Engine in question 2002 LQ9 out of a Escalade 100k never heard it run, appears to be leaking oil from the Valve cover, or intake or cover below the intake. I have friend that is a GM tech so I ordered the required gaskets to fix. He also says to do the head gaskets while its out?

On to the real question at hand the Cam...
I have been looking at a cam swap, not knowing much as these two seem very close? what is the better choice? and as they seem close is it even worth it?

Comp cam
http://www.compcams.com/Company/CC/c...csid=1085&sb=1
Compared to the stock Cam
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/nal-12561721

I see a little more lift, little less LSA, and lot more duration?
Looks like the comp cam requires springs ect? The springs the guy at suggested were more $$$ that the cam? What all is really needed? I feel like the guy at comp cams over selling?

Hoping somebody could dumb this down for me?...

The recipient vehicle is a Land Cruiser...
4 wd
5500 lbs
stock torque converter
4:10 gears

Any help would be great!

 

First off, your cylinder heads - unless you know the gaskets are bad, don't do it. You take a lot of risk. Doing the head gaskets "while you're in there doing the valve covers" is like replacing the clutch "while your in there bleeding it". The most common oil leak on the top center of the engine is the Oil Pressure Sending Unit and the cam sensor. They are far more likely to leak than the center valley cover. You'd need to remove the intake to get to it. Don't rule out the PCV either, it causes alot of leaks.

It honestly depends on your goals and what you want. If you want a better cam, but really don't want to get too far into the motor, then the best bet is an EPS drop-in cam, which is designed to work with your stock springs and valve train. The XFI ramp rates are rather steep, and your stock springs are not likely to be able to control the valves properly. If you're wanting gobs of horsepower, then you're going to want a bigger can and you'll want to put better heads on, etc, and it starts getting expensive fast.

 

Care the elaborate more on the head gaskets? I know nothing of this engine!
The visible edges of the head gaskets are peeling, could be nothing?
New head gaskets
New TTY GM bolts
Get Heads resurfaced for a flat surface
Correct torque wrench for TTY
New to the LS engine, what am I missing?

Should I consider anything else while its out, to save labor?

A drop in cam may be what I after, the stock set up will a huge gain over a inline 6!

 

You're not missing anything, just if it ain't broke don't fix it. I re-read your post and realized I misunderstood. You said "while it's out" and I thought "while the intake is off", but I think what you really meant was "while the engine is not in a vehicle".

If you aren't confident in them, then by all means, replace them. While you're getting them surfaced, depending on the heads, consider having them milled down a bit. The 317 heads have a large combustion chamber, resulting in low compression and poor efficiency. If you have the 799 heads, you'll be in good shape. The 317 heads have a 74cc chamber and the 799's have a 64cc chamber. If you mill them to 64cc, you'll gain some performance and efficiency

All that said, if you're going to have the heads off, it's the best opportunity to swap the valve springs, so if you decide to go with that comp cam and springs, it'll make for an easy swap.

 

Yes the motor is out and on a stand. The only thing I can confirm on this engine is the mileage via a carfax. Just trying cover all options, and ensure I have a motor that runs when I drop it in!

I agree with if it isn't Broke don't Fix it

 

A set of PAC-1218 beehive valve springs($140) is all you need with the Comp Cam # 54-412-11. You can also get the cam for $355..
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...valve-springs/
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...e-rpm-212-218/