Budget LQ4 Setup Info/Price Range

[hawaiifiveoh]

Well I can't say it will be soon, but I'll have a bit of money to play with and am gonna attempt this swap in a Z32. My goal is to get a near close price range and have an idea of where I would be sitting at with the motor/trans setup without including the money needed to swap it in, just powertrain info so that this stays fairly specific. I have a few questions along the way, so if possible, answer what you feel like. If I can stay within a 4k range for the motor and trans (not including anything used to put in the car), then I'd be pretty happy, but I could live with around 5k or so.

 

First - What I want - Very streetable, fun to drive, budget minded 6.0. Auto would be faster/more consistant, but if I wanted an all out straight line car, I would pick something a lot easier/lighter than a z32. T56 it is...

 

Right off the bat, I'm aiming for a h/c/i maybe some spray. Most likely the bigger stuff (hci) won't be put on after the car is running well 100% stock and I get used to driving it, but I'd still like to inquire about a few things.

 

Few big questions that I probably could find else where...

 

5.3 vs. l92 heads - price, performance on an n/a setup, and anything different needed to do the head (bigger valves, etc)

 

Cam choice...is there an off the shelf cam that would suit my likings, or would it cost much more to have someone help out a bit and get a custom grind?

 

LS6 intake...best bang/buck

 

Will be using ARP headstuds/rodbolts to keep everything together...should I just leave the stock bearings in assuming they look decent, or would it be a good idea to replace them? And either way, would I need any machine work to be able to use the rod bolts?

 

This motor will have an intake/longtubes, but outside of that, what else should I look into that would be worth putting on? (Throttle body/small stuff/etc)

 

I'll need a different oil pan than the stock truck pan, but don't know where I should start with these. A baffled one would be nice, but I'm not gonna be doing much corner carving, so it isn't really needed at this point. Any suggestions?

 

Fuel...not really sure where to start, will the stock lq4 injectors safely take this, and if not, what range should I look for? Fuel pump/regulator/lines setup?

 

As far as the trans...I know I need the 2001+ 6.0 to be able to use the t56, now what would be a good option for a streetable clutch that isn't going to break the bank?

 

My hopeful plan of attack will be to pick up the motor/trans over the summer...if I end up trading my current car for a 91 n/a slick top 5 speed, then I'll pick up a dd, and start test fitting everything in. When I get the car actually running, then I'll start slowly putting things on, so I can adjust my driving with the power level since I've never had a quick RWD vehicle.

 

Anything else I'm missing? Thanks a bunch guys...

Edited March 3, 2010 by hawaiifiveoh

[Slammed68]

I've done the LQ4 - T56 swap, if I was you, I would have 6 grand ready to spend on a swap. It can get pricey when you least expect it.

 

If you pay over 2500 for any LQ4 and T56, you're getting ripped. I got my LQ4 for 800$, and found the T56 out of a 04 GTO for 900$, but they usually run in the 1500 range.

 

If you aren't running over 600 rwhp, you don't need ARP rod bolts.

 

 

Sounds like you need to visit www.LS1tech.com and do some reading in the hybrids and conversions section. A lot of info will be found there, and if you search here, you will also find a wealth of info.

Edited March 3, 2010 by Slammed68

[SUNNY Z]

There is a TON of good info on LSX swaps, prices, power, yada yada over on ls1tech.com . I, unlike some people here, am making my way from the F-body scene to something a little lighter and not as common.

 

A good running LQ4 can be had for 800-1000, and a t56 can be found for 800-1200.

 

L92 heads flow amazing, but you must have an LS3/ L76 intake to run them, as they are a rectangular port.

 

If you are just itching to have a custom cam, track down PatG on tech, he'll custom spec a cam to your application for $50.

 

LS engines are wonderous! Have fun!

 

Spec 2, or Monster clutches are both very good options for stock- cam only apps.

Edited March 4, 2010 by SUNNY Z

[hawaiifiveoh]

I did a little bit of digging through tech and found most of what I was asking, but still have a few things that I couldn't find, probably me not looking in the right spots...

 

Injectors - Stock lq4 be sufficient for much, or would it be a pretty much given to factor into the cost of everything else?

 

I found that the only oil pans that will fit without having to modify the crossmember are the rear sump fbody and the autokraft piece. Has anyone tried fabbing their own, and any good/bad results that stand out?

 

On the cam, I was just throwing it out their to just see what my options were, I'd hope that there is an off the shelf version that would suit me, but wouldn't know the first thing about what to look for. I'll probably troll through tech on this one, but I might as well ask right?

 

Exhaust manifolds are another thing...I saw a thread a while back on here and ls1tech that was pretty damn near trying everything out as far as stock manifolds, but I don't know if he ever found anything to work because he switched to the m3 chassis instead. Also saw something about a person using lsx flanges welded to a set of foxbody shorty headers with the 5.0 flange cut off...seemed kinda rigged when I first thought about it, but he made it look good. He heated up the actual tubes and stretched them to fit the flange. Any thoughts?

[Slammed68]

That was me that made the foxbody headers.. those are turned forward towards the front of the car for a turbo setup. Just either use stock F-body manifolds, or buy shorty's from Jagsthatrun.com and avoid all the problems.

 

 

You LQ4 injectors wont work with an LS1 style intake, you are going to need LS1 style injectors. They are taller with a different plug.

 

The cam - read on LS1tech, find out what your goals are and what your setup is going to be, there will be an answer on there, but it mostly comes down to how much cam you want/can stand, with a few variables like LSA.

 

Oil pan - just use an F-body pan, no sense in spending where it's not necessary.

Edited March 4, 2010 by Slammed68