LQ4/9 Swap into '94 K1500

[Chris6060]

I'm curious as to everything I'm going to need.

Engine and tranny, obviously... How can I tell whether its an LQ4 or 9?

http://bdturnkeyengines.com/

Found those interesting, but quite expensive. I am in Northern BC though, I don't know how cheap of an engine I'll be able to find.

Now. What are my transmission options? If I need a nice 4L80E, where is a good place to look? If I wanted to make it a standard with a nice, short, car like throw, would that be possible?

What do I need for motor mounts, and who will make me a decent engine harness for a decent price if I decide not to go with that earlier website?

What other things am I going to need to shoehorn this engine/tranny in there?

 

[Chewy1576]

There is an FAQ on that site for the difference between the LQ4 and LQ9. The only difference is the piston. Probably the easiest way to tell which you have is to pull a spark plug and look inside the cylinder with a bore scope. Dished piston = LQ4, flat piston = LQ9.

 

[skylark]

On this one, using the search function is going to be your best friend. If you want an automatic transmission you need a 4L80E. I would buy it with the harness, ecm, engine and tranny all from the same vehicle. If the engine you buy is equiped with drive by wire, you will ned the tac moduleand throttle pedal from the same vehicle. A car like shifting manual transmission would be an ls style T56. You also want an 01 and later 6.0 (if I recall correctly) because of the difference in the depth of the crank flange on the early 6.0's. Dirty dingo mounts are popular. To put the engine in the correct location you will need 1" setback mounts. Personally I would take the stock harness and turn it into a stand alone harness, lt1swap.com has all of the wiring info. No shoehorn required. They fit well.

 

[Chris6060]

How hard is it going to be to retain my 4WD system with this engine?

 

[skylark]

How hard is it going to be to retain my 4WD system with this engine?

No problem at all. The only issue is with the a/c. You can actually modify the stock tbi a/c compressor bracket to work on the ls though, otherwise you have to notch the frame.

 

[Chris6060]

Trucks never had A/C, I could live without it... but god it'd be nice hahaha.

What transfer case am I going to need to withstand the power, accommodate my floor shifter and bolt up to a somewhat modern 4L80E?

 

[Chris6060]

Anyone know which T-case to use?

Will a 6.0 with a 4L80E require me to get a new driveshaft?

 

[5.3_silverado]

Go to ls brackets .com. And get the a/c relocator turbo bracket. Thats what I used on my 92 to keep the factory a/c. No guess work involved or anything. I can give part numbers and prices for everything you need.

 

[Chris6060]

Those part numbers would be awesome.

I finally have my hands on my motor and transmission. Got a 2005 6.0L LQ4 with a NP241C transfer case with it (160,000km, both out of same '05, guy just needed the transmission) and I picked up a 2004 GM remanned 4L80E as well. I need to find the mating piece for between the transmission & transfer case and need to decide who to order a wiring harness and tune from.

Also got my hands on a set of somewhat beat up 20"x9" BMF Novakanes with +0 offset, which is the same as I'm running right now on a 17"x9". I was wondering what the largest size of Nitto 420s' would be able to fit under my truck. They have a 305/50R20 (32.05"x12.44"), and a 285/50R20 (31.30"x11.42"). If I lowered it 2" I'm assuming the 305's would be an absolute no go. I don't even know if they'd fit at the stock height?

Leaning towards Nelson Performance at the moment, but I'm unsure.

I have 8 months to build a motor and the transmission and want opinions on what would make a good running 6.0L.

Thanks again guys.

 

[Chris6060]

Bump?