making a 6.0 swap work - best way?

[Boost]

I did not post this in the conversions section because I think it's relatively simple. I am working on a truck that originally had a 5.3 but a cable driven 6.0 (LQ4) was swapped in. The truck is running the original PCM with the 5.3 tune. I would like to flash it with a 6.0 tune. Is it as simple as pulling a cable driven 6.0's tune and flashing it, or will I run into any complications I can't think of right now. Anyone have a stock file for an early LQ4? Thanks!

[Boost]

Well I downloaded several from Holden Crazy. Even one that is supposed to help with a cable driven swap. I will go from there and keep you posted. Thanks! It has ported heads so I am sure I will be doing a little VE work...

[ScarabEpic22]

If you're going from a cable driven 5.3 to a cable 6.0, just grab the same year (99-02 Id use an 02 OS, otherwise 03-07 stick with the same year) 6.0 tune and full flash it.

I would at minimum do a Calc.VE/AutoVE on it to get the VE table dialed in, spark might need a little adjustment too.

[Boost]

Ok so actually it's the same cable 5.3 throttle body swapped onto the 6.0. Souldn't make any difference right? As long as the rest of the tune is doing it's job. Thanks Erik

[ScarabEpic22]

Should work just fine, what year truck is this on? We can probably get a decent baseline tune setup from Holdencrazy.

[Boost]

Yeah thanks it's an '01 and I've already been able to download several files that may be very helpful from HC. Looking good so far. :) I love this forum / community!

[ScarabEpic22]

Im pretty sure you've already found the 01/02 LQ4 tunes that are on there, Id personally use an 02 OS with proper trans segment (60E or 80E). Full flash it then start tuning.

[Boost]

Im pretty sure you've already found the 01/02 LQ4 tunes that are on there, Id personally use an 02 OS with proper trans segment (60E or 80E). Full flash it then start tuning.

So I am back to working on this. Actually I was considering the one under modified files for an '06 Express that says "may be helpful for swap people with cable throttles". Do you think this is the best one to start with or an '02 LQ4 one?? Either way it's getting full flashed, right? Thanks!

[Taz]

Of Gen III trucks the following is generally true:


1999 - 2002

512 Kb PCM
PCM connectors are Blue & Red
PCM "pinouts" are similar (if not the same)
use Case Grounded O2 sensors (except 6.0 L engines)
2003 - 2007 (classic)

1 Mb PCM
PCM connectors are Blue & Green
PCM "pinouts" are similar (if not the same)
use Isolated Grounded O2 sensors (all engines)
Some 2003 - 2007 Gen III equipped Express / Savana were DBC. All 2003 - 2007 Gen III equipped trucks / SUV were DBW. The benefit of the 2006 Express / Savana tune you downloaded is the option of a DBC 2003 - 2007 swap.

I would not recommend trying to swap a 1Mb PCM into a 2001 truck, or trying to run an Express / Savana tune in an OEM truck application.


Regards,
Taz

[Mr. P.]

What exactly are you doing?? what year is the truck? is it originally a DBW or cable TB vehicle? (I understand the LQ4 is a manual/cable TB)

Easiest way is to continue using the same type of throttle body that was originally equipped on the vehicle. In other words, if the 5.3 came with a cable-type TB, then continue using that on the replacement motor; else if the original 5.3 came with a drive-by-wire TB, then the replacement motor should use a DBW. OR, you will have to do a cable-to-DBW swap, or vice versa.

Mr. P.

[Boost]

Thanks for the clarification guys, very good info. The truck is an '02, and originally had a cable driven 5.3. A 6.0 liter was swapped into it with the cable TB from the original motor. It still has the 4l60. It does not run very well with the 5.3 tune, so I wanted to flash a stock LQ4 cal into it and start from there. That's all.

[Boost]

And also it is a 4x4 and still using the original PCM, and all the intake stuff from the truck. Therefore I assume that I should definitely flash it with an '02 LQ4 OS, which will be cable driven anyway (right?) and the only difference will be that it's a tune for a 4l80? (how will that drive??) Am I on the right track?? Thanks a lot

On the second thought, how bad is it or will it even work flashing a 4l80 tune into a 4l60 trans? Would the most straight forward / simple way to get it running better be simply to tune it? :)

[Mr. P.]

Yup using the truck's original TB makes this simple - yes you should be able to flash an '02 "era" LQ4 tune onto that PCM as a good starting point. You have the pre-2003 512Kb PCM, keep that in mind. You cannot swap to the later 2003+ PCM without a ton of work, mainly in regard to climate control support in the truck PCMs changed for 2003+.

Mr. P.

[Taz]

Given your description of the swap ... would recommend you stick with the existing 5.3 L tune and alter parameters as necessary to improve driveability with the 6.0 L. Probably the most effective route, would be to change the cylinder volume to reflect the new displacement, then tune via CALC VET or Auto VE method.


Regards,
Taz

[Mr. P.]

Well, not many LQ4s were used factory with 4L60s - but I think that this combo may have been found in the earliest Hummer H2s, as well as the crew-cab half-ton trucks; I would look for one of those OE calibrations on those combos, and work from there. My personal second option in your situation would be to go ahead with a 2500HD tune (LQ4 w/ 4L80) and do a transmission segment swap with EFILive; we actually do the opposite quite a bit (segment swaps to go 4L60 --> 4L80) so that should work as well. But I would look for an OE LQ4 calibration from a half-ton GMT-800 application.

Mr. P. :)

EDIT -

Another suggestion, is an operating system for an early Cadillac Escalade (LQ9 + 4L60), the only difference in the LQ9 & LQ4 motors is the dished pistons & (I am guessing) the high-octane spark timing table. However I am not sure if that tune will support 4x4, because the transfer case in the Escalade is AWD.

[Boost]

Thanks a lot guys! Are there any writeups or good links for a segment swap?

[joecar]

Open the target file, open the donor file as the alternate file (must have same OS as target file), do Edit->Copy Entire Segment->Transmission, save the target file, do full flash.

[Boost]

Thank you Joe! Awesome.

[ScarabEpic22]

Late to the party here, was without internet the last 36hrs. Either use the stock tune and modify the cylinder volume for the 6L and use the LQ4 spark tables, or full flash an 02 LQ4+60E OS. Id just do the first one, yes the cylinder volume EFILive reports will be wrong but that doesnt matter.

[Boost]

Thanks! Doesn't it seem like every question spawns 3 new ones sometimes? Or is it because my brain is still recovering from my 20's... :)