pulled the trigger... LQ4/4L80 swap (6.0 vortec)

[Shiftx450]

This thing still going good?

 

[Shiftx450]

I didn't read the whole write up as it's tough on my phone.

If I get an entire doner truck, is everything pretty much there for a complete drivetrain swap?

---------- Post added at 06:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:52 PM ----------

Thinking an 01-04 6.0 4l80 or 5.3 4l65 truck.

Would really like the 3/4 ton setup and also swap the suspension and disc brakes over.

 

[Tylerz281500]

updates?

 

[branndon_b]

sorry for the long hiatus boys. yeah, got it running, have oil pressure, tach (which you have to get a tach module to get it to to work right), fuel level comes from somewhere other than the pcm i think, check engine light works. the only problem that i'm having is currently the temp gauge is not working correctly, i don't think. i could take the easy route and get an aftermarket gauge, but i'd like to not have gauges hanging off here and there when i can get the factory one to work with some know-how. i had a guy that was helping me, but my truck was not his priority since he has like 10 of his own personal projects going on, and i could read the writing on the wall that it was time to move on. i'm like 90% done, but i've almost lost momentum on this thing. i may have put all of 10 miles on the swap so far, it's definitely quicker than the 350 was, but driving with a stall converter is a different animal. feels like a slug unless you romp on it. i think it's a 3500 stall, which would be fine in a lighter vehicle, but in a big heavy box like we drive, it's a little too much in my opinion. i'd probably go with a 2500 stall or stay with the factory stall unless you drive it like you hate it. it definitely gets up and moves when you flog it, it'll surprise the tires if you let it have it. anyhow, i'm holding out for one or two more people to walk me through the rest of the process. if i could just get the water temp thing figured out, i'd probably drive the stupid thing, but it continues to sit in my driveway as i've reached near the end of my rope with blindly fumbling to get things figured out and having to spend money twice, as often my first instinct has been wrong.

the water temp issue i believe is because i'm running the factory sending unit (350) off of the back of the head, which is the factory position. however, i bought one of those adapters from S&P performance, i believe, and it's like 2 or 3" long, and rides reeeeeeal close to the header where it sits. sooo, long story short, i think it is picking up heat soak from the headers and giving me a false "high temp" reading. i don't have a scanner to plug into the OBD II plug to see what the pcm is actually reading, so i don't trust it to drive around yet if it is indeed reading high temp. could be a stuck thermostat, even though i put a new one in when i did the swap, or it could be just a false reading. my next move, if it is indeed a false reading, is to either A) get an adapter that tees into the radiator hose and tells me what the discharge of my water pump is actually seeing, (probably what i'll do) or B) get an aftermarket temp gauge and just ignore the one in the cluster. i'd really like to believe that it's just a false reading, but i've got too much time and money (and an increasingly unhappy wife) tied up in this project to burn up the motor cause i just ASSUMED it to be fine. so that's where it stands now. just sucks that i'm like THIS CLOSE I---I to finishing, but i'm just burned out on the whole thing. part of it being my standoffishness about doing the wrong thing, and part of it being other people being inconsistent about helping me out. seems like everyone around my neck of the woods that i KNOW can help me finish this are all busy doing other things. plus i had a daughter in august, so that kinda takes some more of my "free" time. but i'll get it knocked out. either that or i'll just put like $4000 or $5000 on the window and sell it cause i'm just tired of dealing with it.

Let me say this, this is SUPPOSED to be an easy swap, and up to the point that i'm at now, i really do believe that i could get someone as far as i've gotten. it's just all the little setbacks that can put a bad taste in your mouth, like buying parts that are wrong, or having to go get another PCM because mine fried, then having to nail someone down on a time to retune the new PCM, etc., etc.. i probably picked the harder way of doing this swap, instead of just using the fuse box and stuff from the donor truck and just powering the fuse box and grounding it and letting it stand completely alone, i went the other way and tried to integrate everything back into the factory wiring by splicing and soldering wires. so it's a challenge for someone that has never done something like that before. plus every dollar and drop of sweat is under the microscope by the old lady who wonders why i didn't either repower with another 350 or just say screw it and buy something else to drive. it wasn't my intention for it to drag on like this, but then again, i'm not a poster child for having life deal me the easy hand often. lol. so anyway, i don't want to discourage anyone from tackling this, but make sure you have a back up plan already in the waiting for things that you don't know how to do. all the write ups i've seen, all the online forums and everything make it seem like you jerk the old one out on friday night and drive it monday morning. and i don't doubt that someone who has done this a couple times can make that happen. but a shadetree wanna be mechanic like me, i have problems with the little details. but i'll get it done here soon, hopefully, and try to be around here more often to answer any questions anyone has about the swap. again, sorry for the delay, i just really didn't have much good to say about this experience, but i'll do my best to see it through.

 

[2drhoeon4s]

keep going man!!! Im at almost the same point with my swap.... Got everything hooked up but the oil and temp sensors..... havent fired it up yet... but it has been alot of lessons learned. Money spent twice... In the end, you will be happy you did the swap... my biggest thing is not going out and buying the first thing you think will fix the problem... do alot more research and when you find a solution, do more research to verify the solution....

 

[branndon_b]

yeah man, i've really been flirting with the idea of getting a nnbs (07+) ex cop tahoe. they can be had for $10k or less, and if you do your research, and wait patiently, you can find one that hasn't been flogged on too badly. i love the nnbs tahoes, i just don't want to throw in the towel yet. but that's in the back of my mind as a possibility. congrats on getting yours together, looks like top notch work.

IT LIVES AFTER ALL

 

[Monstar_est87]

We're all behind u broseph... Im sure its been a hell of a strain on ur wallet time and fam... But in the end its gonna b worth it...

 

[branndon_b]

that unassuming pic of the back of the truck is actually a video. i don't know why it didn't put the movie film borders or the white triangle over the middle of it. it's a short vid of it idling.

 

[2drhoeon4s]

sounds mean!!!