I am in the planning stages of an LS swap with my nephew in his '65 chevy truck. I have located a salvage yard in San Antonio that will sale us a 6.0 LQ4 engine complete with 4L80E transmission and the computer with wiring harness for $2500.00. The goal is to make 500hp. The salvage yard says we will need to change the heads to the 243 casting and do some porting along with a spring upgrade and cam to reach 500 hp. He sales the heads for $250.00. I also plan to freshen the engine.
Now for my questions.
1. Does the prices seem in line?
2. Are stock rod bolts strong enough for this hp and if so are they reusable? Not sure if the rod bolts and main cap bolts are torque to yield bolts.
3. Should we use the stock computer and wiring harness and reflash it or go with an aftermarket setup?
I'm sure we will have more questions but this will get us started.
Thanks
David

This message has been edited. Last edited by: davidsracing,

My shop told me he took one of those motors straight from junkyard with 180,000 miles and did cam swap and changed to carb and it made 480 hp on dyno.
My nephew has a motor there now that he is doing cam, heads and carb setup to put in his race truck so will know some numbers soon. He only paid $500 for motor with 52,000 miles and shop said about $2500 for cam, heads, intake, labor and dyno tune basically nephew supplied the motor, carb and ignition.

Head , Main and rod bolts are one time only.

Green1, where did he get the engine for $500.00, was it a buddy deal or a salvage yard? Also we are staying with fuel injection so a carb is out.

NFC, thanks for the info on bolts. Any suggestions on replacement bolts? Are OEM bolts ok? If anyone knows torque/angle info I would appreciate any help. Currently I have a Haynes manual with OEM specs. If I get aftermarket fasteners I assume they will have their own specs.
David

He bought the motor off of Facebook out of a wrecked truck. That’s all I know other than it was around Pennsylvania somewhere.

Rocket, do you mind sharing the specs on the cam?
We are doing a similar motor.

We bought a LQ9 out of an Escalade with 160,000 miles and the rod and main bearings looked great.
But the cam bearings needed replaced.

My brother has a LQ4 stock as delivered crank, rods, and pistons. Replaced cam bearings, and has a Brian Tooley cam in it something like
LS1/2 Stage III Cam 231/242 .617"/.592" 112+2 I believe. 243 GM heads, carb intake, and Rupert 750. Powerglide behind it, and weighing 3300 or so, he's been 10.40's/6.60 footbraking.

Some of the early LQ4's had cast iron heads. Those engines were rated at 300 hp I believe.

I have an LQ4 that I paid $1200 for. It's got 43.000 miles. I used a carb and MSD box, along with a powerglide with about 3500 stall. I also stuck a Texas speed cam/spring/pushrod kit in it.
I put this in a 93 S10 and I don't know how much HP it has, but I can tell you it hauls butt! I just ordered a 9" ford rear for it, so I'll soon know how fast it is.

Cost of these engines depend on your location. I paid $2500 for an LS2 out of an 07 Trailblazer SS with 125k on it. I intend on running this on the street in my 72 Nova project after a cam/spring upgrade and other misc. changes.

Do you plan to rebuild the engine and trans before installing into the 65?
I would say the price is right if you do not plan to rebuild. If you plan to rebuild then I would look for something cheaper.
A cam change and some texas speed ported truck heads, bump the compression to around 10.5 or 11 to 1. You will make a easy 500+hp, Yell you can do that with a 5.3 bored out to 5.7"

If you plan to rebuild I would get a 5.3 gen 4 (2006+) short block. Bore out for a LS1 5.7 piston, install a set of ARP rod bolt.

The 5.3 truck engine and the 6.0 both have the same stroke. put some compression in a 5.3 and it will run with a 6.0.

Motor made 512 hp with heads off a 6.2 but don’t know if they had any work done to them. Has 750 carb and Edelbrock intake and cam swap is only aftermarket parts that I know of and I think about little over $3000 total into it.

Clint any chance you could ask him what the casting number is on the heads and ask him what cam he has in it?
Thanks.

May be no help, but our local Wrench-A-Part has 20% off all engines this weekend.
$2500 for engine and trans is too high by about a grand in my area.

I will see what I can find out.

6.0 from 02 2500 Pick-up 150,000 miles cam springs and oil pump . Stock harness Camaro intake and oil pan . Tuned on dyno 355 to rear tires 7.60 in 1/8 thru mufflers 323 rear gear turbo 350

Built a 5.3 bored to 5.7, Stock Gen4 rods and crank. CNC ported heads from texas speed. .621/.604 lift Hyd cam. On pump gas it made 570hp at 6800rpm at the crank. Very easy build.

Heads are 823 casting with some work done but don’t know how much.

quote:

Originally posted by green1:
Heads are 823 casting with some work done but don’t know how much.

Clint those numbers aren't bad.
Did he indicate what cam he used and what rpm it turned?
Also any torque numbers?
Thanks.