Paperweight Rebuild REV03

[bggrnchvy]

It's time for the Chevy to get a whole lot of much needed attention. She's been bandaided and leaking for a while, not to mention underpowered. So here it goes:

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She's getting a new heart, an 04 LQ9.

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With a new heart she's getting a BU54 torque converter. Stock app is 4.8L/80e and 6.0L/80e. Should work much better than the 6.5TD/7.4BB BU42 I've got now.

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With the new motor I'm revamping the steering system as well. Previously I was running a stock 135 P-pump and a KRC Al pump with an e-flow valve with a homebuilt ~2gal reservoir. The new system will be a single 235 P-pump modified for direct fluid feed (canless) and a PSC reservoir with -12 feed and -8 return.

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I bought a harness rather than modifying the stock one.

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I'll be swapping in a newer cluster to go with the motor.


Other items that will be addressed:

-brakelines, front and back

-coilover rebuilds

-new tender coils

-Replace pretzeled rocker tubes

-Weld in nuts for the belly pan

-Rebuild transmission mount

-Repair torn/twisted frame

-Straighten and reinforce passenger side link mounts

 

[bggrnchvy]

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Pulled her in.

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Began stripping her down.

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Tore the belly out.

Hoping for the rain to stop.

 

[bggrnchvy]

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Pulling the coilovers as unsafely as possible.

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Lowryda.

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On the bumps.

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Dumped the t-case and swapped the front output flange.

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Slowly diassembling the engine bay.

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The pile grows.

 

[bggrnchvy]

We're going to Dumont in a couple weeks and the Chevy is staying put. As a result camper upgrades took precedence this weekend. Still managed to get the tranny out this morning/afternoon before Superbowl shenanigans.

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[bggrnchvy]

Spent last weekend at Dumont dunes:

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So I wasn't getting anything done then, but got back at it this weekend.

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Picked up some more parts, fuel line adapter fittings and hose, poly bushings and some motor mount adapter plates.

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It was time to yank the old motor and since the girlfriends family lives close and happens to own a foundation drilling company they offered up a crane to yank it out and drop it in the sideyard.

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No those aren't Christmas lights, their perimeter lighting:bleh:

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So I was left with another cavity and a bunch of junk. The goal became simplifying life.

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Good progress. Trying to seperate HVAC and chassis from engine harness is a pain. I still have a bit to do in the next week. I need to pull the constant power from the existing harness for the new ecu and harness, find the fuel pump power and a couple of other items.

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As suspected motor mount bushings were shot, hence the fan eating the shroud when on it and leaning over.

More next week.

 

[bggrnchvy]

Talk about power steering pumps reminded me of these two pictures to illustrate the want to move from the smaller 132 (I keep calling it a 135) to the 235 pump.

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Not my pics, but it's easier than decanning the 132 that came off the LQ9. As well through the Jason at PacFab I heard that PSC was making a mounting bracket kit for these pumps to a GM truck accesory bracket, I've got one coming. For the hours it was going to take me to measure, draw and cut out and turn parts, this kit is dirt cheap. I want to get it all mocked up before the motor goes back in.

 

[bggrnchvy]

With some help from Jason via text I got the wires I need for the new harness located (TCC brake signal, switched 12v and 12v constant) and a bit more of the extras sorted and removed. I need to finish so I can powerwash the engine bay and drop the new motor in.

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I blasted all the motor mount plates/tranny supports as they pretty rusty and I didn't want to put some new greased poly mounts onto that surface.

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PSC bracket showed up. I have to cut up the alternator/PS pump bracket to fit it, which would be great if I had a working vertical bandsaw...damn. I'll bring it into work tomorrow and give it a trim on the DoAll.

 

[LoudnLifted88]

lookin good

 

[bggrnchvy]

Spent the weekend camping on the beach so the only work that got done was in the later hours of Sunday.

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Wiring is almost cleaned up. Removed the cruise control module, what was left of the aftermarket alarm, and the trailer brake controller wiring. Wiper arms got pulled and the wiper motor is unbolted form the firewall but I need to get the cowl off to seperate the mechanism.

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Speaking of nests...realized I hadn't taken care of my tailght wiring issue. Long defunct bird nest, joy.

 

[bggrnchvy]

Finished deleting the wipers, cleaning out the cowl (which is apparently a dirt/debris trap) and getting it all bolted back together.

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Finished removing AC lines and got the radiater bolted back in as well. Motor mount adapter plates are on the block, but I have to cut the bellhousing support plates back as they interfere with the LS starter. I've got some power washing to do, but I'm hoping to put the motor in Saturday morning.

On a side note, I toyed with my kingpin adjusters to see if I had a worn bushing that gave me sudden deathwobble headed back to the trailers on the Rubicon trip.

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It would seem the stud sheared almost all the way through and killed the preload on the bushing.

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2" 3/4-16 bolts were the shortest I could easily source locally. I couldn't find 3/4-16 cup point set screws like were previously in there. Would have liked a 1/4" longer unit to move the base of the internal allen out of the plane that's in tension, but these will effectively do the same thing.