Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

I am following along. I just picked up a 2003 LQ4 for the 1968 suburban along with the dirty dingo mounts

What manifolds are you using ?

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Sounds like a really cool project! Do you have a build thread yet? Would love to see pics.
I'm using the Hooker ls swap exhaust manifolds.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Congrats on the promotion . Keep up the good work.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=625017

Just getting started on mine.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

^Really cool suburban, anyone who hasn't checked it out yet should.^

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

I got my IPhone camera fixed yesterday, I was able to snap some pics of the Hooker exhaust manifolds installed. Looks like I may have to trim the tabs off the transmission for the exhaust.
Also wanted to get everyone's opinion on my oil pan being so close to my crossmember. Once the motor is running and vibrating a little, I'm worried they may touch. If it does looks like I may cut a little off the crossmember for extra clearance.

Weird, from work I can post more than one pic per post.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Here are a few more pics of the motor/transmission installed.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Great work, keep it up! Subscribed.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Nice progress. Looks a little cozy with the cross member. Can you move the motor / trans back a little bit using those adjustable mounts? I would rather move the rear cross member than hack the front one.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

The motor is as far back as it can be. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, I had to swap the Dirty Dingo motor mounts left to right to get the motor in, which moved the motor forward a little. I have plenty of room everywhere else. I hate to cut into anything, but if I have to, perhaps I can shave a little off the crossmember.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Would it be possible to lift the engine and heat up the crossmember and massage some more clearance ? Is that area single or double thick ?

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Don't really want to pull it back out at this point. Pretty sure I can get in the and trim a little off with a cut off wheel, or sawzall. It's not the body of the crossmember that's close, only the lip comming off the crossmember.

I'll get back to work on everything on Monday, and can post another update.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

I would just trim the lip of that cross member with a cut off wheel or sawzall. Looks to close on that one corner. That lip is doubled up and spot welded together in that area, just don't get into the spot weld that you can see near that corner and you should be good.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Very nice, you will love it. My 80 was a stock 6.0/sm465 them a 6.0/4l80e/yank3600SS stall and now a 6.0/228r cam, 5.3 heads, and nv4500 with 1 tons. Love love love it. One of several swaps I have.
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Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Sounds like an absolute beast of a truck!

Not sure yet haha, just drove it for the first time today and the clutch is slipping horribly. Ugh lol
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Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Update:
Today was one of those days that I got a lot done, but the pics don't look like I did much.
Today I got the shift linkage, gas pedal, ECU, TAC module, and a/c condenser Installed. Also re-connected the battery and I got power to the areas I want it, and was happy that everything else still works!

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

ECU mounted using the Dirty Dingo PCM mount.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Gas pedal mounted, wasn't as hard as I was expecting, but I had to move some stuff out of the way to make it fit.
Also had to cut a 2" hole in my firewall to get the plug through.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Also got the grille back in,
Looks like my truck again!

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Good progress. You are busting out your list.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Got a lot more done yesterday.
Got my subframe trimmed, and the tabs cut off the transmission.
Also got all the wiring finished up, and the Dakota
Digital dash installed, my dashboard re-installed' Lokar shift linkage installed (still needs to be adjusted). Also got the hood back on.
Was able to turn the motor over (no fuel lines installed yet so not ready to start) and everything was good.
Going to send the truck down the street this week and get the driveshaft cut/installed and the exhaust installed. Going with Magnaflow mufflers and tips.
I'll post more pics of the dash once I get back to work today.
Here is a pic of my notched subframe.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Wow nice work. You are cranking this project out.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Here is a pic of the Dakota Digital dash. Never mind the ck engine light, no O2 sensors or MAF sensor installed yet.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Looks good. Think you can peg the Speedometer at 160? :lol:

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

That looks cool. Worth a shot on pegging the speedo!

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Well, today sent truck off to get the driveshaft cut/balanced and installed and the exhaust welded up.
When it's back just need to get fuel lines, and cooling system installed and should be ready for the first startup!

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Oh yeah about the 160 mph thing from the previous posts.
May be able to hit 160 if I could find a completely vertical and long cliff face I could drive down full speed. Only problem I can think of trying that, would be the terrible aerodynamics of a square body suburban may not let me go that fast.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

This is such an awesome thread, you've knocked a lot of this out in a very timely manner. Proud of you man, can't wait for this to get finished. I was worried at first about the Dakota Digital Gauges but those look very nice.

Keep it up.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Thank you for the kind words! I am very happy with the gauges also turned out better than I had hoped. Plus found out I can have the illumination turned on during daytime driving and then dim them for night driving. I wasn't sure I would like the white needles on white numbers at first, but now that the needles will be red whenever the truck is running I like a lot better!

Truck is still getting driveshaft and exhaust work done, hopefully be back early next week, then it will be a few more things to hook up and I get to start it!

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

You should look into the PAC-1300 add on controller. Fades the interior lights off when the door closes, keeps the lights and radio on after the truck turns off for a user determined time. That would be really cool. Adds a nice modern touch.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Update:
Just got off the phone with the shop doing my driveshaft and exhaust. They have been backed up and busy and the truck has been sitting for a week waiting to go into the shop (I work for a car dealership and this happens to us sometimes). When fixing cars there are 3 ways to fix a car: 1. cheap 2. right
3.fast. You can always have two out of the three, never 3 out of 3. I chose the shop that was 1 and 2, cheap and right but not fast. They got it in last Friday and looked at it. I told them to go ahead and replace all the u-joints and the center bearing on the driveshaft while they had it. They now have everything ready to go back in and hopefully get the exhaust done later this week too. Instead of having it towed back up to my work, think I'm going to tow it to my house so I can work on it on my time and get more done. Now that I don't have any more heavy lifting that needs to be done this makes sense. Will keep everyone posted, didn't want people to think something went south with the build and I stopped posting.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

My Hyundai tech (I saw you mention working at a Hyundai dealer, earlier in the thread) used to tell me something similar.

"They can have their car right, or have it right now."

:metal:

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Maybe swap the oil pan with a shorter one?

I used the dirty dingo sliders on my '85 Suburban and used the "Hot rod" oil pan kit that GM/Chevy Performance makes. It worked really well!

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Got a call that my exhaust is getting wrapped up and may have the truck back later in the week! Enytopy sent my 28" core radiator and I got it in today also.
My cat is guarding it for me until the Suburban is back.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Sorry I haven't posted in a bit.
The Suburban is home now after having the driveshaft and exhaust wrapped up.
Today found a couple hours to get some things done on the suburban.
Installed the radiator and realized it is still an inch or so too short! Ordered some side mount radiator brackets from LMC hope these will work, if not going to have to get creative and go to Home Depot and see if I can make something.
Also found out the nipple on the back of my intake manifold for my brake booster is larger than the nipple on my brake booster so have to figure something out there. Any suggestions?
Got my regulator/filter installed and installed all the fittings for the fuel system and trans cooler lines. Also replaced the inline fuel filter under the truck.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Here is a pic of one of my new Magnaflow exhaust tips installed.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Looks good. Any more exhaust pics? Sorry can't help on the vacuum line. I've been all hydroboost for some time.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Thanks, next to me I'm under the truck I'll snag some pics.
Should sound great. Dual 2.5" exhaust, magnaflow mufflers and tips, with no cats.

Re: 1987 R20 Suburban LQ4 4L80E swap
 

Can you post the muffler part number? I'm curious what model you bought and how you like it. I have a pair of them in my parts pile, but since I bought them I've read several posts about how obnoxious they are. And mine are on the small side...