Block looks good with the chevy orange.

What head bolts are you going to run? The 2002 block uses the two odd size length bolts in the corners like the SBC. 2004+ they redesigned the block to use equal length head bolts. I like the ARP head bolts with washers so you don't have to deal the torque to yield nonsense plus they're reusable. You'll need to chase the head bolt threads really well and the holes are blind so blow them out until clean. I used a modified old head bolt with a grove cut down the length to chase the threads. If you decide on ARP they recommend using their tap as it matches the pitch on their bolts much better.

The ICT Billet header bolts are zinc plated so they wont rust or gall inside the cylinder heads like non plated header bolts.

I'm sure you have a manual but I attached the 2002 LQ4/LQ9 service manual. It's very comprehensive and it's the exact year for your LQ4. It's well detailed too, much to much to try using a phone trying to scroll through

 

I am planning on using the stock type head bolts. I can buy quite a few sets of factory deadbolts before even coming close to the cost of ARP's. Plus I'm not going to be running any boost, so no need to worry about lifting a head. Torque to yield is actually a very good way of achieving uniform clamp load, however with higher grade materials like ARP uses, there's no need to take the fastener to yield to achieve the same clamp load. Thanks for the LQ4/LQ9 manual, I like a good service manual read - maybe it's the Mechanical Engineer in me...

 

The equal length ARP head bolts for my 2005 LQ9 were only a hundred bucks. The set for your 2002 block are $175 so I understand going with the stock bolts. I went with the factory bolts and a year later when I bought a set of aftermarket heads... I could have kicked myself for not going with the ARP's initially lol

Not sure If you've seen this about the used vs new vs ARP head bolt tests...
If not the Mechanical Engineer in you may enjoy lol

 

Man, I wish I knew that what I bought my 2003. I might have held out for a later engine.

 

Yes, I have seen that video and others by JR. I am a member of his FB group and did contemplate re-using my head bolts using the method he outlines in several videos he has. However, I know these heads have been on and off the engine several times using those fasteners, and they were really tight when I went to take the 706 heads off the 5.3 I was given. The LQ4 head bolts went with the 317 heads when I sold them, so I am just going to get new ones. For $20 and change, it’s hard not to grab up 2 sets.

Parts are trickling in now. I got my TBSS intake manifold and the 50 lb/hr injectors in the mail yesterday. Headers should be here tomorrow, and then the fuel rails and trans parts on Tuesday. Should keep me busy this winter, with what little spare time I have (I have 2 boys - 4.5 years old and 8 months old that keep me pretty busy but wouldn’t trade it for anything)

 

Your car looks good and it appears that you have a good handle on this swap. If I were you I'd research and consider the Holley mid mount accessories. Super simple clean setup. I put a low mount Alan Grove bracket on my 63 Chevy II wagon swap using a sd7 compressor and I had to make a new upper bracket as the Alan Grove setup is designed for the bigger sd5 compressor. Had I known then what I know now I would've definitely used the Holley mid mount period. Good luck with your swap and keep the pics coming.

 

You are truly blessed!

 

I have seen the Holley mid mount setup in person on my buddies 66 Nova. It is a very clean looking setup and in the end I may go that route, but $2k is a little much for my budget right now for an accessory drive setup. I’d like to reuse the truck accessories with an L99 water pump to get the outlet facing forward and on the right side for my radiator. Maybe if I get a bonus and a stellar tax return next year I will look at the mid mount setup.

Thanks for the tip though, it’s definitely in consideration, just need to run the cost/benefit analysis on it.

 

I did the LQ4 swap on my 78 almost two years ago with an LS6 intake. You are going to love it.

 

Next time you are at the salvage yard pick up the MAP hold down bracket if you don't have one. They're two different types and the one you need with the end clips is outrageously priced for what you get. The lowest I could find is on ebay for $24 shipped lol. I made one out of a piece of bracket metal then a member on the forums copied his OEM piece and printed one for me out of ABS . The GM MAP bracket part number is 12617897

Attachment 712838

Attachment 713488

 

I have this part in my summit racing cart right now, and I was finding the same thing that you had mentioned above - I think summit has it for like $17, but then there's tax and shipping on that (assuming I don't find other things to add up to $99+ to get free shipping....). That 3D printed one looks pretty much factry. My fuel rails and trans parts showed up yesterday (a day earlier than UPS originally quoted). Still waiting on the new trans pump for the 200-4r so it can go to it's new owner, but no big deal there.

This is the reason I pieced together my TBSS intake kit. The 2008 version allows the use of the NBS MAP without having to mess around with different o-rings or silicon sealer. Direct bolt (or rather snap) in.



Here are all of my 4L80 trans rebuild parts from CK. I got the 4L80 rebuild kit B and the master shift recalibration kit. This got me the upgraded direct spring assembly that allows 6 frictions instead of 5, the HD intermediate snap ring, all Kolene steels and red alto clutches (I know some people are passionate one way or the other about them, but I haven't had an issue using this combination before so I am going back with it in my 4L80), accumulator delete kit, TH350 bearing to rollerize the rear section, new separator plate, and the usual other rebuild/overhaul components.







Crankshaft is getting dropped off today for cleaning / inspection and I'm going to talk to them about the heads as well. Some of the intake valves on one head were quite rusty and one of the seats is pretty nasty looking as well. I'm glad I disassembled them, because I was going to just slap them on and send it. Wish I would have taken a pic because there was a bunch of build up that basically fell out when I pulled the intake valve out that had the nasty looking seat.

 

Does your rails have the fuel pressure test port? When I ordered mine I knew it did not have the port. No big deal then as I had just installed a new Walbro 255 drop in assembly unit and HP Tuners shows my injector duty cycle around 48% @ 7000RPM's. Now I'm installing a nitrous wet system and wish I had that test port for the n2o fuel solenoid. I can tap in at the rail inlet but it's already busy there with the regulator. The OEM Trailblazer SS rails had the port, don't understand why GM would eliminate it.

Those 4L80 parts intimidate me just looking at them lol. After 46 years of hotrodding and working on cars in general... transmissions and upholstery are the only things I've not done... well that and diesel. I've done paint and bodywork on big rigs for a number of years but never any wrenching.

 

Just checked on my rails and they do not have the test / pressure release port. I'm curious too as to why this would have been eliminated. I purchased the GM replacement (AC Delco part number 12660709) for the 2008 TBSS, but it does not have it on there. That's going to be a mess I think if I ever have to service the fuel system...

The transmission is not as complicated as you might think. The most complex part is the valve body assembly, but if you stay organized when you are disassembling it and have a good manual, it's not bad. The thing I always tell people about transmissions is that a person assembled it, so there's no reason why I can't too. Just need to take your time and take pictures along the way or find diagrams online. The bushing removal can be the hardest part. I was on the fence about replacing mine because it was a running, driving trans, but upon closer inspection a few of them looked questionable and the forward clutch being smoked is suspect, so I decided to replace them since I have a complete bushing kit in my parts from CK Performance. The pump bushing was quite worn and scratched as well and my pump gears / housing are not giving me any warm fuzzies either. A replacement pump is $3-400, so not too sure what I'm going to do yet. I need to check my spare parts 4L80 and see what that pump looks like (the spare 4L80 is an 03 from a 2500 4x4 truck that was going to need too many hard parts replaced - a new drum, a new planetary, extension housing, output shaft and a new sprag assembly. The good one was from an 04 Van). They should be interchangeable since they are both rear lube units. I've done/touched everything on this car except for the upholstery (farmed that out) and the paint/body (still original). Those two things intimidate me more than anything.

Here's the pump bushing that was scratched up:



Here's the pump housing with some scratches on it as well:


Here's the pump cover that has some more concerning scratches:


And then the pump gears:



Lastly, I have a decision to make on the 706 heads I got from the free 5.3L LM7. Several of the valve seats are quite rusty to the point where they aren't salvageable. I talked to the machine shop and they suggested having them gone through with new valves where needed and replacing the valve seats and guides. I've got a line on a set of 799 heads for right about the same amount as it would cost me to have these gone through, and the 799 heads are already cleaned, inspected, assembled and surfaced. Not sure which way I'm going to go. Need to adjust my budget either way though, because I can't use these heads in their current state.


For some positive thoughts, I put the heads on the block and threw the TBSS intake on to get a sense of what it will look like when completed:

 

Sucks about the 706's but yeah that pic of the seats is pretty rough. Do you know how much the 799's have been milled? The Sloppy Stage 2 has a minimum CR of 10.5 on the specs. I ran that cam in my SBE LQ9 with the 317's at 10.2 CR and it did really well. The LQ4's pistons are dished that's why I asked. With maybe a .040 gasket and some milling you can get there and maybe more. I was looking at 706's to boost my compression before I bought the PRC 225's with 62cc chambers which now has me at 11.4

 

I have a question in to the seller right now about this. From my research, the LQ4 piston is about 7cc dish, so my LQ4 with the 799 heads (being roughly 64cc chamber) would be right in the same ballpark as yours 10.2-10.3:1. If they are milled enough to shave off a cc or 2, that would up the compression slightly. I ran a larger cam than the SS2 in my gen 1 SBC with 10:1 compression and didn't have any issues with it, but ideally would like this build to be a minimum of 10.5:1.

 

I'm pretty sure you'll like the SS2 camshaft. I'm on my third cam in two years starting with the SS2 then swapped to a Cam Motion little chopper. The chopper closes the intake early and builds a little more dynamic compression than the SS2 which helps with torque in my 4,400 lb truck. It had a little more seat of the pants power than the SS2 but honestly it wasn't worth the money and work to swap. Texas Speed had their PRC heads and cams on sale when the stimulus money was flowing. The chopper had to much dynamic with the small chambered PRC heads and I'd already sold the SS2 so I ordered the TSP v4. I could have kicked myself for letting the SS2 go but that's how hotrodding goes lol.

 

Just pulled the trigger on a set of gen 4 rods and some flat top pistons, and finally got a seller to contact me back about some 799 heads that I'm going to see tomorrow. The pics look like they are really low mileage and/or were from a very well maintained vehicle. Should be right around 10.9:1 / 11:1 compression with this setup and I'll be pretty close to having an iron block LS2. The amount it was going to cost me to have my current 706 heads re-worked, or just 799 heads with a thinner gasket to get me in the 10.5:1 range was going to be pretty close to the cost of going with these 799 heads and the LS2 rods/pistons, so I decided to get the stronger gen 4 rods and finally have the flat top pistons I want.

Here's the 799 heads I'm going to look at tomorrow. They look to be in much better shape than my 706 heads.

 

I picked up the heads yesterday and they were every bit as good looking as in the pictures. The one spot I thought looked like a blown head gasket appears to be some oil that got on the deck surface and wiped right off.

I called the machine shop that currently has my crankshaft about balancing it for the new gen 4 rods and flat top pistons, and they asked what I was going to use for bearings. They said they typically use the Clevite H-Series bearings in anything that is going to see some abuse, or they could get any other Clevite bearings if I wanted to go with something different. Are the H-Series bearings the tri-metal 77 series? It's not quite clear to me based on what I could find on Clevite's website.

I'm also thinking about doing the trunnion upgrade on my rocker arms and am leaning towards the bushing type instead of the roller bearing type. Anyone have a recommendation of one over another?

 

CHE is a favorite around here. Great quality, ease of installation.

 

I second the CHEs