And so it begins......

[cjohnson6772]

6.0L and 4L80e out of 2004 Silverado. LQ4. 84,000 miles. Poor truck doesn't have a clue what's in store for it!

[68GMCCustom]

cool....we'll be following along!

[BR3W CITY]

Theres something nice about knowing that a hunk of "rusty junk" is the key to power, economy, and reliability.

Side note; this reminds me of back in around 2000 when ppl were saying that "ls swaps are expensive and time consuming with all the wiring, just not worth it....go sbc"

hahahaha heck there is a generation of kids that has only grown up with LSx motors BEING chevy's "small block"

[cjohnson6772]

Originally Posted by BR3W CITY

Side note; this reminds me of back in around 2000 when ppl were saying that "ls swaps are expensive and time consuming with all the wiring, just not worth it....go sbc"

That is why I put in a TPI in 2008 and why it is now being replaced with a LQ4.

[cjohnson6772]

Started looking around at things on the engine and started tearing some things apart and doing my research. And.....the engine and trans are 2001 and not 2004. I am pretty furious at the moment because the guy who sold it to me swore it was an 04 and that he pulled it himself. I didn't know at the time that I should be looking for a DBW and returnless setup on an 04. My fault for not having all my research done.

So basically now: I know that the PCM is reb/blue not blue/green. I know the fuel rail is return style and not returnless. I know that the throttle body is DBC and not DBW. What other difference are there between a 2001 and a 2004 lq4?

Kinda in crisis management mode I suppose.

[68GMCCustom]

I think I heard about some internal stuff changing.... the pistons/rods went from press-in wrist pins to floating somewhere around '03-'04? Think there were some other changes too...just can't remember?

there are casting marks on the front of the block below the head...

[Mr. 250r]

Check here http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...SPrimer/Part2/

[Clyde65]

If he lied about the year, kinda makes you seriously question the mileage too
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[Beetle]

Wish I had the $$$$ for something like this

[cjohnson6772]

Originally Posted by Clyde65

If he lied about the year, kinda makes you seriously question the mileage too
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Yeah I know. I'm pretty furious about it, but I think I'm still ok for the money I'm into it for. I'll be pulling valve covers before long to check on the condition of the oil in the top end and to look for sludge.

[Clyde65]

Look at the piston walls, if you have cross hatch remaining your pretty good
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[missinfishin10]

I want to watch

[no moa]

I was under the assumption all the LQ4's were the same other than up to 2002 they were DBC 03-04 DBW.
Maybe i missed something.

[cjohnson6772]

Some small updates:

Pulled the clutch fan at the end of last week (way harder to get off than they should be ). Made it to the shop tonight for a few mins. Pulled the valve covers and intake to get a better picture of what I'm dealing with since I was misled about the year

Should I be concerned based on what you see below?

Also what is that little tab on the passenger side intake plug?

Also talked to Fuelcellguy tonight. Super nice guy. Hatched a plan and will likely order a tank once I get a few more things squared away.

Ok one more question for ya: should I change to returnless rails? I can get a returnless setup with injectors off of an '05 for $45 shipped. Worth it to switch?

DISCUSS!

[BR3W CITY]

on the head bottom, is that just old gasket or is that actually dirt or sediment?

as for internally, they definately have some carbon build, but also looks a bit oily. I'd dig into it a little and see how thick it is and what it is. If its just a lot of carbon nastiness, it might be result of a poorly maintained ingnition or maybe a stuck valve. Since you have the heads off, looking at the valvetrain is easy to see if there is a mechanical problem. If its oily, I might be a little concerned it was blowing oil in which case again a valve issue, or a ring problem on the worse end.

[cjohnson6772]

The heads are actually still on the engine. Not sure if they are coming off. Beginning to look like they are though :/ That is dirt and crap that has gotten down in between the intake and head. That is actually the top of the head and not the bottom. Pictures are standing over the engine looking down in the intake ports.

[BR3W CITY]

my bad, the picture of the ports made me think you had pulled them. Either way you gotta figure out WHAT that gunk is. My engine was somewhat dirty, but at 60k the ports had no more than a thin coat of carbon build.

FWIW if your heads look like that...spend some time cleaning the intake also....your going to find a LOT of oil residue in there. a little parts cleaner and some rags dredged through the intake runners works well.

[cjohnson6772]

Has anybody used the POL swap kit with the tubular engine mounts and tranny crossmember and been dissatisfied? I am leaning towards this setup and want to make sure that this is the way to go before pulling the trigger. Also, is the trans crossmember worth the extra $$$? Should I stick with stock or use the CPP or ECE crossmember. I know I don't wanna go with the ECE style engine mounts but I'm up in the air on everything else. I want the whole setup as low and far back as possible. My truck isn't lowered and will never go below 3.5/5 max drop anyways so ground clearance isn't a concern.

[Daaaanz67]

Can not use ece with manual fan. It move motor forward a little. I'm using ece motor and trans mounts dropped right in I didn't even have to drill holes to mount trans x member
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[cjohnson6772]

Originally Posted by Daaaanz67

Can not use ece with manual fan. It move motor forward a little. I'm using ece motor and trans mounts dropped right in I didn't even have to drill holes to mount trans x member
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I'm planning on running an electric fan setup, but I want to move the engine backwards and down so I'm not going to do the ECE engine mounts for sure. Was the trans crossmember worth the money? Any big advantage over stock?

[Daaaanz67]

My truck is 4/6 I used Ctsv pan the truck pan is about 1 1/2 inch below cross member. 3.5 is not far from 4 to close for my comfort just my opinion. I can post pictures of both pans in truck if you would like.
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[BR3W CITY]

imo buying an aftermarket trans xmember is almost always a waste (exceptions being putting an ls into a jag or something, where the who think has to be redesigned).

Most folks just take the bolts out and slide it where it needs to be, pop a couple new holes in it and bolt it back down. $0 fix is the best.

[cjohnson6772]

Originally Posted by Daaaanz67

My truck is 4/6 I used Ctsv pan the truck pan is about 1 1/2 inch below cross member. 3.5 is not far from 4 to close for my comfort just my opinion. I can post pictures of both pans in truck if you would like.
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I would be interested to see the pics of both pans. I was under the impression that the CTS-V pan would actually be a little above the cross member.

Originally Posted by BR3W CITY

imo buying an aftermarket trans xmember is almost always a waste (exceptions being putting an ls into a jag or something, where the who think has to be redesigned).

Most folks just take the bolts out and slide it where it needs to be, pop a couple new holes in it and bolt it back down. $0 fix is the best.

Yeah I was thinking about just moving my cross member back, but I wondered if there was any real advantage for exhaust routing aside from the swap issues. Just in general if I was putting a 350/th350 combo in the truck would it be worth it. They kinda seem overpriced for nothing more than rectangular tubing imo.

[Daaaanz67]

Truck pan
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[Daaaanz67]

Ctsv pan
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