Cult Hero

my apologies for the newbie post but I have been searching and lurking on this forum for a while.

I am in the process of rebuilding my 87 Jimmy I have had since high school. I purchased an LQ9 out of a 2005 Escalade with 58,000 miles. Had Pac Fab make me a harness and flash the PCM but I am starting to dive into the engine and see what I can do to make it bulletproof.

The truck will be running one ton axles and 38's so my concern is not top end power but torque and reliability and mpg if I can dream. That said, I am not too keen on getting crazy with cams, or stroke or FI etc. What I am looking to do is basics that can net me some decent gains and increase reliability

First and foremost I have some Schoenfeld headers on the way as from what I have read, LT headers are the best way to shake loose some power. I am also in talks with Geoff on a custom cam. Most likely a 218/222 115 as I do have to pass smog out here in Cali.

I am sticking with the LQ9 manifold as I have heard that it provides the best low end torque.

Questions:

Any suggestions on cams that I should be considering?

Vent Tubes - I am looking at opening up the rear to increase cooling, is this a worthwhile endeavor? I would like to run -AN fittings and braided lines as they look best and will obviously make it faster, but building what I want is gonna take about $250!

I know Valve Springs are in the cards, but running a mild cam like I am talking about do I really need to run double springs or just a quality beehive? What would give better long term reliability?

Worth changing the lifters when I do the cam? I will probably have to do the pushrods, but are the lifters a high wear item that I can or should upgrade?

What else should I be considering?

NorCalAnthony

Sweet looking project! First thing I'd recommend is looking in to what you can get away with smog-wise since you're in CA (I am too). Is your Jimmy a diesel or gas? If it's a diesel then you can pretty much do whatever you want (since they aren't smogged) but if it's gas you're going to have to go through a smog ref inspection where they'll certify your swap has everything emissions related from the newer vehicle. Be prepared to have to swap everything from the Escalade including O2's, cats, and even the evap system. I'm doing a similar swap with a 5.3/4l80e in my '89 K5 and our state makes it a lot more complex than most people are willing to deal with...

Those Schoenfeld long tubes you ordered are great for doing these swaps in our trucks but aren't CARB certified like pretty much all long tubes so you'll most likely have to stick to shorties or factory manifolds (I'm using LS3 manifolds). I wouldn't waste your money on shorty headers though since they are still pretty pricey and don't flow much better than the factory manifolds.

For an off the shelf cam shaft I'd recommend looking at the Brian Tooley truck cams. They're designed for trucks with torque being the main goal and are designed with lower lift and a milder ramp rate so cheaper LS6 springs and stock push rods can be used. Vinci also makes a few cams that are also great for trucks (like the Ultra Torque). There are also several sponsors on here that can help you out with cam shaft selection and even make a custom grind for your specific application like Tick Performance. Just keep in mind a lot of other cams with higher lift and longer duration trade low end torque for high end horse power which is good for light-weight street-strip cars but not a heavy 4x4 like you have.

Good luck with your project dude. That things going to be a beast!

Cult Hero

stock chevy small block with efi. I am trying to figure out if I can pass with the headers and a cam. I know visual will be tough, but it should pass sniff with the cams I have specd. good to know my lifters and push rods are good, when do I need to consider new injectors?