If you dont mind putting a little work into it you can always buy a LQ4 and get a set of flat top pistons.

 

Is that the only difference? I thought the crank or rods or something was different too.

These are on ebay right now....I'm waiting for a response to my email asking reserve.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT

 

i think they have different heads and cam but im not an expert...

 

Cam I'm not worries about cause I'll be getting a different one anyway. I think the LQ9 and LQ4 both have the 317 heads....are there different versions of the 317's?

 

The LQ9's are like something special to salvage yards. I wanted an LQ9 too but was not willing to pay 2500+ for a motor. So I had to settle for a Q4. A 317 head is just that, a 317 head. Both the same, no more no less. LQ9 just has different rods and pistons. Not really worth another 1300 over an LQ4 but that is solely up to you. Like many have said, I would only use an LQ4 for boost. period.

Now im not too sure the Q9 pistons will work on a Q4 rod. That was one of the differences on an LQ9 piston/rod. It had a bushed end for a full floating piston. Id really look into that before I did it.

 

I do want the LQ9. I talked to BigTex, who has the LQ9 with a Radix pushing 8.5 lbs, also talked to Bryan and PCMFORLESS, and Allen Nelson, all three told me that I would be fine up to 9 lbs or so, as long as the tuning was done right. So....maybe the thing for me to do is to look for an LQ4 and buy the pistons and rods separately. Seems like I could get in for a lot cheaper that way than by buying the LQ9 from a yard.