Buying an LS truck engine finally, help me figure out how to HP tuners it...
01-15-2017, 07:21 PM
#1
Buying an LS truck engine finally, help me figure out how to HP tuners it... Next weekend I should be getting my first Truck LS motor. I wish to use HP tuner of course to tune it. So what exactly do I need to get, can somebody recommend a year and which parts I will need?
for example, lets say there is a 2004 truck with a 5.3L (just guessing). I would need to get the entire engine harness, yes? And the exact ECU to go with it, right? Some have a 24x or 53x or something to watch out for. Its all a mish mash, despite researching for over a year now, suddenly its like I forgot everything.
Can I buy just the engine, then piece together any random harness later, or would that be a terribly difficult idea. Or conversely, is there a harness on the engine that I DON'T want to take, no matter what. See it could go either way.
Furthermore, how will I be sure my HP tuners will connect to it. I mean where is the port for the HP tuners, does it need to be wired in? Stand-alone have a place to plug a cable... does the ECU have such a place? I've never seen one before so I am in the dark."
Also I plan to use an 4l80e transmission. The engine will be forced induction (preferably Speed density) around 500rwhp (580bhp) and I don't think a 60e will be happy right out of the truck. WIll the 60e harness control the 80e using HP tuner?
Research:
SO far I think I want a 2000 year+ motor/ecu/harnesses
for example, lets say there is a 2004 truck with a 5.3L (just guessing). I would need to get the entire engine harness, yes? And the exact ECU to go with it, right? Some have a 24x or 53x or something to watch out for. Its all a mish mash, despite researching for over a year now, suddenly its like I forgot everything.
Can I buy just the engine, then piece together any random harness later, or would that be a terribly difficult idea. Or conversely, is there a harness on the engine that I DON'T want to take, no matter what. See it could go either way.
Furthermore, how will I be sure my HP tuners will connect to it. I mean where is the port for the HP tuners, does it need to be wired in? Stand-alone have a place to plug a cable... does the ECU have such a place? I've never seen one before so I am in the dark."
Also I plan to use an 4l80e transmission. The engine will be forced induction (preferably Speed density) around 500rwhp (580bhp) and I don't think a 60e will be happy right out of the truck. WIll the 60e harness control the 80e using HP tuner?
Research:
The wiring harness, and harness adapter from speartech. The main 4l60e harness plug will not work with the 4l80e. Speartech has and adapter the plugs into the 4l60e harness then plugs into the 4l80e. The other harness that comes with the kit it the VSS plug. The 4l80e has two VSS senors on the drivers side and the stock 4l60e only has one. You will have to connect this to the actual PCM its self. then plug the new added harness into the FRONT VSS. If you plug it in the rear you are going to have idle problems. (been there done that, lol)
~ The PCM "WILL" control the 4l80e. Ive seen this alot on here where people say you have to buy a standalone contoler from TCI. If you want to go that route then thats fine but the stock PCM will control the 4l80e. You will have to have the PCM flashed with a new operating system. I simply pulled the .hpt or .bin file from my car, and also found a stock 4l80e truck .bin emailed it to Keith at HPtuners and he fixed it to reflect the new OS to control the 4l80e. You can have EFIlive do this also, but you, yourself can not make these changes.
~ 98 PCM's will not control the 4l80e. There are a couple alternatives for 98's. You could run a manual valve body meaning you shift gears yourself. Or you can control the 4l80e either with a TCI stand alone controller or the BS3. The BS3 has a module where you can contol any GM trans just like you would with HPtuners, EFIlive, or LS1edit. You could also swap out the PCM for a 99+ PCM then have the OS changed. (thanks obZidian!)
~ The PCM "WILL" control the 4l80e. Ive seen this alot on here where people say you have to buy a standalone contoler from TCI. If you want to go that route then thats fine but the stock PCM will control the 4l80e. You will have to have the PCM flashed with a new operating system. I simply pulled the .hpt or .bin file from my car, and also found a stock 4l80e truck .bin emailed it to Keith at HPtuners and he fixed it to reflect the new OS to control the 4l80e. You can have EFIlive do this also, but you, yourself can not make these changes.
~ 98 PCM's will not control the 4l80e. There are a couple alternatives for 98's. You could run a manual valve body meaning you shift gears yourself. Or you can control the 4l80e either with a TCI stand alone controller or the BS3. The BS3 has a module where you can contol any GM trans just like you would with HPtuners, EFIlive, or LS1edit. You could also swap out the PCM for a 99+ PCM then have the OS changed. (thanks obZidian!)
Last edited by kingtal0n; 01-15-2017 at 07:40 PM.
01-17-2017, 08:10 AM
#4
thanks. I think after asking friends I want a 03-05 truck engine for $1200-$1500 complete. Then I find the accessories for vette or GTO I believe etc... but this wasnt about that. I was more concerned with the HP tuner aspect. does it plug right into the ECU or will I need to wire up some kind of port (OBD-2?) that kinda scares me a little (never seen one).
01-17-2017, 08:07 PM
#7
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Honestly I'd go with a 06-07 motor. They came with 243 heads
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01-17-2017, 10:00 PM
#8
Oh yeah, thats what I meant. You are the "friend" mentioned above of course, I just forgot the years you quoted. Re-checked the message and sure enough- I had it wrong.
Ill see what the junkyard has. I want a wrecked truck 06-07 engine but thats pretty narrow. If I don't find one I will get info on what IS available and you will surely help me narrow it down or tell me to wait. Since we are on the subject, won't I still want to install a fresh chain, since I have to pull the pan anyways, and new front/rear mains... sigh it can wait. Lets focus on the OBD port, the mysterious object that I can not say I have ever seen before nor if I need it or what it looks like...
Ill see what the junkyard has. I want a wrecked truck 06-07 engine but thats pretty narrow. If I don't find one I will get info on what IS available and you will surely help me narrow it down or tell me to wait. Since we are on the subject, won't I still want to install a fresh chain, since I have to pull the pan anyways, and new front/rear mains... sigh it can wait. Lets focus on the OBD port, the mysterious object that I can not say I have ever seen before nor if I need it or what it looks like...
01-17-2017, 10:53 PM
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Yeah, the harness should include the OBD port. Mine did when I bought it.
I would put in a LS2 chain from cloyes
I would put in a LS2 chain from cloyes
01-18-2017, 11:23 AM
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Originally Posted by MY_2K_Z
The obd 2 port does not come with a pullout harness, it is a separate part of the harness that is easy to wire in.
01-18-2017, 05:32 PM
#18
Originally Posted by 2xLS1
You all are being trolled.
I've seen most of his posts where he spouts off a bunch of nonsense he believes to be true. But this is a good step for this guy. He's jumping in and will no have first hand experience with some of the thing he thought he knew already. And the tone of this thread has been totally different then all his others. I think maybe he has seen the error in his ways.
01-19-2017, 11:47 PM
#20
I don't think so this time.
I've seen most of his posts where he spouts off a bunch of nonsense he believes to be true. But this is a good step for this guy. He's jumping in and will no have first hand experience with some of the thing he thought he knew already. And the tone of this thread has been totally different then all his others. I think maybe he has seen the error in his ways.
I've seen most of his posts where he spouts off a bunch of nonsense he believes to be true. But this is a good step for this guy. He's jumping in and will no have first hand experience with some of the thing he thought he knew already. And the tone of this thread has been totally different then all his others. I think maybe he has seen the error in his ways.
This is just a hobby for me. I have performed at least 50+ engine swaps using Japanese engines and none of them contain or utilize OBD ports. All of my chevy engines always used a stand-alone. This will be my first HP tuner engine and "OBD" wiring.