BDFabrizio

This whole build is based on the principle that you don't have to spend a ton of money to build something cool that actually runs decent. I've cut costs by doing the majority of the work myself, using cheap parts where I could, getting lucky and finding deals, and using stuff I already had laying around.

Lets start with the truck. Its a 2000 GMC Sierra that started life as a base model V6/4L60 truck. I traded a '66 Riviera for the truck. The truck at this point is a roller with a Z71 (3.73) rear end out of a 2005 silverado. It belonged to a guy who used the truck for his painting business. The interior is in rough shape.




I managed to find a deal on a complete LQ4 that I was told was junk and had a "rattle". I picked it up for $300 and pulled it apart. Found a cam bearing had worked its way out and was probably the cause of the noise. Also found it had the gen 4 rods and floating pistons so this was definitely from a 2004-2006 truck.



Dropped the block, heads, crank, and pistons off at the machine shop to be vatted and new cam bearings installed. While there he checked everything over to make sure its good to go. All the work ended up costing $270



Ordered all the goodies for the engine. Picked up a $244 Jegs special (sloppy stage 2) camshaft 228/230 .585 lift on a 112LSA. Picked up a set of china headstuds and LSA/LS9 7 layer headgaskets, BTR .660 lift spring set, pushrods, King rod and main bearings, and a melling 10295 oil pump. I'm reusing rod and main bolts. Probably have around $600 in this.


I had planned on gapping the piston rings for a healthy shot of nitrous (300) but when I pulled the rings off to check they were already worn to the 28/30 I was going to gap them. Rather then mess with the factory nitrous gap I was blessed with I just put the looser gaps (29/31) on pistons #8 and #7 since they usually get hotter anyway.





Next is the transmission. Picked up a core 2004+ 4L80e for $200. I've got a friend who's started building them and has already had success with his own 600+ hp nitrous truck and a 700+ rwhp GTO. With me paying him to build it, some horse trading on a shift kit, and a complete rebuild kit, and a billet yoke I'm at around $1000 total for a fresh mild build 4L80e.
I'm also gambling on a $250 Torco 2800 stall converter. I'm seriously expecting it to be terrible, and if I destroy it I'll just go with the $1200 stall I should have bought in the first place...but for $250... why not?


Scored a set of SS truck wheels off of facebook market place for $350. Tires are bigger then I plan to run but the wheels are in great shape.


Ran into an issue trying to figure out which engine/frame mounts to use to put the LQ4 into the V6 truck. Found a set of frame mounts in an old MDOT truck that work. Not pictured is the NNBS/TBSS intake manifold I picked up for $50 with rails and 36lb flexfuel injectors with a damaged boss on top. Had it plastic welded and it cleaned up nicely. I also bought a 90mm 4 bolt DBC throttle body from ebay for $70. Speed Engineering 1" 7/8 long tubes fit great too. My exhaust consists of a 3" 90 off the left header to another 90 and both pipes go just past the cab to two cheap single chamber mufflers that will turn down immediately after.



I've also swapped to electric fans and a 2005 truck radiator. Found the set for roughly $100 each on rock auto. I bought a premade harness from nelson performance for $110.

Still need to pick up a set of caltracs, and probably a 2/4 or 4/6 drop.


At this point all I've got left is to make time to work on it. Once I'm able to get some time off work I should have this thing making oil pressure and destroying the stock diff in no time!

myt hi

following this thread, i like where this is going!

03rado5.3ls

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DMarts10

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BDFabrizio

I finally had some time off this weekend and I was able to get a few things done.


Pulled off the bed and installed the walbro 450 and wiring harness I made to feed it. This is definitely a bigger pump then I'll probably need but I can't rule out going with a turbo later.



I finally got my NNBS intake manifold. It turned out pretty good and should be fine for what I'm doing here. It already has the 36lb flexfuel injectors which should tide me over for a while. Also pulled the headers back off and welded on V-band flanges. I hate ball and socket connections with a passion and this will completely fix that.


I didn't get any better pictures but I put on the Silverado SS wheels. It looks way better then the ugly stock wheels.


Picked up a wideband. I haven't decided where I'm going to mount it. I usually hide them (my wideband in the CTSV is in the glovebox) since I only really ever use them while I'm tuning.



I found this transmission cooler assembly for $120 on Jegs. My plan is to weld a couple pieces of flat stock to the spare tire mount and mount this there. I'll trigger the fan with a temperature switch and a relay.

Braaap

Sweet build.
Subscribed.

Misfits513

Nice write up so far, you seem to be budgeting it well. Funny thing, I named my 99 RCSB sierra Betty White too, before I saw this thread. It was a 4.3L-5spd truck and it has been swapped to a 5.3L-4l80. I daily it. Great on the insurance! Just has a small nitrous cam, TSP Headers and an intake. Plan on swapping out the cam and stall converter out soon. I'll be following this thread for sure.

Northeastconfederate

Cool project. I'll follow along!

bdoobie69

Wondering if you have this truck running? I have been looking into the 4l80e Torco High Stall converter for a build that I am doing. Would like to know if you did purchase the Torco converter and what your thoughts are on it.

BDFabrizio

I've finally got a few updates. When I started this project I had just gotten back from a year in Afghanistan. I got a bunch accomplished but life kicked in and I ended up getting caught up in other projects. I then spent 8 months in the Marshall Islands working. Well, now I'm home again and I've made some progress.

While I was gone I bought a few parts.

- Picked up a ebay special 2/4 drop kit with 2" drop spindles up front and 4" shackles and hangers for the rear
- Bought a set of calvert racing Caltracs
- replaced the shocks with the finest part store brand available for $20 a piece
- The finest oriley's waterpump available


Since I've been home I've finally gotten the wiring harness situation taken care of. I found a 02 1500HD truck and pulled the entire harness from it. Now I've got a factory DBC harness for a 6.0/4L80e. I found another TBSS/NNSB intake because the last one had some issues with the vacuum connector on the rear of the intake. I also pulled the guage cluster from the 1500HD truck for the trans temp gauge.

(moral question... the truck title shows 109k miles, the cluster currently in the truck doesn't work and the HD cluster shows 320k, since literally everything has been rebuilt/freshened up would I be wrong for submitting the mileage with the title as 140k? I don't want to say the truck has 320k because it doesn't)

Here are a few pictures:




Also picked up a set of 799 heads. I'll eventually send these to PRC and get their stage 2.5 port job done and replace the factory 317's