you are doing a true rebuild you're putting whatever parts you want in it anyway dont pay extra for just a rpo designation.

trouble trying to post graph of 706s vs 799s

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

I may have got lucky... I found a guy who has an LQ9 he tore down. He is selling me the heads for $100 and says he has the bottom end / short block for $550. He will even drop it off at my house.

I'm going to go to his house on Saturday and take a look at the block. It's got the oil pan, heads, and intake off.

He mentioned the block was acting up / needs new bearings. He said he didn't believe he spun any bearings. However, was tearing it down to rebuild.

I'm a little worried about the cam bearings. Any way I can check those while it's torn down? How do you check them? Will the cam wiggle or anything? Anything else I should check?

Pictures of the motor: