'06 Avvy 5.3 spun a rod bearing...swapping in LQ9

First it was the 4L60E that bit the big one...working several states away and was unable to deal with it myself, so had to pay a shop to do it for my wife.  Then the cats plugged up.  Wasn't able to get the issue dealt with right away, so the wife drove it making a hell-of-a racket that way for about a month+.  Managed to get a set of longtube headers and had a buddy install them for me...still several states away.  Once the headers were put in, the worst of the noise was gone, but a new sound was coming through now.  Stethescopes had the noise coming from in the block. Great.  

Well, I don't have the time to yank the motor and do a build, and I don't have the room (or time) to get a block and build a motor, so I'm looking at a Reman LQ9 and stuff it in, making a trip to where the Avvy is and in a weekend work blitz getting the 6.0 swapped in.  I know there are several threads on this already, but they're old, pics are gone, and apparently responses to them aren't going anywhere, so I thought I'd start my own thread on it, so here goes:

***I know that the computer will SORT of tune for the bigger engine, slowly figuring out the new parameters needed and will pretty much work.  I worry about the built-in tune of the 5.3 trying to pull that DOD nonsense with that motor.  Will just running it in trailer/tow disable that?  Is that ALL that trailer/tow does is disable DOD?  If not, what else does it do?

***Going with a complete crate motor, I don't know if it has a balancer included or not--if not, will the 5.3 balancer work? I will be swapping EVERYTHING from the 5.3 onto the 6.0 longblock.

***My 5.3 is the L59--the flex fuel motor.  I understand that it therefor already has larger injectors?  Will those injectors be sufficient for the 6.0 then?

***I MAY bite the bullet and actually get HP tuners, first time using it in the Avvy.  Would be obviously disabling DOD, ignoring the rear O2 sensors, what else would I want to do?  


Help here is VERY appreciated.  I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row before pulling the trigger and buying the motor.  After core and tax it's <$3200.  I don't know of ANY supercharger kits that are anywhere NEAR that cheap, and with also the issue of the STRONG likelihood of a spun bearing, I don't have the time to mess with the 5.3.  It's the perfect time to upgrade, hence why I'm so serious about going with the LQ9.  The same source for the LQ9 has the LQ4 for only $70 less, so the LQ9 is the way I wanna go.

Have been told the engines will swap in without really any issues--

I DO need to know if these engines need a "Case Learn."  A "Case Learn" has to do with where the crank trigger ends up.  Say the 5.3 I'm pulling is shut down at BDC cylinder 3, but the 6.0 I'm putting in is at TDC cylinder 7, is this going to cause problems in the LS motors/computers?

Almost any engine swap is going to need a Crank Position Sensor relearn. Doesn't mater what position the crank it at in the firing order, it will run good enough to get it to a shop with a Tech II tool or similar to do the relearn.. This also the case if you put in a new CPS or replace the ECM.

The main thing with LS swaps is the reluctor wheel on the crank, 24 tooth up to 2005 and 58 tooth on 2006 and up and the ECM's can't be swapped.

Lingenfelter has a crank trigger converter that lets you do the swap if needed..

As noted in other thread, I don't believe a case relearn is required when moving the crank position sensor from old engine to the new.

Do agree with Randy about the different reluctor wheels, but as long as you are switch engines with the same number of teeth on the reluctor wheels I believe you should be fine.

Randy said:

Almost any engine swap is going to need a Crank Position Sensor relearn. Doesn't mater what position the crank it at in the firing order, it will run good enough to get it to a shop with a Tech II tool or similar to do the relearn.. This also the case if you put in a new CPS or replace the ECM.

The main thing with LS swaps is the reluctor wheel on the crank, 24 tooth up to 2005 and 58 tooth on 2006 and up and the ECM's can't be swapped.

Lingenfelter has a crank trigger converter that lets you do the swap if needed..

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So, going from an '06 L59 to an '06 LQ9 SHOULD have the same number of reluctor teeth?

Finally going to pull the trigger and get HP Tuners Pro.  Now debating whether or not to get a Wideband O2 sensor.  I should be able to do everything I want to do with just the HP Tuners pro hooked up to the onboard port.

Engine has been ordered.  Expecting it to arrive Next week, and be installing it in a weekend blitz within the following week or two.

Should be no problem then... As enoniam said swap the sensors and hopefully it will not need the relearn..

Getting together the extras list. 

Gonna go with new plugs...have absolutely no idea of the age/type/condition of the ones in the 5.3, so likely be a set of ACDelco Iridiums.  For an N/A motor that will likely NEVER see forced induction, what plugs do folks here recommend?  May get new wires as well.  Haven't had any misfire codes, so I'm going to hope the coil packs are good enough to swap.

What temp is the factory thermostat?  If it's a 195, I'm thinking of a 190...general idea of just running a hair cooler t-stat, but on Summit's site they're only showing a 160 or a 180 being available.

I already had the tranny replaced.  I WANT to put in a larger volume, finned pan with a drain plug while I'm under the truck.  Anyone here already done so, and what one did you use?  Like/dislike?

Ottfam said:

Getting together the extras list.  

Gonna go with new plugs...have absolutely no idea of the age/type/condition of the ones in the 5.3, so likely be getting a set of ACDelco Iridiums.  For an N/A motor that will likely NEVER see forced induction, what plugs do folks here recommend?  I'm seeing mostly ACDelco Iridiums in other threads.  

May get new wires as well.  What wires do people prefer?  As short of runs as there are between the coil packs and the plugs, one would THINK it wouldn't be that big a deal, but I have a GTO, and wow, are there a lot of BAD wires out there!!  Haven't had any misfire codes, so I'm going to hope the coil packs are good enough to swap.

What temp is the factory thermostat?  If it's a 195, I'm thinking of a 190...general idea of just running a hair cooler t-stat, but on Summit's site they're only showing a 160 or a 180 being available.

I already had the tranny replaced.  I WANT to put in a larger volume, finned pan with a drain plug while I'm under the truck.  Anyone here already done so, and what one did you use?  Like/dislike?

Click to expand...

I am also going to be going with all new fluids--even in the tranny.  I don't have the fluids/capacities in front of me.  Trying to keep this all in one thread, how much of what fluid do people recommend for the 4L60E?  I know everyone has their own preferences on fluid, but I just want opinions here I guess.  Same with engine oil--I KNOW it's 5W30, but what do people prefer, and what should I run for break-in?  Should I run 5W30 Dinosaur juice and then after my run back to civilization (about 800 miles) drop it out and do a change to full synthetic?  That would be a good break-in, yes?

Also, with a new motor, drained radiator, and will do my best to drain the heater core as well, switching to basic green 50/50 coolant.  I know GM has fixed the Dexcool issues, but with a new/fresh fill, I shouldn't have any mix issues with a new fill of green, right?

Pushing the limits of a reman 4L60E.  Really should be beefed up.  Short of that, definitely get a larger pan, and add an larger trans cooler.

As for calibration, the spark isn't really going to adapt unless it's picking up knock, and the fuel will only adapt in steady state stoich operation.  Transit fuel and heavy loads are not going to be compensated.  In other words, you need a proper tune.  Some of the really experienced tuners can do a decent job via mail order, but ideally a local tuner with a dyno would be best.

Stock '06 thermostat should be a 187.  Go with a 180.  A 160 is too cold, and will increase your engine wear significantly.

I run 160 stats on my engines.  Not sure at what mileage I installed the 160 on Ol' Yellar, well under 100K miles I'm pretty sure, and ran that engine 289K miles, the last 60 or so supercharged, cammed, water/meth injected.

I'm not a big fan of deeper pans for the tranny's, unless you go with a finned pan, and even then for the prices of those I've seen I believe you are much better off spending the money on a better trans cooler.  The aim is to not let the tranny get too hot.  Having a deeper pan without fins isn't doing much at all to transferring heat out of the tranny - it's just taking a little longer to heat.

As far as fluids, I'd run dyno oil to break in the engine, change around 800 miles with fresh dyno, and then switch if you want to synthetic on the second oil change 3000-7500 miles later, whatever your preference is for oil change intervals.  I myself go by the oil life indicator.  That's what I'm doing with my reman 6.0 which is currently on its second fill of dyno with 4k+ miles on it, and what I did with my vette's LS1 after rebuilding this summer, although it has enough miles on that motor that it is now running it's first fill of synthetic.  I run Redline synthetic in my engines.  Costs a lot at $12/quart but I don't change it as often as some.

Pan drop and filter change takes I believe around 6 quarts of fluid for the tranny - will take more of course if you go with a deeper pan.  I run synthetic in the tranny.

Getting everything together and ready for the trip down.

Why do they have such a tiny oil filter on these trucks?  Seems to me that a much larger one would be preferred.  What size do most people here run?  I know that there are other filters that have the same size base and threads, but far more volume. 

Okay, here goes--

Drove the F250 4x4 7.5 V8 down to New Mexico to do the engine swap through the big blizzard that hit a week ago Tuesday.  That was fun.  Wife fired Avvy up for me and as the oil started circulating in the L59, she started to rattle.  Then she put her in gear and loaded the engine...backing out of the driveway my thoughts as I watched her make a last store run with her was please don't blow up before you get back! 

She got back--it sounded even worse, but on tear-down the lifters all looked fine.  LOT of crap in the cylinders & on the piston tops. Did NOT know the lifters were under the heads in these motors!

taking masking tape and labeling things as I disconnected them helped.  A LOT.  I should have been more aggressive and labeled EVERY SINGLE THING.  I labeled a lot, but not everything, which may have been what haunted me later.

Pulling the motor out, I found GM only uses THREE bolts to hold the torque converter to the flexplate!!  Wow!!  I took the wrench to the first one, took some effort, but got it off.  The next two I removed with my fingers--no torque on them at all!!  Idiots had apparently installed the new transmission.  I am NOT happy with the quality (or lack thereof) of the work.  They also put in an actual transmission cooler.  They left one of the partial lines hanging out of the ports going into the passenger side radiator tank.  NOT a very professional looking job!

FOUGHT with getting the motor out once everything was disconnected.  I yanked the engine hoist back and forth a number of times, to FINALLY discover an offending bellhousing bolt right above where the starter mounted.  Once I got that out, the motor came right out.  I discovered in my horsing and yanking that I had popped one of the tranny lines out of the housing.  Thankfully that diked-off hose was still hanging out of the radiator so I used the little clip off it as a spare, and everything was good.

I made sure I took the intake manifold off in one piece--BTW--getting that stupid A/C compressor off the block and pulled up out of the way far enough was a royal headache. 

I made sure to keep my old plugs and wires, even though I had bought new ones.  I replaced the A/C belt--the main serp belt looked fine.  Also, while it was out, I replaced both radiator hoses, even though they looked alright.

With everything out and apart, I took to flushing out the puke tank, heater core, and radiator.  On reassembly I used green antifreeze.  This ended up helping me down the road BIG time!!

Getting that starter out, and especially back in again, was MISERABLE!!  Got it done, but geez, as big as these trucks are, you would think that they would have given a guy a LITTLE bit of room?

Got everything together, everything hooked up, got the slightly modded tune I had put into HP Tuners into it (mainly just telling the computer the motor is bigger, not much more) and stuck the key in.  That old 5.3 had loosened up in 113k, but that new 6.0 was tight.  I learned quickly that though my battery spun that 5.3 just fine, it did squat for that 6.0.  Had to get a new battery as well.

Stuck the key in and turned--finally spun, but nothing.  Had plenty of fuel, but...no spark.  The common statement from everyone was, "Did you make sure you got all the grounds?"  Yes, duh!!  Of course!  There's a bigger one behind the PS pump, 2 on the rear of the driver head, another to the rear of the passenger head (then the starter of course).  Still no spark.  Fretted and fussed for an entire day, and was about to throw in the towel and crawled underneath to put the skidplates back in when what do you know?  A smaller ground I had forgotten about that was behind and almost underneath the PS pump!!  I hooked the little bugger up and she FIRED RIGHT AWAY!!  Idle was rough...VERY rough.  I got her fluids checked a couple more times, then took her around the block.  I hooked up HP Tuners again and it said random misfire.  Great tool, that HPT!  Directed me right to cylinder 7 where I must have banged the plug into the motor or something installing it, as the electrodes were almost touching!  Used plugs to the rescue!  Swapped that plug and fired up--purring like a kitten.

Now, that radiator and those two fittings just sitting there didn't impress me, so I asked my wife to make a parts run and grab me a couple plugs to fit the threads.  She came back and everyone in town said that the threads were GM unique and no one had any, so I left them out.  At 4:00 in the morning I headed out, and fueled up on premium for $1.559.  As I'm fueling, I suddenly hear fluid running.  I see my brand-new coolant pissing all over the ground.  GM was too frigging cheap to mount the cooling coil for the transmission lines to the tank!  I had to pull the lower radiator hose to get a tool into the tank to shove that stupid cooling coil up far enough so I could put those fittings back in!  Thankfully the convenience store was open, and I was able to buy green antifreeze without any issues with my system.

I'm still working with it--I ran into misfire when she was running uphill on the interstate downshifting, but other than that ran great!!  I would strongly recommend pressure-washing an engine compartment before yanking a motor--we couldn't as the carwashes were closed due to cold temps--to make things a bit easier.  I cannot emphasize enough the ease of re-assembly from having labeled things.  I STRONGLY urge anyone doing this to label EVERYTHING! 

Great job and thanks for the write-up!