The Great Critter Revival ‘09

[Blizz]

Originally Posted by Critter

Bring your body work crew with you when you do.

I've been trying to get one of those guys to come do mine, he won't budge though. Nice dog btw, I have 2 boxers.

[Jtrux]

Yep, it'll be full of junk in no time.

[Critter]

Originally Posted by Jtrux

Yep, it'll be full of junk in no time.

Nope, I'm not gonna let you put your blazer in my new shop.

[1sik52]

Looks like the Boxer had his eyes on lunch which is in the following pic! LOL!

[Critter]

No way! That cat is a mean MOFO! Seriously, the male boxer (the lighter tan one) and the cat play tag with each other quite a bit. Pretty funny actually.

[Thealien]

Nice, mine lives in a tent!

[Critter]

Santa Clause stopped by the loading dock at my work today! My wife decided I would be happier with something for the Blazer rather than a bunch of socks for Christmas (it only took me a few years to make her realize that!). On Dec 18th I placed the order for my own present "from her". It got here today.

LQ4 6.0L take out from a 2006 Silverado 2500 with 29K miles. It has all the front accessories, the flexplate, starter, computer, harness, DBW pedal, etc. I am HAPPY to say the least. My plan is to find a 4L65E to pair it to and have the computer control both of them. Also, I will be getting the adapter kit from AA to mount said 4L65e to my factory NP205. There's no turning back now that the money has been spent.

Also, I am placing an order for material to finish up the shop. Then it's just a matter of time before I can get my Dad and or Brother up here to help me a little with the building.

[lks dcvn]

Nice!

[mcbassin]

SWEET! ENGINE!

How are you coming on your building? I'm ready to add on to mine...just need cash and time to build it.

[Chevy-Art]

Originally Posted by Critter

LQ4 6.0L take out from a 2006 Silverado 2500 with 29K miles. It has all the front accessories, the flexplate, starter, computer, harness, DBW pedal, etc. I am HAPPY to say the least.

Where did you buy the engine? San Antonio area?

[Critter]

Originally Posted by Chevy-Art

Where did you buy the engine? San Antonio area?

No, I did check with Brothers on the south side, but all they had was higher mileage stuff (70K+) and they didn't really want to work with me on a complete pull-out. In fact that was the problem with almost all the salvage yards I called throughout TX, they wanted to sell me just the engine, oil pan to intake, no accessories or wire harness, computer, etc. I could purchase all that stuff as a kit, but they would just be pulling it off a shelf and bundling it together, no guarantee what vehicle it came off of or anything. So I started calling farther away from home with plans of having it shipped in. A lot of different groups in the Midwest suggested Schram for a complete pullout. I called them and they had what I was looking for. My requirements were a complete pullout, 2003+ LQ4, under 30K miles, and a reasonable price including shipping. I would recommend Schram to anyone looking for something similar, they were great to work with.

[BLUE THUNDER]

Sweet Terry!!! Nice score. Cant wait to see it in the Blazer.

[Critter]

Originally Posted by BLUE THUNDER

Sweet Terry!!! Nice score. Cant wait to see it in the Blazer.

Me too, but now the work really begins! I still need to track down a tranny, but then it's adapter after adapter after adapter. Most everything I need is after market only like engine mounts/crossmember, tannny/Tcase, wiring, etc and it's all PRICEY!!! Thealien has given me a lot of info plus I have been doing as much internet research as possible.

My main issue now is I have too much going at once. Obviously, finishing the little shop is Job #1, but I am also pretty far into teardown on the patch panels, now I have the drive train swap to contend with. I am open to advice from any of y'all experts. After I get the shop done, what should I do first, finish the body work, get it primed, then remove the tub for the drivetrain work? Or should I remove the tub, do all the drivetrain work, then put the tub back on and finish out the panels/body/paint? Any suggestions???

[mcbassin]

Terry,
Please stop calling your shop little! Mine is 30X30 too. If you don't do what I did and put a boat and tons of junk, cabinets, shelfs, workbenches, 4wheelers, tools, etc. in there you will have plenty of room to work on your balzer. I want to add about 20 feet to mine and move the boat and 4 wheelers out so I can move our chassis and a camaro into it.

As far as your tub, well I don't know I've never done rust repair on one of those. It seems to me it would be better to leave it on the frame until you get the rust all repaired. But, tons of guys on here take the cabs or tubs off and have them blasted. I really don't know, probably depends on how deep you will need to get into it? good luck!

[Critter]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Terry,
Please stop calling your shop little! Mine is 30X30 too. If you don't do what I did and put a boat and tons of junk, cabinets, shelfs, workbenches, 4wheelers, tools, etc. in there you will have plenty of room to work on your blazer...

As far as your tub, well I don't know I've never done rust repair on one of those. It seems to me it would be better to leave it on the frame until you get the rust all repaired. But, tons of guys on here take the cabs or tubs off and have them blasted. I really don't know, probably depends on how deep you will need to get into it? good luck!

Fair enough, from now on it's "my shop"

As far as the rust goes I have a decent amount but most of it is NOT what I would consider overly structural. The outer and inner rockers will be changed, but the biggest part of the floor and the rocker boxes are fine and will be staying in place. Basically I am scared of body work and having the drivetrain swap to worry about is a good way to put off the inevitable!

[Thealien]

Shop and engine looking good. No looking back now!

[Jtrux]

Sexy!

[1956cameo]

I would say do the body work first simply because of the fact you will be more motivated to get all of the other jobs done when you have a cherry, near paint ready body waiting for you. Tough decision though.

[Wasted Income]

I am not sure that you will be happy with a 4L65E for that rig. If you are gonna mod that 6.0 at all, or have big ol tires on the other end, that 65 won't last long. If you haven't spent the coin on a trans yet, do yourself a favor and step up to a 4L80E and don't look back

Looking forward to the pics of the metal-work. Mine is about ready for some plasma/welder love.

[Critter]

Originally Posted by Wasted Income

I am not sure that you will be happy with a 4L65E for that rig. If you are gonna mod that 6.0 at all, or have big ol tires on the other end, that 65 won't last long. If you haven't spent the coin on a trans yet, do yourself a favor and step up to a 4L80E and don't look back

I went back and forth on this quite a bit. I was worried that the 4L65e wouldn't be strong enough then two things popped into my head. Overall length, and Hummer H2s.

The overall length of the 4L80e is such that even with the engine moved forward a few inches my NP205 shifter would have to be moved back in between my seats, or at least down to the edge of the center hump. I didn't like that.

Next was the H2s. Up until 2006-2007 (I forget exactly) they had an LQ4 with 325 HP in front of a 4L65e with 35 inch tall tires from the factory and they seem to hold up fine. Hell, half the time you see them lifted with bigger tires, etc. This is basically the exact drive train I plan to put together and I won't be doing any heavy off-roading or anything to push it to the limit. In addition you had other vehicles like the Denalis and Silverado 1500HDs with the same set up. From there we had some of the LQ9 engines (345 HP) in front of the 4L65e like the older Escalade all wheel drive, Vortec Max and Silverado SS. Over the last couple years most of these vehicles have moved on to some form of the 6.2L engine with a 6L90e tranny, but for 7 or 8 years the LQ4/4L65e held up fine. That being said, I 100% agree that the 4L80e would be stronger, but when considering the extra cost, length, weight, parasitic power loss, etc, I'm gonna go with the 65 and take my chances.

One last thing, I of course plan to rebuild the 4L65e to the strongest measure reasonably possible to help my chances.

[Wasted Income]

Originally Posted by Critter

The overall length of the 4L80e is such that even with the engine moved forward a few inches my NP205 shifter would have to be moved back in between my seats, or at least down to the edge of the center hump. I didn't like that.

Really? Hmm, because when I swapped from a 2wd 4L60E (same exact case as a 65E) to an 4L80E, I didn't have to change anything except the trans x-member mounting location. The overall length was exactly the same. I used my same exact driveshaft with no modification.

Originally Posted by Critter

Next was the H2s. ...they had an LQ4 with 325 HP in front of a 4L65e with 35 inch tall tires from the factory and they seem to hold up fine. In addition you had other vehicles like the Denalis and Silverado 1500HDs with the same set up. From there we had some of the LQ9 engines (345 HP) in front of the 4L65e like the older Escalade all wheel drive, Vortec Max and Silverado SS. Over the last couple years most of these vehicles have moved on to some form of the 6.2L engine with a 6L90e tranny, but for 7 or 8 years the LQ4/4L65e held up fine.

Actually the H2s, Escalades, Denalis, Vortec Max, and Silverado SS' all had the 345 horse LQ9 backed by a 4L65E. The 1500HDs had the LQ4 backed by a 4L80E.

The 65E is barely adequate in those vehicles listed above when left bone stock, with the GM torque management in the ECM left at the stock settings. Once you mod your 6.0, or throw a tune at it with reduced/removed TQ management, or get extreme with the tire size, all bets are off.

Originally Posted by Critter

This is basically the exact drive train I plan to put together and I won't be doing any heavy off-roading or anything to push it to the limit.

If that is indeed true, and you leave the stock tune in it, it will probably live for awhile, but your comments about building the 65E lead me to believe otherwise

Just remember that a stock 4L80E is stronger than a built 4L65E. Have you priced the "bulletproof" hard parts for a 65E? If so, the cost argument just went out the window.

Not trying to piss in your cheerios, but I've been there with both transmissions. I've come to the conclusion that it's cheaper to do it right once than to do it over Every truck i've ever owned with a 60E/65E has **** the bed relatively soon. I've been trying to kill the bone stock 80E in my 69 and it won't die. Not even with repeated abuse at 500 rwhp and slicks.

Regardless, it sounds like you've thought it thru, and you have a game plan.
Can't wait to see your project come together

[Thealien]

Originally Posted by Wasted Income

Really? Hmm, because when I swapped from a 2wd 4L60E (same exact case as a 65E) to an 4L80E, I didn't have to change anything except the trans x-member mounting location. The overall length was exactly the same. I used my same exact driveshaft with no modification.

This right here is where all the confusion comes in. With the tailshaft in 2WD you are correct but in 4WD configuration and bolting to an NP205 this where the lengths become different. I spent a lot of time making this same decision and am partially responsible for swaying his decision.

If you can mate a 4L80 to an NP205 without changing the transmisiions ovrer all length I would like to hear more? Maybe I've missed something?

[Wasted Income]

Originally Posted by Thealien

This right here is where all the confusion comes in. With the tailshaft in 2WD you are correct but in 4WD configuration and bolting to an NP205 this where the lengths become different. I spent a lot of time making this same decision and am partially responsible for swaying his decision.

If you can mate a 4L80 to an NP205 without changing the transmisiions ovrer all length I would like to hear more? Maybe I've missed something?

Yeah, maybe I should have been more clear that my example is my personal experience with a 2WD trans swap. Sorry I am not real familiar with the specifics of mating an 80 to a 205.

Sounds like you've got him covered

[Thealien]

If you really want a 4L65 to hold up to anything you can throw at it I would
Check out this thread, read all the way through looking at the attention to detail!. Now I didn't go that way and wish I did. Needing the output shaft changed you have to competely dissasemble the transmission anyway. I had a tranny guy do that and the sunshell upgrade for $325. But I bought a low mileage 4L60 for $800. I hope it holds up. If not I will definately send mine to Finish Line! They are building these transmissions for cars in the 600 HP range drag racing. Spend some time at LS1tech as there are a bunch of guys running their transmission.

Now FLT charges a $400 core but many times run a free shipping special and or 10% off for LS1 members. A transmission from them can run you $2-3000 depending what level you go with so it is 2-3 times what I have into mine right now. But if mine doesn't last I will have wasted 1/2 my purchase price (I'll have a core now so I would save $400 of the $800 I spent) And the $325 I paid a local transmission guy for the output shaft would be a loss?

If I wasn't so cash strapped I would just send mine to them anyway!

[Thealien]

Here is a great little website
That shows the length differences of the transmissions at the tailshaft, flange (where the 4WD measurement is), monuting boss, and bellhousing width