Well it was fun but short lived unfortunately

I have a 5.3 with a
ss2 cam. I spun it out to 6 k a couple of times and now I have a rod knock

At least I think I do. I’m pulling the trans to check the flex plate just in case. I didn’t build the combo so I’m checking it out

Question: is 6k a resonable rpm with cam and springs?

They don’t seem to be the problem. Thought the bottom end would hold up to that rpm. Not making huge power so??

I never lost oil
oressure or overheated and a/f was rich if anything. No knock. Just bad luck maybe


Opinions?

Chay

 

Video:


sometimes
it evolves into
a louder clink and even a scraping high pitched noise

I pulled each valve cover one at a time and the springs are fine and the rockers seem to operate correctly.

when I find it it will make sense lol


Chay

 

Video:


sometimes
it evolves into
a louder clink and even a scraping high pitched noise

I pulled each valve cover one at a time and the springs are fine and the rockers seem to operate correctly.

when I find it it will make sense lol


Chay

 

Was this just a used engine you installed? I no longer swap vehicles with engines straight from the donor. I have them all checked for this reason. I had a cam swapped 6.0 say goodbye on the dyno during tuning. Never again.

 

The car was bought with the engine installed and cam installed

I leak down tested it and it was really good. Probably still is lol. No knock sound until I had it for a while

its
just bad luck I guess oh well. Time to pull it out and see what’s up

Chay

 

I was going to pull the 5.3 and check/rebuild it but I found another engine, supposedly rebuilt for a very resonable cost.

This time I will go through it and check it out.

It's a 6.0, 2004. It has 5.3 heads on it, with the smaller valves and it seems smaller combustion chambers which should bump the compression to about 10.5. It has a few goodies like ls7 lifters and head studs, ls9 head gaskets.

It's supposed to have a 'Rattler' cam in it also.

I'll do a leakdown, then check the mains and rods with plati-guage and check crank end play. Then check the pushrod lengths to make sure they are ok with the different heads and cam.

Anyone have anything additional they would check?


Thanks,

Chay

 

Did you already check the flexplate? It sounds more like it's OUTSIDE the engine.

 

I too would check the flex plate. It certainly could be rod knock, especially if that 5.3 had 300k miles on it before ending up in your car. However, 6k rpm is fine. Many stock LS motors see that rpm every day. That 6.0 as a very odd set of parts. Head studs and LS9 head gaskets? Sounds like someone was going to throw a big turbo on it.

 

I jacked all 4 and got under there while the engine was running. Sure sounded like it was from the oil pan.

the sound changes the more the engine runs. The video doesn’t really do it justice.

I inspected the flex plate the best I could with the cover off and as far as I can tell it’s in one piece and I checked the flex plate to converter bolts and they are tight

I won’t know 1000% until I get the trans off and have a good look

It’s cold up here and I don’t have a great place to work on it so I figure what’s the worst that can happen if I but the second engine. I have a pair of 6.0s in my boat (that’s a whole other
story lol) so at the worst it’s a good spare

Chay

 

Well after a big break it's time to get back to this project.

The first step is to give the new 6.0 the check out.
I'm going to do these checks:
1) Pushrod length check (Due to cam and lifters being non stock)
2)Cam timing check
3) Leak down test
3) Rod and main bearing clearance check (Plastiguage) and inspect the bearings.

If all that looks good, I'll do engine lube on reassembly and stick her in there with the 5.3 manifold, injectors and cable throttle body and start the tuning process.

Anyone see any gotchas with my plan?


Thanks,
Chay

 

with good springs these LS engines will spin 7k

 

I've heard that. The springs are new and matched to the cam which is supposed to breathe to 6.5k or so.

So far so good. I checked the pushrod length and I get about 1.5 turns. Some of the lifters were not pumped up so I had to be really careful to determine 0 lash but it wasn't that hard to feel.

Next I'll try to verify cam timing and do a leak down.

Chay

 

Well I did a leak down with interesting results.

I applied 80 psi and the cylinders were between 50 and 60psi. The leakage was through the rings. As I rotated the engine there was significant drag due to compression so I think it's fine, just the large ring gap, and the fact the engine hasn't been run yet are causing the low numbers. Also this verifies that the valves aren't open on the compression stroke verifying the pushrod length is ok, at least while static.

I'll grab a battery and do a compression check for further comparison, but at least there are no dead cylinders.

C

 

I tried to degree the cam...pretty hard due to the lifter being soft...

But I was able to confirm the lobe center are within a couple of degrees of expected. This is withing the error limit for my tdc measurement. So I'm pretty happy with that.


Chay

 

 

Well
now that the new engine is looking good mechanically, it’s time to get the rest of the car half decent

The car came without wiring in a lot of spots. Not sure what the idea was but I’m having to build it back up

one of the missing bits was the connector for the wiper system.

I sourced one. Amazon or eBay I can’t remember which but I managed to redirect the system and it works 100%. It has the delay system and the wiring info is different based on the stallk switch function being different.

If anyone is doing the same thing Im
enclosi g the relevant info

Chay

 

Another schematic, this time with wire colours

C

 

a quick video of the sludge I found in the 5.3. Weird stuff. Anyone seen anything like this before?

the oil came out with a trace of white like water in oil but after looking at it closely it seemed like the sludge or some other kind of discoloration

very strange

chay

 

That’s a ton of metal

 

Yes. There are multiple pulverized bearings in that motor.

 

Cool.

I'll take apart the bottom end one day...and check out the carnage.

Could be cam bearings too I suppose.

I did find a chunk of what looked like a bearing shell, or what's left of it.

Onward and upward. I'm cleaning out the pan, pickup tube and a few other odds and ends to swap to the new engine. It came with a truck pan so time to switch up some stuff.


Chay

 

Good luck on a new build

 

Thanks ^^.

I built an oil pressure ‘tree’ so I can get the old dash gauge and the ecm input also

It will be nice to confirm one against the other when I fire it up

I bought an adapter and a little brass

fitting to oil up the engine from the side plug and prime the oil pump with a pressure sprayer

It’s a new rebuild so I guess it’s an important step? Any opinions one way or the other? Couldn’t hurt I suppose and I will check that the lifters get pumped up while I rotate the engine. Right now most of them are not pumped up.

Thanks

Chay

 

I made a little more progress. I’ve been trying to figure out the trans connection and get it 100% before putting the new engine in

mu combo is a short crank 6.0 with a 700r4/4l60. At least for now.

When I took the trans off I was pleased to see a dished flex plate and an adapter like there should be, but there was some not so good work done

specifically the notching on the original
flexplate was not very well done

See pics

Chay

 

Weird. All my text went away. So I’m retrying. I got the flex plate from the new 6.0 which was as yet untouched and tried to figure out a way to do the notching better

what I came up with was to use the adapter and machine a fitting on the lathe to fit between the adapter and the flex plate. That was I could tell exactly how much to notch out the holes

 

then out of curiosity I checked out the original flex plate again. Turns out the original owner notched out the metric holes when the thing is double patterned and it had the correct holes already. Bizarre.

anyway the last thing I did was tack weld the adapter to the converter to hold it straight.

next up will be assemble everything and check the converter to flex plate clearance is the required 1/8 to 3/16

 

Got a bit more work done

I primed the oil pump and rotated the engine with the oil pressure can on

It sucked in a bunch of oil and the lifters
pumped up

Then I bolted on the flex plate and did a compression test. Good compression in all 8.

 

Then I started bolting up the trans.

It all looks to be lining up well. The torque converter can slide forward and back without binding.

The gap between the torque converter and the flex plate is too big.

It’s at .237. Targeting between 1/8 (.125) and 3/16 (.1875) means I need washers between .112 and .0495

Off to the parts bin


Chay

 

Well I got the engine back in now

Time to reassemble the top end and get her going and see what I’ve got

The throttle cable was pretty flimsy where it came through the firewall so I made up a cover to hold it in well. Much better than the plastic tabs that it came with

Chay

 

I found some 10mm flat washers that fit the bill for the torque converter spacing and are a good fit for the tc bolts

They are .080 so the final clearance will be .237-.080 =0.157

Right in range

Chay

 

Well I'm slowly getting there.

The torque converter is bolted up. It went well. I had to remove the starter to get a wrench on the tc bolts properly.

I found 3 set of threads on the intake manifold stripped. I helicoiled them and they seem to be holding well. 6mmx1.0 if anyone is interrested.

Chay

 

I made a little more progress

I improved the throttle body cable mechanism at the throttle body. It was pretty sad from the previous owner. It was flexible and shifty and only had one clamping bolt so not very high quality. I improved it by adding a second bolt and it’s much more consistent


I had already welded on a small arm to the throttle body to operate the tv cable with the correct pull geometry but I the bracket for it was much like the throttle. Imprecise and weak. So I fixed it up also. I was having trouble determining the adjustment required for the valve though

I saw a method of removing the trans oil pan and adjusting it while watching the valve and valve actuator. This will help me avoid toasting the trans before I find a good used trans to replace it

I would love a t56 or a tk5 but the money is not there as yet.

I made a quick video of the final
adjustment. I think it’s pretty good



Chay

 

I hit a milestone this morning

I hooked up the rad and trans coolant lines so I could fire the engine for a couple of seconds and check a few things

I tried this earlier. It ran like crap for about 10 seconds and I couldn’t see any oil pressure but it was on the old system. Not sure on the wiring but it did work before so I was worried

I I disconnected the old sender and tied in a manual gauge. After a 2 second delay I got a full 80psi of oil pressure. And it smoothed out too. I think the far fuel rail just needed to purge the air out


A huge sigh of relief! Now on to final assembly, tuning and shake down runs

The fun part in other words


Chay

 

One more big step forward.

The engine was still running like junk...the odd backfire on startup and no jump.

Sure seemed like wires not connected right on the distributor...0bviously not the issue but...

The original owner painted the metal holder for the coils...and put the coil harness back on the drivers side backward. I couldn't believe my eyes...had to ring them out from the ecm connector all the way through.

Sure enough...purple hits number 7. Damn.

I reversed the harness, now is starts instantly starts and it has great throttle response. CRAZY!

Chay

 

Great update and good progress in a short amount of time.

 

Thanks, I'm on the move!

Now if I could figure out where I put the damn keys!!!

Time to clean up I guess lol.

Chay

 

Found the keys!




Chay

 

Well I've got the new engine starting much better, and the cooling system is now complete (Forgot the steam line...doh!).

I don't have much rear brake at the moment...so I pulled the drums...driver side is SOAKED in differential fluid. Seems like bearings and seals are in my future.

Probably best for me to check out the diff for obvious problems anyway.

I'm going to do the repair bearings. Can anyone confirm the following are the right ones:

RP 5707 (Delco and BCA NBRP5707)
Timken TRP1663TAV
API 14020-07409966

Thanks for any advice.


Chay

 

Well I did a bit more on the axle seals.

I pulled the diff cover and I was preparing to pull the small bolt holdi the pin in.

I can see why you need a 6 point wrench. The bolt was already a bit messed up. Not too bad though

I didn’t have a wrench so I grabbed a spare socket and wrench and fired up the rig and kinda made one.




I heated the area a bit and with a tap the bolt came right out

The c clips actually fell out and the axles came out great

The seals came out well too. And then the bearings did not

The slide hammer wasn’t up to the job so I made a small attachment from some angle iron and a small piece of plate. It worked very very well



chay

 

Bearing info:

I measured the inner of the axle tube at 2.228" and the axle diameter at 1.370" for the bearing.
I measured the inner of the axle tube at 2.260 for the seal. The inner was destroyed so not worth measuring.


Standard bearing: 5707: Specs: 2.35" outer, 1.4" inner
Not sure about the standard seal. Perhaps a YGA-30196 or 30196. The outer is 2.25", inner is not defined, but it says its for 5707 bearings.

I decided to order the Timken TRP1563TAV repair bearing. The specs seem to match the 5707 so hopefully I did well.

Chay

 

I made another step. I installed the bearings with a chunk of pipe I lathed down to the right diameter

Then I assembled the axles and now it’s time to put the cover back on

it



Its Interesting how the stick out a bit but the axles go into place fine anyway

Chay

 

Well I had another little setback.

I was driving and tuning...went to my mom's place. She wanted me to open it up a little so I made some smoke with the rear tires...

Then I couldn't get out of first on the 700R4. Well that's not quite true...if I hammered the throttle then came off of it, the trans would shift to second with a very firm shift.

I traced it to a stuck TV valve...crap I have to open up the pan again...Took a shower in trans fluid...and sure enough the TV valve is stuck half way in.

I ordered a transgo jr shift kit...I'll install it soon and get it back on the road again. I pulled the governor also just to check it...It was fine but I wrecked the cover because it was so stuck so I ordered a new one of those also.

This time I'm going to install a drain plug in the pan. I should have done it last time. I think if I do I won't have to drop the pan again lol.

Chay

 

Yep. I agree 100% and then you can move on with other things. Good luck with getting your transmission back up and working properly.

 

Thanks^^

I drilled and welded a 1/2” nut and cut a bolt to length.

I’ll seal it with teflon tape and it should be good to go

Next up is the shift kit


Chay

 

Well it's official, transmissions are not my thing lol.

When I took off the valve body the upper and lower plate gaskets were stuck like glue and ripped of course. And were so stuck on I needed a razor blade to carve them off, sending little bits of gasket everywhere. I now need to disassemble the entire valve body to clean it up and reassemble it. So much for a quick easy job.

I figured I'd change directions, and moved on by removing the pressure regulator valve. Only I pulled out the torque converter apply valve by mistake. Then when I was putting it back the c clip sprung and was lost. Insert explatives.

So I moved on to the actual pressure regulator valve. This went pretty well I guess. I ground off a land as instructed, measured the piston (.422") and applied the green spring. Then the reassembly. Not a lot of fun lying under the car with trans fluid dripping in your face, trying to hold up the 4 components and reapplying a c clip up in the hole. I did manage it by first hooking up the c clip to the pliers, then having that ready with a screwdriver through the middle of it. That way I could hold the valve up with the screwdriver and there was just enough room to get the c clip in once I ground down the pliers to fit. It was a dance but I got the valve up and the c clip in the right spot.

So I was batting .333

Why not try the next step? The 2/4 band servo has some upgrade springs and is supposedly accesable. Well, it's not. The trans tunnel is too tight to get the cover out. Of course I ripped the oring doing the stretch technique required to get the cover off.. Another fail.

Kinda pissed off now, I reapplied myself to finding the t/c apply c clip. One stroke of luck later (Under a piece of plywood) and I was able to reassemble the apply valve.

So I ordered some new gaskets, an oring and now it's time to cry in a beer.

I think the vale body has 13 valves....I sure hope it goes better than today!


Chay

 

Sorry to hear that you had such a bad day working on your car. It seems like frustration is more likely in the car hobby than "smooth sailing." I know that I've had my share of frustration .

 

Well learning is painful sometimes.

I did learn that the 3-4 accumulator lives on top of the plate and the 1-2 accumulator lives below it in the same area. I'm way less confused about that.

I hope I can get that sevo back together easily. Otherwise it's just time and patience.And a few extra parts.


Chay

 

I was able to access the servomon the right hand side of the trans

I read a bunch and someone mentioned you could lower the trans and shift it to the driver side then get the cover off and the servo out

Sure enough this worked!

I was able to add a new spring and a spacer and modify a steel retainer as per the kit instructions and get the piston info required for spring selection in the valve body

Very happy with the outcome on that!

Chay

 

Maybe I am a transmission guy after all lol

It’s all back together and it is shifting well

Thank god, on to the next hurdle

Chay

 

That's good to hear. Now you can move forward.