cosmick

Do I want the low mileage 4.8, that may have never gotten up to temp, or do I want the high miler, that may have been a long distance cruiser? The price difference is $50, both have the same 90-day warranty.

jazzdadss

Low milage, Why not?

cosmick

I thought it's supposed to be extremely abusive to engines if they never warm up all the way? What if the owner made 10,000 trips that were only 3 miles long each? A soccer mom could have done that.

STREETDEMON

i would take low miles any day of the week. especially on this platform.

cosmick

Moot point now, the lower-mileage one got sold. No surprise.

Brando5641

iTrader: (-1)

I respectfully disagree. These engines hold up very well with "high mileage"
I would not think twice about buying a 5.3 or 4.8 with 150k-200k miles.

STREETDEMON

exactly, so why wouldn't you want one with lower miles. i bought a 55k long block so i can enjoy it for 200k before i rebuild it.

i didn't say i wouldn't buy the higher mileage unit, just that in a case of dollars being close, i'll grab the lower mileage one and pay a little more....

cosmick

I keep reading this from so many different sources, and I've had enough older engines go past 200K. Not like I'll ever add another 50K miles to whatever I get. Most of the gaskets will get changed just changing from truck parts to car parts for installation.

cosmick

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39591364@N06/9140068824/http://www.flickr.com/photos/39591364@N06/9140068824/ by ngineswapr, on Flickr

cosmick

I did expect it to be standing on a pallet, but instead I got a truly complete wiring harness. Anyway, Here's the proof I got it.

Brando5641

iTrader: (-1)

I'm sorry i see your point, for some reason i thought this was a low mileage 4.8 vs high mileage 5.3 conversation... Ignore me ... im loosing my mind.

ghettocruiser

iTrader: (4)

Thats ok... Im pretty sure we've all lost our minds in this section of the forum

cosmick

Since I now have my boring V6 hood and my louvered Z hood, why can't I cut a hole in the boring hood to run the truck intake and truck accessory brackets, and watch the 4.8 rock on the rubber mounts? Should be a better view than even the Z hood!

cosmick

Found a used engine computer from another '01 4.8 / 4L60E for $50, and I want to order it right this second, but I don't have 4WD, obviously, and I'm not sure I want to run a 4L60E. Would it be better to find one from a 5.3 / NV3500 / 2WD? Then I only need a VSS input, even if I go 700R-4, if I understand rightly? Or will it not matter what I start with?

cosmick

Cherry-pickered it off the trailer, drove to the store for 4 M10 x 1.50 bolts with washers, hung it on a stand, removed truck exhaust manifolds, mounts, a/c bracket, oil pan, windage tray, and then noticed there's no alt bracket, nor p/s bracket, nor p/s pump!

NemeSS-TyranT

iTrader: (1)

its common fo some engines to come w missing parts from jy or missing or broke sensors.
thr truck bracket holds, the alt, the ps pump and a idler pulley. they are pretty common and cheap. i gota bare truck bracket cheap if you need one. the idler pulley comes with its locator attached from most auto parts stores.

cosmick

Thank you for the comment and the offer. I stopped for the day due to heat and due to having no more parts on hand. Haven't done any checking yet, not sure the truck stuff will clear the steering box or crossmember. I logged in now to search for pics from others' attempts. Also curious why the H3 Alpha pan GM sells as a hot rod retrofit doesn't work. I'm considering trying the Trans-Dapt 4536 mounts.

cosmick

Can't sleep, so researching this. I started on page 104, and worked back 32 pages of more LTx than LSx to learn that the truck pan hangs 3" too low, and the LH8 pan, GM PN 19212593 is 2.5" shorter. So it only hangs 0.5" too low, in theory. Still haven't seen any pics yet.
I'm not wanting to buy any speed parts until after I get this 4.8 moving this 'maro under it's own power. And for a pure stock 4.8, the '00-'02 Z28 exhaust manifolds should cause little restriction. Didn't find any used, but found new for $150 each. Ouch. I like the look of speedway Motors' Tru-Ram manifolds, but they have no provisions for A.I.R., and are $450 / pair. Really ouch. The 305 guys can get imported Pacific rim shorties for $110, so why can't we?
I wasted half an hour Googling those, they flat don't exist, and I ended up on YouTube watching idle clips of different cams in 5.3s. There was a 215/223 on a 112 that sounded good to my taste, in a copper C10, and ScogginDickey had one with tamer specs that sounded more aggressive. I moved on, and found CarCraft's article about every production cam tested in one 5.3, and I like the idea of the LQ9 cam. 40 horses with no loss of low-end, and wouldn't even need to upgrade the springs or anything. I really liked that smallest Crane, but it isn't on their website, nor Summit Racing's. How can that be? Then I happened across this: Howards 190315-14 260/264 210/214 595/598 114+4 $350. This is the only one I've noted on my master list. It should like a stock converter and 2.73:1 gears if I try those.

cosmick

I got an e-mail from my nearest chassis dyno place, I'm assured that the '01 4.8 4WD PCM will be perfectly fine for my swap, whether I go 4L60E, or 4L80E, or 700R-4. Didn't specify if HPTuners or LS1Edit or something else, but I don't much care how the desired results are achieved. Too bad I spent that money on my swap mounts, to keep me from committing before knowing. I should have pics in a week or so.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

The LH8 or "muscle car" pan is only 3/4" shorter than the truck pan. If you can't find an f-body pan, the Holley is probably the next best option.

Here are a couple of pics of the "muscle car" pan in my '57.





For exhaust, you can get '98-'02 f-body shorties that are made to bolt in place of the exhaust manifolds that will have the emissions fittings if you need them. 4th gen long tubes won't fit in the 3rd gen chassis, but the shorties will (since the factory f-body manifolds fit, obviously).

I wouldn't fuss with truck accessories. Can it be done? Yes. Is it worth it? Not in my opinion.

cosmick

Well, phooey, but thank you.
I picked up a used starter for $15.
Tested it with jumper cables before paying.

cam-

Putting a third gen to work!!!! Hahaa dude I love it. Made my morning with that pic

cosmick

Brackets arrived, but there was a snafu, so I had to send them back. The correct ones will be here before they're needed, so no big deal.

cosmick

Searched "cat" in LTx / LSx and got 373 threads
Can't use a ULEV PCM because they're DBW, but more research turns up that the only difference was the cats. Then RockAuto.com doesn't sell any Kalif-legal cats
So I found some, at roughly 3-4 times the price of 49-state. Good thing I don't live there!
Moving on, my first intent I keep returning to, testing MPG of a pure stock 4.8 with 3.42:1 gears, then 3.08:1. But '02 had another 5 HP, with no apparent hardware changes, so now I'm wondering if I should buy that '01 PCM, or hunt down an '02. Probably no difference in MPG.

cosmick

PCM is ordered, from a 2WD 4.8L / 4L60E, 2001, $ 50 delivered. So now I'm watching for FedUPs to deliver this as well as my Trans Dapt 4536 mounting brackets.

cosmick

Not inspired, but motivated by this thread: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabrication/684185-making-5-3-truck.html I went ahead and did this:http://www.flickr.com/photos/39591364@N06/9279829170/http://www.flickr.com/photos/39591364@N06/9279829170/ by ngineswapr, on Flickr
using a 1/8" metal-cutting disc on a 4.5" angle grinder with the safety guard modified a bit.
I did it myself, free-hand, after using a sharpie to free-hand draw hat I wanted to cut. Then I laid a flat 1/2" steel plate on it several times, each time grinding the high spots until the gap as less than 1/16" anywhere. Once I scrub the pan clean, that'll be the end of the work on this until I buy some aluminum plate. But Once this is clean I can start figuring out my suction tube to the oil pump.

cosmick

Been awake for hours, not even sunrise yet.
I was wondering why I might invest in a posi for a 7.625" when the same money could buy a used ford 8.8", and those can be had 31-spline. Those also offer the 3.08:1 and 2.73:1 that I wanted to test MPG with. But that's probably a project for a heated shop this winter.
My thoughts drifted to springs, and with no a/c, aluminum heads, aluminum water pump, and plastic intake manifold I'm thinking 5660s might be enough.
Then what about exhaust? Summit has a house brand 3" cat-back at a good price, so maybe I need to get in TGO's exhaust section.
Found a MAF for $61, that made me happy. Then radiator hoses, seems I need a Gates 20893 upper from a '94 Camaro 3.4L and a Gates 21505 lower from an '90 F350 7.5L, but not Dayco's equivalent, nor Prestone's. $40 for both locally, plus tax, versus $15 for both online, plus shipping. I will protest this to my friend who manages one of the local stores, try to get the online price without shipping.

cosmick

Trans Dapt makes some beautiful welds in some beefy-thick steel, but they didn't include any washers for the 8 short bolts, and the 2 long bolts are smaller than the holes through a new replacement rubber mount, and the holes in the brackets seem even larger still.
I'm not sending them back now, but I may need to make bushings for the bracket holes as well as having to buy 2 larger long-bolts.
Still awaiting the PCM.

cosmick

The 2 long bolts included by Trans Dapt are 7/16", while the rubber mount takes 1/2", and the Trans Dapt brackets are drilled even larger than 1/2"! Why? This is inexcusable. I expect the holes to be correctly sized and correctly placed, and I feel my expectation is realistic in this age of CAD/CAM and CNC manufacturing equipment.
Assembly is one time, slop is forever after. Assembly need not be easy, but it needs to be precise. Would Pagani ever tolerate anything like this? Never! Not even Bugatti, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari or Mercedes. And the LSx has the potential to make far more power than any of those.

cosmick

It should be obvious that I'm trying to be cheap, and I just found this $195 delivered deal: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=321167177519

abadv8

I was really hung up on the exhaust too, as I didn't want to spend $1,000 for something that would be on the car for only one season. I don't know if Racing Innovations has his headers back in stock, but I paid less than $300 for 1-3/4 long tubes for my swap. I think he's 1-5/8 primaries now. They might fit better.

Are you handy with a welder?

(Not "cheap"... "frugal". )

cosmick

Over 2 weeks ago I signed up on their waiting list. I'm not buying anything from anyone who takes 2 weeks to get back to me.
If I go with these shorties and a 4L60E I can be enjoying my car 2 months sooner, but if I ever go turbo I have the extra hassle of finding iron manifolds and a 4L80E.
But if 270 HP was enough, which it isn't, then I could have put a turbo on the 2.8

abadv8

I never got a notification from the waiting list. But, I got a response right away when I emailed him. There are two different emails, and I can't remember which is which. One you get replies from, and the other is an "outgoing only" address.

The iron manifolds would be the path of least resistance though...

kmcn47

hey cheaps fine i have pretty much the same headers haha

cosmick

After too many phone calls I just learned that the friendly place I ordered my PCM from cancelled my order when they couldn't process my credit card. I of course called the card people, who confirmed my available credit has been more than enough since a few days before ordering through today. Funny, Jegs, Summit, and businesses around me have no difficulty with it.
Never order from any business that doesn't have automated e-check-out. I hope those losers go bankrupt.

kmcn47

ive heard nothing but good things about spareecm on ebay, and then for the final tune pcm for less

cosmick

Thanks!

abadv8

Do you know anyone with HP Tuners? Licensing another ECM costs something like $100. Once you’ve licensed it, you can go nuts with any changes you’d like to make.

I don’t know where you’re located, but I have the program and link cable, and would be happy to help you out. Maybe there is someone close to you? I'm sure there are others with HP Tuners.

cosmick

Life got busy with other things. Makes me appreciate normal, boring weeks though.
HP Tuners and a PCM can wait, thanks.
I just posted in Suspension about my car developing a bad hokey-pokey, so I'm driving my thirsty-but-reliable instead.

cosmick

About to order trailing arms, so with that resolved, back to this. I want that particular PCM because it only needs VATS deleted to be perfect for my application if I do stock '01 Z28 exhaust manifolds, a 2.73:1 axle and a 4L60E and my 275/40R17s. It's the correct year, displacement, and 2WD. So tomorrow I'm ordering it on my other card. Or at least trying. No angry words were exchanged beyond my fussing in this thread, which I'm 99.44% sure they never saw.
And gotta show progress on my oil pan.

cosmick

Starter is on, PCM should be here tomorrow. Next item to find: a flexplate.

cosmick

Finally got my PCM, ran the VIN and confirmed it is what I wanted. Thinking I'll slightly relocate the EGR and I removed the idler pulley bolted to the water pump so I can try to put an a/c compressor there.

cosmick

I tore down my 4.8, except I left the crank and main caps alone. The outside was a little dusty, but pulling the intake manifold showed way too much carbon in the ports, and oily grime everywhere else. Popping the VCs showed nothing of concern, but once the heads were off I was glad they were, water had sat in 2 cylinders.
So now that I have done this, I'm searching several LS forums on porting, including the oil pump and the TB. Probably gap the rings, ARP rod bolts and ARP head bolts, Fel-Pro MLS head gaskets, TFS 216/220-114 560/560 cam, new pushrods, new springs and maybe 2" intake valves.
I still want 35 MPG, but it is difficult to care when the chance of 350 horsepower looks so easy. Can I have both?
And I got to wondering if combining the Holley pan and the Speedway Tru-Ram manifolds would let me run an existing y-pipe?
Lastly for now, I'm seriously considering the 19155067 accessory kit.

kmcn47

ya know what'd go great with this thread? pics

Richboll

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Existing 3rd gen Y-pipe?

No.

cosmick

Pics of what, exactly? A disassembled 4.8L? Why? Pics of parts I haven't yet ordered? Look at Jegs.com. If there's anything about the 4.8 you need a pic of, just ask and I'll try my best.
And Magnaflow makes a sweet Y-pipe for the '87-'88 L98 with stock manifolds that might not need very much alteration at the manifold ends. Just thinking that the Tru-Rams seem to dump about right, and the Holley pan might give enough clearance between the pan sump and the frame crossmember? If I get this promotion at work, I'll try it and see, in which I'll get pics even if it doesn't work.

cosmick

http://www.cranecams.com/whats_newview.php?s_id=34

cosmick

Thought about those all morning, it's a scam to sell 1.85:1 rockers. Where's the torque cams with 0.570" lift for Z06 springs? No duration may as well have inverted radius lobes for generous lift, anyway, since I.R. lobes limit RPM as does lack of duration. Did I buy this 4.8 for torque, anyway? Not really. And since the stock cam is already gone with the weekly trash collection trucks, how will a new cam sound in a 4.8? Not that many good idle clips, but here's one of the better finds. And this one is 0.561" lift. twin turbo 4.8, isky triple 12 cam, 550rpm idle - YouTube

cosmick

I got my heads disassembled. Now to buy some small wire brushes and some degreaser, for cleaning them. I'll post up a pic to show how well it works, or doesn't. Old springs went in the trash.