Yeah. I'm sure my budget is smaller, but I have options to pursue my mild 6.0 build too. OP will probably start before me, but I want to see how their build goes.

 

I've been peepin crate motors for my Tahoe for a minute too. Long block 6.0s can be had for ~3300 last I looked. Price goes up depending on head/spring/cam packages

Short blocks don't seem to be really a thing right now from the reputable guys

 

Hahah think your talking about the wrong person...

 

He claimed he has 11 engines waiting on parts lol

 

Moving on.

Not trying to steal this thread, but I pulled my 6.0 with 190K miles. Couldn't get it to fire, but had 60 psi on cranking. When I pulled the heads off, the cylinder walls look perfect and still have the crosshatching.

I want to clean and check the block, and I want an forged assembly. I plan on just using the 862s that are on my 4.8 now, until I can get "the right heads & cam" down the road, keeping it NA and settling for reliable. I have the TBSS intake. I'd be good with over 400 now, and 500/600 would be my ultimate daily driver goal. I want a stroke smaller than 4.0" for reliability concerns, but not sure if that's an old mindset. I still know a lot less than I would like to at this point.

I think it's going to take about $500+ to make sure the block is clean and checked out. The rotating assembly seems to be about $2K, and no clue what else from here. If I could get it to around $5K I think I could go for it (in about another month or two). I'm in south Texas, and would drive for a day if needed to for the right reason. I might try to piece together an assembly with gen IV rods if I could save money on it, but buying one that is already balanced seems cost effective. It seems like buying stock, is about what it would cost to build with forged internals.

Really hoping to follow OP's build and see what they come up with and hoping to learn something that will help.

 

Well, removed all doubt: #immafuckingidiot

As for the 60psi engine, it might just need rings and a valve job. This is my plan with the LS6 that my C5 blew up. Cut the crank, bearings, gaskets, lifters, cam and heads. Call it a "soft rebuild". Your goal of 500-600 is going to need boost

 

it could be poor valve sealing on the seats or even Rings stuck to pistons from crude buildup.
Ive done some 408s that have quite a few miles on them, really dont know how long they will last but they still make good power with no signs of excessive oil consumption.
If it were me, id just do a 365 or 370ci and let it be. Gen 4 rods and some decent pistons and a small torque cam then add boost for your 600 goal with ease.
Not sure on the prices down there but over here its not that much to get a block bored and rotating assembly balanced. I think the last 5.3 i took to machine shop to get cleaned up and bore to 3.902, cam bearings installed, and get the pistons pressed on the rods along with being balanced was less than $450.

Pick your piston to get the compression you want with the 862 heads.

 

LQ9 is 364 (ish) from the factory. 370 at .030" over.

They all come with the "Gen 4" (floating) rods & pistons.

862 heads are going to give it somekinda RIDICULOUS compression. Close to or over 11:1. Not good with a "torque" cam.

I'd recommend NOT using those small chamber heads. Use the 317s that are on it, or get a set of 243/799; which is about all the compression it can stand, and even that will require some careful tuning.

None of this has anything to do with "starter won't click". It's entirely possible that you could do all this work to this motor, put it all back together, and whatever is keeping the starter from doing anything now, will still be keeping it from doing anything then. Or even buy a whole new motor. New castings won't fix a starter or wiring problem.

Better if at all possible to pull the heads, check the condition of the cyl walls, have the heads worked, maybe do a bit of port work to them, slip in a cam around 216/222 and as much lift as you want to buy valve springs for, and send it. I would NOT put a "high performance" car cam in it no matter what, unless you're willing to include a YYYUUUUUUJJJJJJJE copnverter. I would also NOT tear down the short block and NOT send it to the machine shop and NOT have it bored and NOT buy pistons and all that unless it was absolutely unavoidable. You yourself can swap pistons on the rods yourself if you want, they're floaters. Unless you're really looking for a MAJOR upgrade. In which case I suppose you could consider a whole new motor. Be aware though, it has to be a 1x cam & 24x crank motor, otherwise you get into the whole ECM swappage deal, or aftermarket converter boxes, or that sort of thing. Draco dormiens numquam tittilandus.

 

I think only LQ9s are all floating rod. LQ4s are split between the rod gen's. Press fit rods can be done with an arbor press, if you need to.

An Escalade will have an LQ9 if it was AWD

 

Still not trying to steal this thread. I started one a while back, but maybe some of this will help OP.

I pulled it out of a 2000 2500. So I know it's an LQ4 with the longer crankshaft, and it has the iron heads that I don't want to use. I have fewer options for the clutch to go with the NV4500 unless I swap that crankshaft. Between the trans rated at 450ft lbs, the rear end supposedly getting close, plus being a daily driver, I think I should have said 500hp is about the max I really feel like I need to go. Mid to high 400s should be just fine. This was originally the plan, and I thought I would have bought a second vehicle to really have fun with after I learned a lot more, but both of those things didn't happen after buying a home that needed work.

This option has kind of become a surprise that I will be able to do this sooner than I thought. In all honesty the more realistic option should be to save $1k and get a factory crankshaft, gen IV rods, and match a set of forged pistons. This will probably be how I go. If I felt confident a 4" stroke was safe, and reliable for several hundred thousand miles, that would be my choice. I will most likely go with a 3.622 stroke, unless I can find something in that 3.8** that fits in my budget. I want this to be reliable for another 1/4 million miles if it needs to be, so I know it can outlast me.

A clutch and flywheel also need to be included in that budget. The 862 heads were basically the free option since they are working good right now. I'm good with raising compression, and have no problem using 93, perhaps the right set of pistons can put that into a good number, (I honestly haven't learned enough about engines). I know it costs more, but I think I get better highway mpg out of it with 93. Reliability, tank range, budget, and low end all take priority over getting that last little bit of extra peak power.

I understand what cam specs are, and what a cam does, but still uncertain about "picking the right one". From what I have read, and different builds, I was expecting the cam I go with to be low 220-225. I've read how the two tahoe nv4500s say that trans is good revving it out, but going from a 4.8 to a 6.0, I don't think I will need to.

When I got it, it was turning over great, sounded freely, but I think it had possibly been stolen. The ignition switch was all jacked up, (cut, key wouldn't turn without 2 minutes of jiggling (like after I pee)), the wiring was hanging out, and I tried a few things to get it running, but lacking in diagnostics. It was getting fuel, and 60psi of oil pressure just cranking over, but no spark. I was pretty sure it was Passlock, or ignition, but didn't want it sitting around while I tried to figure it out, and had to pull it to get the vehicle out of the garage. For the price I got it for, the engine could have been useless, and it was still a decent deal. Because of the year, I was always expecting to rebuild it. Really wanted the trans and some other useful parts.

I think when it comes time, I will certainly try to remove and replace the engine and trans. I feel comfortable doing that, perhaps I will try to find a mechanic that can I pay a little to offer a little assistance. As for building the engine myself, I don't think I want to risk that unless I could find something that broke it down to EVERY single step. I don't like to get into it, but that has a lot to do with me being a disabled veteran. I'll just say I have good days, and bad days, and my bad days might have me missing something critical. At least swapping the engine, I KNOW what the steps already are, and can detail every step of removal.

I thought I would have more time to learn, but keep getting stuck, and I think even just this sounds too undecided.