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Another LS engine thread - refresh must-do's while it's out?

budget76

budget76

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Having no luck finding a simple “dumb not to do it” list broken out for basic LS maintenance while it’s out for a swap. What am I missing?


2002 6.0 out of my escalade with 175k on it. No issues, good oil pressure, did have a lifter tick in the cold but overall healthy motor. Going into my 68’ IH pickup with daily driver/fun street toy intentions and manual trans (build in “other builds”). Do not know what heads are on it. It’d have plenty of power as it sits, goal is make it sound better, cam for torque down low, and replace potential failure points.


Trying to start gathering parts and knowledge before I have the engine out.


Plans so far:
  • 87 octane tune, truck intake
  • Mild cam (Truck Norris or similar concept, TBD which) + Valve springs + Lifters & trays
  • Harmonic balancer + Melling oil pump + Oil diverter Barbell
  • Various gaskets – oil pan, valve covers, front timing cover, rear main seal
  • Cheap car-style oil pan & pickup

Are they necessary?
  • Valve pushrods
  • Head gaskets – no plan for boost, I don’t plan to pull the heads
  • Timing chain & gears
What’s missing that would be stupid to not do? other things like the barbell that I don’t know about?


Been watching this video to learn the basics. Halfway thru as I type this




I do desire to get into decking heads / honing / whatever more invasive rebuild scopes. I’m tempted to throw it in with nothing other than some gaskets and cleanup, but am figuring it’s the best time to do the cam and some other things while I have it on a stand.
 
budget76 said:
Plans so far:
  • 87 octane tune, truck intake
Click to expand...
Yes
budget76 said:
  • Mild cam (Truck Norris or similar concept, TBD which) + Valve springs + Lifters & trays
Click to expand...
Yes but keep the same lifters
Also change the cam retaining plate, there is an O-Ring that is needed to complete the oiling circuit in the engine. It's $20 and needs to be changed as precaution.

Cam = need for new injectors. Your 2002 units are probably shot anyways. Look into the injectors from a similar year flexfuel model, they are a little bigger and won't break the bank. Ideally get some good ones form a reputable vendor / OEM.

budget76 said:
  • Harmonic balancer + Melling oil pump + Oil diverter Barbell
Click to expand...
No
budget76 said:
  • Various gaskets – oil pan, valve covers, front timing cover, rear main seal
Click to expand...
yes for all of these
budget76 said:
  • Cheap car-style oil pan & pickup
Click to expand...
yes, just depends on fitment. in a IH pickup the factory truck pan should fit and holds plenty of oil and fits the tall oil filter. If you can re-use it, I would.

budget76 said:
Are they necessary?
  • Valve pushrods
Click to expand...
No
budget76 said:
  • Head gaskets – no plan for boost, I don’t plan to pull the heads
Click to expand...
No
budget76 said:
  • Timing chain & gears
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Definitely not

budget76 said:
What’s missing that would be stupid to not do? other things like the barbell that I don’t know about?
Click to expand...
Nothing. Don't do the barbell it's useless for you

budget76 said:
I do desire to get into decking heads / honing / whatever more invasive rebuild scopes. I’m tempted to throw it in with nothing other than some gaskets and cleanup, but am figuring it’s the best time to do the cam and some other things while I have it on a stand.
Click to expand...
decking heads = custom length pushrods
On a gen3 6.0 it's stupid, you're better putting a set of 799 or 706 heads instead. If you do that, get them checked and put new seals in. No need for anything else.
 
EXACTLY what I was looking for. THANK YOU.

Cam retaining plate - thanks, forgot to list that as part of the cam swap. agree its a no brainer

lifters - will be factory style / LS7 style/ whatever everyone throws in as a basic refresh, with new trays as a precaution.

oil pan - I'm doing a crown vic frontend swap and per the engine mount shop, the truck pan will sit lower than the crossmember. I'll test fit to confirm before pulling the trigger on the pan.


Oil pump/balancer I never had issues and figured it was just a good to do with the access, and barbell since I was in there. You've sold me on saving the $200ish and i'll stay out of that area for now
 
budget76 said:
Plans so far:

  • Lifters & trays

Are they necessary?
  • I don’t plan to pull the heads
Click to expand...
If you're doing lifters you're pulling the heads

In which case you might as well do a spring upgrade
 
here's a shot of the summit order from when 5.3 in my 06 silverado ate a cam/lifter. That'll get you started on the top end. Insert cam of your choice

1698341995695.png
 
I have NEVER put new head bolts on my own engines. Always reuse the factory ones.
 
gt1guy said:
Do the gen 3's need the trunion upgrade?
Click to expand...
I don't think any of them does for a fun driver with a mild cam.
Some people feel different.

No matter what I don't like the bushing ones. If you change the trunions, at least get some roller units.
 
decisions on what to do become easier after pulling it apart.

Pull heads, pistons/connecting rods and crankshaft. inspect cylinder walls, pistons, all bearings.

Look good, put it all back together, with new valvetrain stuff, cam, lifters, etc. to cure the tick and for more oomph & the exhaust sound(?)

More issues= fix them

Depending on how big of a risk or big deal it is to you to just put it in long block as-is knowing it may need to come out again
 
mjlogan88 said:
If you're doing lifters you're pulling the heads

In which case you might as well do a spring upgrade
Click to expand...
right, right. so now I have to decide if I want to get into the lifters, or just do cam and valve springs up top and call it a day.
Bebop said:
I have NEVER put new head bolts on my own engines. Always reuse the factory ones.
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think I did the same, but that would have been on a IH SV 15 years ago now. memory is gone. BMW's got new bolts since they were stretch / torque to yield
Wfoyota said:
Its more a safety upgrade/ if you enjoy high rpm and rev control.
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thats what I'd read. No rev concern here, goal is fun lower end torque and pull vs high revs. not to say it won't see revs now and then
TrailTamer said:
decisions on what to do become easier after pulling it apart.

Pull heads, pistons/connecting rods and crankshaft. inspect cylinder walls, pistons, all bearings.

Look good, put it all back together, with new valvetrain stuff, cam, lifters, etc. to cure the tick and for more oomph & the exhaust sound(?)

More issues= fix them

Depending on how big of a risk or big deal it is to you to just put it in long block as-is knowing it may need to come out again
Click to expand...
all true, but knowing it's a healthy motor for the last 40k miles I've owned it, I tend to err on the do-less without being cheap approach. May just order the stuff I know I'll need even for a small refresh, then order more if needed once I get into it. I do still have the temptation to hit it with some degreaser, throw some new ignition parts on it, and go.


sounds like there's no "ticking time bomb" that I HAVE to get to, so anything I do is going to be goodness. Forgot to say good thoughts on the injectors - that'll definitely be part of the fuel system setup i will figure out down the line
 
budget76 said:
right, right. so now I have to decide if I want to get into the lifters, or just do cam and valve springs up top and call it a day.

think I did the same, but that would have been on a IH SV 15 years ago now. memory is gone. BMW's got new bolts since they were stretch / torque to yield

thats what I'd read. No rev concern here, goal is fun lower end torque and pull vs high revs. not to say it won't see revs now and then

all true, but knowing it's a healthy motor for the last 40k miles I've owned it, I tend to err on the do-less without being cheap approach. May just order the stuff I know I'll need even for a small refresh, then order more if needed once I get into it. I do still have the temptation to hit it with some degreaser, throw some new ignition parts on it, and go.


sounds like there's no "ticking time bomb" that I HAVE to get to, so anything I do is going to be goodness. Forgot to say good thoughts on the injectors - that'll definitely be part of the fuel system setup i will figure out down the line
Click to expand...
The LS head bolts are technically TTY but everyone gets away with re-using them. I bought new ones in that case because I had limited tools and a poor work environment and didn't want any unnecessary risks. Roll your own dice on that one.

All the top end related stuff is pretty easy to do in a stock silverado, including pulling the heads. I bet you'll have just as much if not more room in the IH. So I wouldn't shy away from just hosing it down and stabbing it in bone stock as is.
 
Agree with Bebop's responses.

When I first installed my LQ9 I did the rear cover and seals since it was a 20 year old motor. I changed the barbell since I was there, but did a stock replacement. I figured once I bolted the engine and trans together, I didn't want to come back. I left front cover alone for that round.

Last winter I swapped cam and heads. Replaced cam cover and seals on front of motor while there and swapped timing chain because it was floppy. Again, don't care to mess with it again. Did new stock GM head gaskets with 706 heads on LQ4 to bump up compression.

I run later model E85 capable injectors, not because I plan to run E85, but because they have higher flow rates than my original injectors and they have EV6 connectors so I could easily get the Terminator harness for them. I bought them used for ~ $100.
 
Bebop said:
decking heads = custom length pushrods
Click to expand...
If he's just decking them enough to flatten them up (which seems pretty obvious since the context here is rebuilding and not performance mods) then he'll be well within what the hydraulic lifters can accommodate.
 
arse_sidewards said:
If he's just decking them enough to flatten them up (which seems pretty obvious since the context here is rebuilding and not performance mods) then he'll be well within what the hydraulic lifters can accommodate.
Click to expand...
skimming ≠ decking.

But I know, I know, I'm just a Reddit engineer.


Edit : Technically decking should be only used when refering to the engine block. I've also heard it used frequently when it comes to milling the head in order to increase static compression
 
i ain't doing either on this motor, so you guys can keep arguing semantics :flipoff2:

and if this truck got power adders, I'd grab another $500 motor and rebuild that while driving this one. zero plans to do boost in this truck, I want it reliable and semi-decent mileage hence running 87. If it gets 10mpg and runs premium, i'll never drive it because I'm a cheap ass. I've got a 70 mile commute without running errands
 
Noticed that my 2003 5.3L has piston slap when it's freezing cold out. But heard it's pretty normal in these.

I changed all gaskets except for 1.... The one that's now puking oil everywhere. The rear engine cover. Don't just do the rear main.
 
Winchested said:
Noticed that my 2003 5.3L has piston slap when it's freezing cold out. But heard it's pretty normal in these.
Click to expand...
same

Got a lot of LS that do that.

Winchested said:
I changed all gaskets except for 1.... The one that's now puking oil everywhere. The rear engine cover. Don't just do the rear main.
Click to expand...
The front and rear covers are so cheap that I change the whole deal every time.
 
Oil pressure sender is way easier with it out, especially if you plan on shoving that thing as far back as you can against the firewall.

New exhaust manifold gaskets and bolts is something I'd do, but I have bad luck for breakin' em, they're annoying to extract especially in the truck

I've always told myself if I'm pulling the pan on either of my Lq4 trucks I'd add some baffles, but Never get around to it:shaking:
 
budget76 said:
because I sold my C5 vette' because it was uncomfortable and kinda sucked in many ways, so I figured I'd build something even worse that looks WAY cooler:laughing:
Click to expand...
Just grab an engine gasket kit and bolt it in.

Or just put it in as-is.

Get it on the road sooner, the sooner you’ll smile ear to ear.

And you get to make more ‘educated’ decision on what to do to its internals after driving it on the road.

Any kinds of power adders on a LS most likely will put a dent on your MPG anyway??
 
Bebop said:
same

Got a lot of LS that do that.


The front and rear covers are so cheap that I change the whole deal every time.
Click to expand...
Do you replace the rear cover or just the seal? Do the alum covers warp? I've got the seal itself.
 
budget76 said:
oil pan - I'm doing a crown vic frontend swap and per the engine mount shop, the truck pan will sit lower than the crossmember. I'll test fit to confirm before pulling the trigger on the pan.
Click to expand...

What motor mounts are you using? On my CV swapped car I used a rock auto fbody pan, GTO/Corvette motor mounts and plate to do mounts.
 
I ordered the outcast auto works mounts. Not cheap but very nice and saves me a days worth of fab.

I'm not slamming the truck so the truck pan may be ok, ill put pics in my thread when I get there
 
You can go either way. Some say the cost of new cover is small enough to just swap instead of replacing the seal.
 
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