donnie_19

I have located a couple of options for my 78 vette conversion. Since I am newby which is the better option and why?
Option 1 is a High Performance 6.0 liter LQ9 Cadillac Escalade Engine from a 2004 model with 100k on it. Engine comes complete as pictured, with all coils and sensors, intake and exhaust manifolds, even the air flow meter! Engine is very clean and was carefully removed from a running Escalade which had an interior fire. No wiring harness, alternator, power steering unit or A/C compressor. $1600 or OBO.

Option 2 ls-1 out of a 2000 corvette. comes complete ready to run, has gm muscle car oil pan kit(new), heads have been decked and new valve seals installed (casting # 241), honed cylinders with new rings, new wind age tray, pickup tube, dip stick, injectors, 80mm intake, return less fuel rail, switched to 5.3l valve covers so i wouldn't have to use expensive pcv hose assm, corvette alt and ps bracket(new), compressor bracket for corvette(new), water pump(new), rail covers(new), arp flexplate bolts(new). minus throttle body and thermostat housing. Motor only had 46,000 miles before build 0 miles since. $2500 willing to take a reasonable offer.

Which is best bang for the buck. I don't have an umlimited budget this year. I am also doing a vintage air upgrade while the engine bay is clean. I am going to mate up to a 2004R trans with a 2800 RPM stall. Looking for around 400HP or so street car.

Orange Juice

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like the Ls1 is a new motor for not much more, I'm not familiar with the Lq9 but the larger displacement is always something that you can't replace cheaply. With 100,000 you would probably want to do a rebuild which is going to run up your costs
You really should post your questions in the Conversion and Hybrid forum where people that have done this before can direct you better. You can also do a search in that forum for your vehicle to narrow down results.

JustinT

In a corvette, LS1 hands down. Its aluminum, newly built, comes with expensive oil pan and other parts you will need anyway. Those year vettes are heavy enough as it is. Weight savings above the frame rails means a lot.

murphinator

iTrader: (2)

100,000 miles is not a big deal - my current ls engine vehicles are 6.0 2500 hd 179,000 98z28 173,0000 99z28 171,000 , 2000 z28 234,000

if something happened to any of these vehicles I wouldnt hesitate to put the engines in another car without doing anything other than my 99 has a leaky rear main that i would address when the enige was out. they all run great and show no signs of weakness.

the ls1 is lighter by about 70 pounds of the 2 choices you are sharing with us but the 6.0 should still be lighter than the engine you should be removing from the 78 vette if it still has its stock iron head 350

the rebuilt engine is only as good as who did the work , peoples personal preferences vary but my own experience and a lot of shared experiences over the years your more likely to have an issue with an engine that has been apart due to a missed detail than an unopened factory engine. A lot of stock internal/bolt on cars out there very quick with lots of miles on them because the factory assembly and tolerances are so reliable.

The caddy engine came out of a vehicle likely to have been driven normally , the modded ls1 probably seen some thrashings.

The caddy engine has more cubes.

I bet the 100k engine still has cross hatch in bores , ls1 has been honed.

Personally I would choose the caddy engine even if the price was the same , being a grand less it would be a no brainer.

someone else will likely make the case for the ls1 - we all base our opinions on our own personal experiences so it isnt a right or wrong choice just match up what people give for advice with your own gut feeling and either way your going to have a great going vette !

donnie_19

Will post over on the other forum. Thanks for the input so far. Been leaning towards the caddy LQ9 as I am replacing with an cast iron block and heads SBC so the weight isn't much different and I don't race. From my research those LQ9 truck engines go a couple hundred K with no problems. From my current searches looks like a different heads, manifold and cam the caddy engine could be a screamer for similar cost.

02WS6SSZ71

iTrader: (20)

Extra 100+ lbs with the iron block...they have been weighed repeatedly by people on here at over 100 lbs more. Also, keep in mind the cost of accessories if you go LQ9. Not sure what set-up you would need for that car, but its not cheap buying any of them. That said, I have the choice of building an LS1 or swapping in a heads/cam LQ4 on my current project...going LQ4 because its going to cheaper in the long run, and has potential for a big stroker on next teardown. Either way, I think you'll be happy

donnie_19

Decided on the LQ9 even getting it delivered. Will drop the pan on the LQ9 and look the bottom end over on Saturday before any cash changes hands. What should I look for besides the obvious metal in the pan?

reinhardt02

I would run a compression test on it.

donnie_19

Engine has already been pulled from Escalade.

JustinT

You can still turn it over with a battery and some cables. Chevy started bolt to the block.

reinhardt02

Turn the motor over by hand. Put a socket and ratchet on the crank pulley bolt. Pull all of the plugs and test one cylinder at a time. The only compression you will have to turn the wrench against is the cylinder being tested.

donnie_19

Got it.

donnie_19

Found this on the for sale forum http://www.ebay.com/itm/BBK-SSI-5005...d9ac15&vxp=mtr
Will my fuel injectors and rails and other parsts swap or work from my LQ9?

donnie_19

Pulled the engine apart last night. Glad we did, it had some rust on some to the rings and a broken exhaust manifold bolt. Heads are getting cleaned up and the block will be honed.
I need to source an Alternator and Power Steering for this set up. What models of GM or part numbers fit this set up? I am going to need some kind of adapter plug for the alt to hook up to my old harness. I have the Holley LS brackets on order. http://www.holley.com/20-135.asp http://www.holley.com/20-134.asp