supercharged 1999 5.3 is running fine, but has 150k on it when I got it. I'm going to run this for a while but thought about changing some things to increase power out of boost, small cam 205/210 SDPC truck cam, pick up another set of non notched 862 heads and do some light port work, straub bushing rockers and maybe do a fresh rebuild on the bottom end. $300 cam, lifters, heads gaskets etc and still stuck with the 5.3 which is fine for what it is.

But always wanted a 6.0 and figure the 6.0 would drop boost due to the increase in displacement and give me more low end around town under boost. Found one nearby that would deliver a "as is" mostly complete 6.0 for $500. Unknown mileage or year or what it was out of. He got it from a junk yard for a project that he never completed.

I'm not an idiot so i know what to look for, pull a VC and take a look, turn the motor over by hand etc. But trying to figure out what year/model 6.0 it is. Its an iron block, aluminum 823 heads. 4 bolt TB DBW, rectangle fuel rails. I'm pretty sure from the 1 pic the motor is a 6.0 due to the intake. But since I don't know the year and I can't look for myself here are my issues.

1.) 2006 the switched from 24x to 58x right? my current PCM is a 5.3 24x DBC and its unlocked with HPT pro. If the 6.0 is a 24x then i won't have any issues using my current PCM but if its a 58x my options are… swap 24x wheel = $, get a lingfielder conversion box - $250, or get a new harness/pcm and convert all over to stand alone.

2.) I want to keep DBC and my cathedral port intake won't work on the rectangle ports which this one will probably have right? So the 4 bolt take would get a adapter to a 3 bolt TB and I'd rock my current TB (not worried about size since its supercharged). But will my other sensors swap over? like MAP?

3.) Identifying the 6.0…. I doubt I'll be able to see the pistons through the hole to verify dished or not dished. I can see if the crank position sensor is grey for 58x or black for 24x. Its not the late 99-00 with the long crank due to intake design but will verify how far the crank sticks out. If its 58x crank then the cam is in the front cover but its 4x and not 1x so my PCM won't work. But I think the lingfielder box fixes the crank and cam issue. 823 heads are 6.0s and I'll look for the 6.0 casted on the block front and rear. Anything else?

4.) I plan to swap everything over from my 5.3. Fbody oil pan, billet fuel rails, Engine harness, LS6 springs, DBC TB with adapter water pump and accessories/supercharger. Everything will swap right over right? I could throw in a 6.0 tune and change all the 5.3 stuff to a 6.0 and rock the same PCM and harness as long as the lindfielder box will solve the crank/cam issue.

Am I totally off on this? anything else I need to look for? I'm asking for a video of him cranking the motor over and whatever else I need by thursday. Then we will meet and I'll look over it some more. The motor is complete from intake to oil pan with TB, water pump, accessory brackets but no alt or PS pump. I would switch mine over anyways as mine are all new.

 

If you can find an LQ9, they all have the stronger rods. Not all LQ4's did. My LQ9 is an 02 with the stronger floating rods, 24x and came with a DBW TB. Also had a 04 which was the same. Good running motors, and if your going to boost it hold out for a stronger-rodded motor.

 

04 or 05 and up lq4 motors have the same rods as the lq9.

As far as dished vs flat, without a bore scope you could perhaps try to feel for the dish with a pick.

My biggest concern with an "as is" motor is the cam bearings and rusted cylinders. If you could pop the pan and check for obvious issues (major sludge deposits and metal shaving) it would probably be beat but just know when my 6 liter spun a cam bearing, it ruined the block and I didn't see metal shavings.

 

Yea a LQ9 is the better motor but I'm not super worried about it at this point. I really just want the 6.0 as a base. 24x will just make my life a **** ton easier as far as tuning goes and wiring. Floating rods would be nice though.

Boost isnt't going to be high, my current 5.3 should make 10-12psi maybe but haven't gotten it up that high yet. The supercharger I have and will be keeping is a torqstorm, its a small SC that only flows about 1150cfm and its great for off idle fun on mild combos. Plus I run the smallest pulley so I can't increase any more. If I could make 8si on a 6.0 I'd be very happy but have more low RPM power for around town out of boost. Car will never be turbo or be more than a 600-700hp motor. Purely street car at this point.

 

Good to know about the rods, so a 02-04/05 with floating rods and 24x crank would be perfect combo. The scope I have isn't small enough to get through the spark plug hole. Don't have an actual bore scope, a lighted LCD camera is what it is. I've heard of using bent wire to feel for the dish ridge.

I dont think he'll let me pull the pan honestly and I wouldnt expect to be able too. Mainly bc it might not seal back up, alignment etc esp if I decide not to buy it. Stuff thats quick will be Valve covers, spinning it over looking through a spark plug hole.

This motor isn't going in anything any time soon. This motor is the eventual replacement for the 5.3 that I'm enjoying right now. The 6.0 would be gone through completely, block freshened, cleaned, new bearings. I would love to be able to reuse the stock rotating kit to save on costs. Maybe get a small cam and port the heads. Only reason Im considering the 6.0 is the cost, its cheap enough that the extra displacement would cost less money to gain low rpm power where the 5.3 won't be able to due to its displacement. Obviously a ruined block, damaged rotating assembly, damaged heads would kill the effectiveness of the "deal" so its a gamble really.