1st ever big block GMT900? (frankenburban 2.0)

You rock. 

Amazing work. I don't know if I could ever handle a project like this. I'm a parts changer at best. 

Awesome! 

Scooter said:

Amazing work. I don't know if I could ever handle a project like this. I'm a parts changer at best. 

lots of assumptions and leaps of faiths, I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't worried at some points. but then I realized what else I could put a cherry big block into...

lemons out of lemonade!

the sketchiest part is moving around a 760lb engine, you can not budge that thing and if it gets to tipping (before on the engine stand) that thing will just roll... and you better not have a hand or footnearby...

thank you all for the encouragement! Just a little bit further now...

Can't really proceed without the new intake because I can't close the hood and drive.

Wednesday can't come soon enough! Even though I think I may need to get an 8.1 specific intake piping due to the angle of the dangle of said throttle body but this was good enough to get it idling long enough to check for leaks and help bleed the coolant, recharged the A/C. Also managed to install the fascia 100% over the weekend.

literally the only remaining steps:

• Check/add transmission fluid
• Intake piping
• fix minor exhaust leaks
• bleed coolant more?
• Tune

fidelity101 said:

[...]

literally the only remaining steps:

• Check/add transmission fluid
• Intake piping
• fix minor exhaust leaks
• bleed coolant more?
• Tune
• Do a burnout

You forgot the most important step

In reply to artur1808 :

good call!

Man this thread makes my up coming motor swap look like childs play. Congrats on getting it running!

fidelity101 said:

thank you all for the encouragement! Just a little bit further now...

 

Can't really proceed without the new intake because I can't close the hood and drive.

 

Wednesday can't come soon enough! Even though I think I may need to get an 8.1 specific intake piping due to the angle of the dangle of said throttle body but this was good enough to get it idling long enough to check for leaks and help bleed the coolant, recharged the A/C. Also managed to install the fascia 100% over the weekend.

 

literally the only remaining steps:

• Check/add transmission fluid
• Intake piping
• fix minor exhaust leaks
• bleed coolant more?
• Tune

*Squeals excitedly*

I love Suburbans!!!!

Excellent job......check engine light come on yet?(hope not)

In reply to 759NRNG :

Yeah it did pretty quickly because the VVT solenoid is not present. but it idles and revs fine. I drove it forward and backward a touch just to see if everything is groovy, everything seems fine otherwise.

Now who wants the LY6 + radiator and some other goodies? shoot me an offer just get it out of here! lol

Pretty cool that it fires right up using the stock 6.0 tune!

pretty snazzy! it was just a hunch but it idles and revs in park pretty good.

in other news, I have been tracking this cost to the nay-sayers who are all TURBO LS WEEEEE BIG BLOCK IS FOR YOUR DAD LS IS THE BEST THING EVER CAM AND HEADS BRO!!!!!!!!

Rebuilding the LY6 would be about 3-4k if I had the shop doing everything. Granted I took this as a bit cost no spared because of the engine size and weight I wanted to only do this job once. and since I was the first to do this I expected this to have some exploratory costs.

So I also made some comparisons after knowing what I know now...

• If you could get the engine cheaper a little higher mileage it would save a lot, especially if you didn't have to ship it.
• If you plan your hardware purchases better correct quantity/sizes
• You don't need the entire bellhousing kit (I have an extra flexplate that does me no good)  or make your own spacer
• you don't need the entire 58x conversion kit! The sensors are expensive and you can junkyard or re-use debating what engine you have
• run the 8.1 intake ducting or make your own silicone hose intake it would be cheaper.
• re-use accy drive belts/waterpump etc
• run the 6.0 radiator with some hose/line adapters
• hope that your engine comes with a starter!
• get cheaper rockauto parts, i went with a lot of conti/ac delco/etc big name brands, you can always cheapen up
• re-drill your own flexplate
• engine mounts, you can always do custom or re-use 8.1 mounts if the engine comes with it

should be no different cost wise than any other LS swap it just depends where you want to cut your corners, I plan on keeping this truck for 10 years and with my hobbies I took it as an investment.

on the flip side if I did just drop it off and fix it I would not be typing this today because I would have prepped the rally car for LSPR this weekend and be racing. Oh well, there is always next year with new funds and vacation time...

Being an HPtuners mental midget ,can the VVT(variable valve timingsensor thingy?) be subverted with a simple <------enter?

In reply to 759NRNG :

Yeah its a push of a button to disable it within the software

ta'da! got the 8.1 intake piping in and drove it around for a bit, works really... well. It looks totally stock too which is great. Kind of on the fence about going to a cone filter style intake but this just works and it isn't 300 dollars, it was 30.

CEL is solid on probably due to the VVT solenoid not connected.

next up is fix exhaust leak then tune then I get to tow with it on the 11th so some real world performance will be judged but my overall grandpa truck driving style gives it the initial approval..

So clean looking!

Any plans to get the VVT working and CEL off?

In reply to java230 :

I def cannot get the VVT working because it doesn;t have a VVT cam or any cam phasers, when I get it re-cal'd for torque management, fuel, and shift points etc it will also omit this VVT function and I should be driving with zero CELs.

Right now I'm afraid to go wot so I don't blow it up over revving it on accident.

Ah cool, I didn't catch the new motor didn't have VVT. Can't wait to see what it's like when reprogrammed. Cool that all that can be taken care of in the ECU. 

In reply to fidelity101 :

I've been told this engine in stock form just won't rev past 5k but it's probably smart not to test it.

In reply to Chadeux :

That's usually not a physical limitation of components, more of a camsahft and airflow thing.

Big blocks are built for lots of torque, low down in the rev range. As a result, all the good stuff is usually over by about 4500 RPM.

A proper cam and big valves will make them rev higher but then you lose all that low-end grunt which is what you want in a truck.

In reply to Trans_Maro :

I said that concerning his over revving concern. I see no need for more a truck engine to rev any higher than that. 

Okay so initial impressions..

• You can feel the added weight over the front end
• There is a lot more torque mid/low end
• Engine requires about 20-30% more fuel in most instances across the VE table
• Transmission tune requires some shift point adjustment (still need to get that done)
• This thing really drinks the gas if you let it.
• Kind of want to open the exhaust up a bit to get that big block gluglugluglug sound its too quiet but I think I will instantly regret that decision.

Very well done. A Gibson cat-back might give the sound you seek but not too overbearing. Are you using 87oct? 

In reply to 759NRNG :

Yeah just 87, at roughly 10 mpg I do not wish to go to premium just not worth it.

I haven't put enough miles of normal driving to really determine the MPG.

A good cat back would be nice but I want to avoid spending more money on this truck and focus again on the race car! Which is the whole reason I own this truck...