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**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:35 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

plan on making a go at installing a 550 hp LQ4 on a fairly low budget. Just a smidge over $3,000 including the price of beer.

I have a good foundation with a suspension that was rebuilt a few years ago with Eibach front springs, a huge Hellwig front sway bay, Z28 5-leaf springs and poly bushings all around, including on the subframe to body mount.

I will be keeping my built up 700r4 and 3,000rpm stall converter. As well as the 10-bolt with an Auburn pro posi, superior axels and 3.73 gears.

After I get everything in place I will adapt to my new motor a 3" X-pipe with Spintech split case mufflers exiting out the sides that I used on a previous 355 SBC.

Here are some parts I scored for cheap, and a little bit of progess.

After discovering watery oil in my supercharged 454, I decided to rebuild it and go with a N/A setup. To help finance this project, I put the B&M mini blower up for sale. The local guy that got a hold of me said he had a complete 6.0L LQ4 GenIII motor out of a 2002 Silverado truck. Although my supercharger was worth slightly more than his motor, we decided on a straight up trade if he delivered the motor to my house.

Water in engine

My 6.0L laying in wait

So far I have picked up a set of used ported LS6 heads that flow 320cfm @ .600 lift for $600 with valves and seals, no springs. They're in great shape, almost new. The CNC port job on them is beautiful.

I also got a used camshaft, a G5x3 which is in the 234 @ .050 and .600 lift area on the intake and bigger on the exhaust. It's cut on a 114LSA to pick up a bit of vaccume(efi aplication cam, but you can't find many used short LSA cams for sale). I grabbed some slightly used PRC springs and comp R lifters. Cost me $500.

I got a used ignition controller for $200 as I'm planning on running a victor jr carb intake and my 850cfm holley.

Should be a fun project.

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:36 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

Drained some "Oil" out of the 454 before I pulled it.

Here's 16 quarts of water that came out the oil pan:

And the "oil" that came out after it...another 12 quarts of this crap came out.

and yes, I paid for not pulling that grass off the headers. I dropped it into the oil pan later that night.

Here's what the lifter valley looked like before I started.

And here's after I drained everything out.

I cleaned out what was left behind and oiled the block.

Pulled the passenger head off and the cylinders and pistons look perfect.

Wonder what the bottom end will look like. If it's rusty as hell my budget will be even tighter as I wont be able to sell it for much. But if it's rust free and I can clean it all up I should have plenty of cash to finish the swap after I sell it.

Neat comparison of the large oval port BBC heads and the GenIII LS6 heads.

Interesting note, I can lift the LS6 head with one hand with ease...but the iron BBC head is tough even with two hands. And I'm a big dude.

Pop quiz, which head flows more air?

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:37 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

Pulled the driver's head off last night. Second verse same as the first. Bores look great, have to clean them a bit, oil them down and put plastic over them like I did the passenger's side. Still hoping the bottom end looks like the cylinders do.

Also, I visited my parents over the weekend and picked up the first tool I ever made. Been a decade since I made it with my dad, but he still had it in his garage. It's a transmission support tool. Bolts to the bellhousing and rests against the frame. Works perfect. So now when I pull the 454 out, I can move the car around as I please without having to worry about support the trans. This is very important to me since I have a tiny garage. I will show it in action when I pull the motor.

Here's how she looks now. I'm going to pull the water pump and radiator before I yank out the 454 shortblock.

70 splitbumper came over today and helped me pull the 454. I got two really good action shots of him pulling the motor out...and when I plugged my SD card into the computer's reader...it died. Should have used the friggin USB cable. I went back out to the garage and snapped a couple of pictures.

Here it is on the engine stand before I oiled it down and plastic wrapped it.

Believe it or not, after sitting with 16 quarts of water and 12 quarts of watery 'oil' in the crankcase...the bottom end looks like this:

Looks brand new. Who would have thought. I will probably pull a main cap and a rod cap to see what the bearing look like, but I'm sure they will be fine as it was never run with the water in the crankcase.

Here's a closer look.

The transmission support tool I showed you earlier in action.

And the empty engine bay:

Near future plan is to strip out most of the crap from the engine bay, clean it up and paint it. Swap on the ported heads to the 6.0L and install the camshaft. Then it will be close to the time I will be installing the new motor.

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:37 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

I've been at this since late summer. A few weekends ago I organzied my garage (this was brought on by a generous gift of a new craftsman compressor by my father....funny things happen when you ask to borrow the old man's tools, sometimes he just gives me a new one so his doesn't go permanently missing). While I was at it, I wrapped the 454 in plastic and put it in the corner. No one seems to want it, even for $500!

Got the LQ4 on the engine stand and started taking it apart starting with all of the EFI intake junk, the coil packs (to be reused), and valve covers. Here's a pick I like of the rockers after I got the cover removed. Not sure how much I like the gold tint to everything.

Here is a passenger side head after removal (for sale!)

Looks like the rear cylinder wasn't too happy!

Driver's side head (for sale!)

Everything looks peachy.

Passenger's side cylinders

Oh, the carbon! This will be fun to clean.

Driver's side cylinders

Second verse, same as the first.

After much tinkering and thinkering, I came up with a plan. Carb cleaner. I rotated the engine so that one set of cylinders we perpendicular to the ground and filled each cylinder with about 2" of carb cleaner. This server two functions, one to loosen up the carbon and two, to check ring seal(already did a leak-down test and everything looked good). Came back four hours later, still had a considerable ammount of cleaner in the cylinders. Grabbed some shop towels and wiped off the cylinders. Viola...something even a wire brush couldnt remove just wiped right off! I then cleaned the gasket surface with scotchbrite, brake cleaned everything, then oiled down the cylinders and wiped them out a few times while I turned to engine over to complete the cleaning process.

Looks pretty:

Ready for heads now...but only after I finish taking to oil pan off (throwing away for a CTS-V pan) and installing the ARP rod bolts and new camshaft. Probably throw on a new ported oil pump while I'm at it.

Here's the mess as it stands now and all of the brave blue shop towels that gave their lives so that this LQ4 may live.

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:38 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

This is what I found when I woke up this morning:

The parts fairy had visited me in the night!

My ham of a fist agrees, this is good.

Like the kids from a Christmas Story, I tear into the boxes:

Love it, big smile.

What is it that put a big goofy smile on my face?

THIS

SLP, ARP, Fel-Pro, Edelbrock, Trick-flow, Hughes, Summit. The gangs all here.

Oh and a bonus from the fine folks at the Summit Racing warehouse.

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:39 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

SWEET!

ARP rod, intake, balancer bolts and head studs

MSD wires

Edelbrock mount adaptors

Surprisingly poor quality in the finish. Lots of burs and sharp edges. I will have to clean them up before I install them.

See.

Hughes LS1 flexplate for TH350/400, 700r4 transmissions.

Billet Double roller timing gears and chain

SLP ported oil pump. Impulse buy, could have just gotten a cheap stocker and ported it myself.

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:40 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

Interesting note on the SLP oil pump, it comes with another pressure relief spring to up the oil pressure if needed and a new cap and o-rings too.

K&N Extreme Flow filter...

Something I should have known better, the K&N comes with the required carb stud and hardware...bought some cheapo Summit stuff too. Oh well.

On top, the bolt supplied by Edelbrock for the intake. Below, the bolt recommended by summit, ARP 430-2001. Picked them to bling up the intake a bit....they are all WAY too long. What am I supposed to do with them? Looks like Summit gets a call tomorrow.

Here it is, plane as day on the Summit website, they are recommending you use bolts that won't work...

Did some digging, and low and behold, I need 6mm x 1.0, 50mm long bolts instead of 113mm long. Here are some in 12-point. Someone please double check and tell me if this is the part I really needed in the first place.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ARP-770-1007/

Also found this AWESOME source of information on misc bolts and parts for GENIII engines.
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=837831&da=y

*edit* Just got off the phone with Summit....btw, 5am is THE BEST time to call them. The night crew is very knowledgeable and the wait time is non-existant. I alerted them to the issue and they're going to fix the website and ship me the correct bolts, ARP 770-1007 (2 packs). *edit*

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:41 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

ot the oil pan off today and took a look at the bottom end. As soon as I get myself a torque wrench with the proper range I will install the ARP rod bolts and do a step by step.

I cleaned everything off and then oiled everything down. No discoloration, just general varnish and carbon build up on everything. Previous owner definately didn't change their oil too often. Thank god it looks like they never ran it low.

After working a 10-hour Sunday shift for the Boeing co and having my obligatory valentine's bedroom time with my wife, I escaped to one of my two man-caves. (the other is my office where I'm at right now).

After finding a three-jaw puller and getting the balancer/crankshaft pulley off, I was finally able to get started.

Installed the camshaft (should have gotten a picture of it sitting next to the stock truck cam....what a difference!) and then I installed the SLP double roller timing set. That was a breeze. It's a really nice piece too.

Check out the dot to dot on my install....anyone think I screwed it up? I think I'm right on.

Test fit the ported SLP pump without the shims just to see.

The chain does get REALLY close to the pump, but doesn't quite touch. I can see that in operation it probably would, hence the shims that were included with the pump.

Ran out of time and didn't have any sealant for the shims....so that will probably be that for the week. Tune in next week when I install ARP rod-bolts, complete the oil pump install and button up the bottom end. If I'm feeling up to it, I might even install my ARP headstuds and the ported heads. But that's only if I find a valve spring compressor in time. Might just have to go buy one....

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:41 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

First thing I wanted to say was that after a lot of research I found that this combo, the SLP double roller and SLP ported oil pump DOES NOT need to use the spacers. One side of the pump was REALLY close to the chain, so I gave it a little extra room with the grinder. I decided to make it fit with the shims in place as a how-to.

With the shim in place on the oil pump, this is what happened to the timing cover. Hard riding condition on the left side, minor one on the lower right.

I applied assembly grease to all the areas I suspect might ride or come close to the cover.

The only thing on this side that smashed flat was the area on the strengthening rib directly below the area SLP already clearanced. It even left a grease mark behind from the cover.

Another area that rode was near the pick-up tube boss. You can see the black grease that was left behind.

You can see on the cover the areas that were close to touching and those that hit solid. The solid hits not only left grease behind, but scratched off the coating of oil.

I then ground these areas(note: I did not have the proper tool for this job, a carbide bit would have saved me a LOT of time):

After a very through cleaning (as if rinse, wipe, rinse, wipe, rinse, wipe over and over), I was able to get the cover down without riding anything at all.

Side note: When I decided to run the pump without the shims, the passenger side of the pump was incredibly close to touching and likely would rub on the pump at operating temp and RPM. I snugged the pump in place, put grease on the timing chain and turned the motor over by hand multiple times. After removing the pump I could see a very faint outline where the chain was getting too close, so I clearenced these areas as little as possible for just a bit more room. There were, of course, no issues at all with the cover fitting in the configuration.

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:42 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

First thing's first, remove the existing rod bolt (only ONE at a time, very important!) using a long handled ratchet and a 11mm socket. After a good push, the torque with break and the bolt will come out in about 4-5 turns.

But, the bolt will not come out all of the way. I used a pair of vise-grips and yanked a few times until the ferrel loosened and the bolts came out with it.

Apply plenty of ARP lube (provided in the kit) to the bolt, especially under the head.

Then torque to 40lb-ft per ARP's instructions using a 10mm socket and your favorite trusty torque wrench.

Note: the instructions in the kit are hidden under the complimentary packet of lube. The instructions say you need to resize the rods, but I discovered these are the same instruction sheets provided in the SBC kits. You do not have to resize rods in GenIII motors when upgrading to ARP bolts.

So rinse, lather, repeat until all of the bolts are done. Then it's a good idea to go around a few more times, loosen each bolt one at a time and re-torque them. The debate rages on if you need to retorque or not, but I think it's a good idea and can't hurt anything.

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:42 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

First off I want to say sorry for the lack of detailed pictures in this update. I had a bad day and went to the garage to work it out. I didn't stop to take many pictures. It did however make me mock everything up to give me a little push to keep going.

Got the windage tray and pick-up tube installed. Make sure you lube the o-ring with the same oil you will be running in the engine. It also helps to install the tube, it should slide right in.

Since these are new untested parts, I decided to check the clearance between the oil pan and pick-up. Didn't get any pictures of that, but the result was good.

Curious thing happened when I went to install the oil-pan. One of the holes in the pan didn't have a corresponding hole in the block! I took the pan off to double check to see if it was a misplaced hole, but no....there wasn't a hole in the block anywhere near that spot!

Interesting note: I used a straight edge to align the oil pan to the back of the block, then something struck me. Is that step truely necessary for engines being bolted to TH400/350/700r4's? The bellhousing bolt holes that are on the pan dont have corresponding structure on my 700r4 to attach to. Or am I just being crazy?

Moving on, I got the front cover installed then moved on to the ARP studs. No pictures of that, but I will take some when I take the mock-up apart to finish the heads.

So, I put the dowls in the block, slid the heads onto the studs, got the valve covers and coil packs sitting on top of them. Then I put the Vic Jr. on, put the carb that needs to be rebuilt on top of that and test fit the K&N. I thought it would also be neat to see the headers hanging there, so I added those too. These pictures will serve as inspiration to keep me going these next few months.

I plan on making a custom valley cover to delete the knock sensor holes and will paint it the same color as the block. Debating on if I should spray in gloss black or chevy orange. Also thinking about painting the valve covers to match as well. Need to make that decision soon, but first I have to get a valve spring compressor to finish the heads and put the long block together. Those pictures look good, but theres a ton left to do!

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:43 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

Been a while since I've updated, but I've had a huge curveball in my life. When the time is right I will tell that story, but for now, on with the show.

Between extended periods of time away from home, I've managed to clean, prep, mask, prime and paint both the engine block and the valve covers. I used a ceramic high temp primer and chevy orange rattle can paint. Turned out nice for the $20 I spent on materials.

Just a bit of overspray to clean off the front cover.

Valve covers primed.

Coated in Chevy Orange a few times.

With the valve covers loose installed.

With the coil packs.

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:43 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

Over a few nights I managed to take apart my carb, clean it and replace every part that is made out of rubber. I deleted the choke mechanicals and plugged the hole for the choke rod. I've cut the choke horn away before on previous builds, but I think I will just leave it for now. Turns out the carb is a 4780-5 800cfm double pumper and not an 850 as I was led to believe. Oh well, still plenty for what I'm doing. While I was at it I found that it had factory jets and a 6.5 power valve. I installed a 5.5 for now and will wait to change out the jets when it's time to tune it.

Pile of parts.

Ended up with this.

**1970camaroRS** · June 3, 2010, 04:43 AM

Re: 1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

I know this is a big jump forward in my install, but between a new baby, my wife almost dying and having to work a ton to make up for lost money...I didn't document anything I've done lately.

I installed the heads on the ARP head studs, installed the valvetrain, and got stuck at installing the harmonic balancer. I didn't have a tool to install it, and none of my local buddies had one. The price to buy one for just a one time use was NOT to my liking. So, I made my own very very simple tool. Cost me $8.45 in materials and $8.99 for a hacksaw (needed one anyway).

Here's the recipe:

1 M16 threaded rod with 2mm thread pitch. Just take your old crank bolt with you.
2" stack of washers
1 large diameter thick fender washer (the washer that comes with the ARP bolt is perfect of course)
1 nut
1 deep socket (mine was 24mm)

This is the first try...it was a bit too short.

Here's the second one I made, a few inches longer. Note the ARP washer on it.

Stack the washers on the ARP washer, toss on the nut and crank away!

Viola! Crankshaft harmonic balancer is installed!

Motor gets installed soon...

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1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

1970 Camaro Budget LQ4

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