LQ9 into E39

[Norb_O]

i love the M62, but:

-not enough power
-too complicated
-too expensive to fix
-Vanos is knocking hard
-no potential for making easy cheap power

So, after researching, I’ve decided to go with a truck/SUV style motor due to price and availability over the more popular aluminum candidates. I like the idea of higher compression for NA application, so I will be going with an LQ9 (6.0 iron block, aluminum heads). seems that they are most readily available in 2002-2006 Escalade, so i’m searching for one now. tranny will be T56–anyone have any recommendations as to where to look for one besides car-part.com? maybe LS1Tech?

i have my eye on a local LQ9 from LKQ, but they want a $350 core charge. i obviously have no motor to give them to avoid that. for those of you who used LKQ, did you pay this charge?

i will be fabricating my own exhaust and mounts. will use Camaro SS manifolds and adapt them to the OEM exhaust, like rao did.

i have no clue where to start off with wiring. all i know is that i’ll need the Escalade PCM (or can i use any fbody PCM?), and the harness. i’m stupid when it comes to electronics.

picked up a few parts to kick things off.

came off a 1998 Trans Am (guy upgraded to a F.A.S.T. or something)

it came with a drive by cable throttle body–i will probably have to use a drive by wire depending on the PCM i end up using. not sure yet, i guess it’s based on compatibility/ease.

i’m in the process of cleaning the oil pan. this is “before”. it sat for a long time. came off a 98-02 F body. not sure if it’ll fit, with the crossmember, but i guess i can always modify it. (i have access to a full fabrication/sheetmetal shop at work). it was a good deal so i couldn’t turn it down.

removed the baffle for cleaning…see anything unusual besides the dirt?

this is my first time inside one of these motors, so i will have questions about things as i go along. oil level sensor? the dark red cylinder on the end of the sensor is loose and flopping around. is that normal, or will i have to replace it? maybe i can snag the one off the LQ9 truck pan when i buy that.

can someone tell me more about the oil pan gasket? it is bent in a few places and the rubber has separated from the steel in a few places too. i’d replace it, but it looks to be riveted to the pan in 2 places. don’t get it.

oh, and here’s what it’s going in. tpgsr’s old car.

hope to do many many more of these.

[nitroinsane]

Lol those r the bolts from my shed. Sorry man. Oem gaskets are riveted just drill and remove.

[97FormulaWS-6]

There is a vendor on LS1tech, I believe it’s TDP, that sells rebuilt T56s outright; $1900 I believe for their “stage 3” transmissions. This is the route I’m going with my LT-LS swap in my bird.

[Norb_O]

thanks nitro. how is the new gasket held in place? just align it and then bolt the pan to the block? or does it need to be re-riveted? what a dumb design.

i might go with a reman’d t56, but i’m still holding out for a cheaper one that’s in good shape. need to find a motor first.

[nitroinsane]

Look out of ny for a t56. People locally are insane in prices.

Rivets are for mass production assembly no structural factor

[GV1390]

Cool :tup:

[system]

You might keep an eye out for an aluminum 5.3 truck engine. Still can be built pretty stout and very light compared to the lq4/9 iron block

[travisn]

@J & J

You might keep an eye out for an aluminum 5.3 truck engine. Still can be built pretty stout and very light compared to the lq4/9 iron block

I have a whole 99 silverado I’d sell for $1200. runs/drives great, frame is junk. I bought it to swap the motor into something. sold multiple somethings and this has to go.

[ultradriver10000]

I’d deff look for an aluminum 5.3, 5.7, or 6.0 to help keep the weight down, unless your going as cheap as possible. The above listed truck isn’t a bad deal, but watch pub for the iron heads on the early truck engines they don’t make good power.

Texas drivetrain performance rOcks I’d highly recommend thEm.

[MPD47]

E39 I6 LS Swap kit

If you don’t feel like making your own stuff, that guy sells a kit for $1900 which includes a bunch of other stuff (didn’t feel like posting all his photos).

Also, did your M62 die? If not, I’m interested in it. I see you said the Vanos is knocking hard.

[Minglor]

Wiring is pretty damned easy.
I know a guy that has done it before.

[turbociv]

hmmmm, ill be turbocharging the m62 in my e39 very shortly. Made a surprisengly stout 280whp in completely stock form, so i guess ill have to disagree with your reasoning. Just admit it, you wanted an ls wapped bmw. lol has nothing to do with the m62.

[Norb_O]

@travisn

I have a whole 99 silverado I’d sell for $1200. runs/drives great, frame is junk. I bought it to swap the motor into something. sold multiple somethings and this has to go.

I read that the 1999-2000 motors don’t bolt up to a T56 due to something being different on the crank. Otherwise this would be a good candidate

@ultradriver10000

I’d deff look for an aluminum 5.3, 5.7, or 6.0 to help keep the weight down, unless your going as cheap as possible. The above listed truck isn’t a bad deal, but watch pub for the iron heads on the early truck engines they don’t make good power.

Texas drivetrain performance rOcks I’d highly recommend thEm.

Yeah I don’t want to break the bank. All LS1’s LS2’s and the like (aluminum motors) are going for absurdly high prices. I am not terribly concerned about the extra few pounds on the nose since this will just be a fun summer daily driver/cruising car, not a track/autocross car.

@MPD47

E39 I6 LS Swap kit

If you don’t feel like making your own stuff, that guy sells a kit for $1900 which includes a bunch of other stuff (didn’t feel like posting all his photos).

Also, did your M62 die? If not, I’m interested in it. I see you said the Vanos is knocking hard.

I saw his swap stuff, another guy makes headers and mounts for the V8 subframe E39, but I’m not interested in those prices when I can make it myself. I plan on designing the mounts and having them built to spec at work since I can’t weld stuff that thick.

The M62 runs just fine—I was probably exaggerating when I said the vanos was knocking hard. Pulls hard, no misfires or codes, recent maintenance (new water pump, valley pan overhaul, many new gaskets while I was in there, new IM gaskets, new alternator, new P/S pump. When I pick up a winter beater later this year I will pull the M62 and tranny and sell it. You are more than welcome to come by and listen to it.

@Minglor

Wiring is pretty damned easy.
I know a guy that has done it before.

That’s what I keep reading, but I don’t know jack shit about electronics, so it will definitely be a learning curve for me.

@turbociv

hmmmm, ill be turbocharging the m62 in my e39 very shortly. Made a surprisengly stout 280whp in completely stock form, so i guess ill have to disagree with your reasoning. Just admit it, you wanted an ls wapped bmw. lol has nothing to do with the m62.

Ok, I admit it, I just want an LS swap. Although, i really wanted more power, and it’s hard to do that on the M62 as easily as you can do it on the LS. I haven’t had an opportunity to dyno mine yet, but I’m curious as to what it would make. I have the older M60 intake manifold and modified the exhaust to M5 style. (cut off rear scuba tanks, opened up the “dead end” of the y-resonator with a turndown). I will eventually go back to an electric cutout because I loved the sound it made and how easy it was to go quiet in an instant.

I really need to find a motor soon because I want to at least remove the heads and freshen things up. Also looking for an aftermarket cam, and f-body front accessories. I have a line on some GTO LS1 accessories and might be picking those up shortly.

On a side note: if anyone is looking for some BMW wheels I have a set of 16” Borbet 5 spokes with snow tires on them, as well as a set of 17” Mille Miglia 5 spokes with decent all seasons/summers on them. PM me and I will get some more info on them.

[travisn]

@96V6Bird

I read that the 1999-2000 motors don’t bolt up to a T56 due to something being different on the crank. Otherwise this would be a good candidate

Everything I am reading says it’s just the 6.0s that had the problem T56 does not seem to fit LQ4 - help - LS1TECH - Camaro and Firebird Forum Discussion, either way it’s a spacer on the end of the crank that is the issue, which can be taken care of with a different crank or spacer.

[cougarspeed]

Sweet to LS swap and Sweet to turbociv. I want a turbo E39 M5 BAD

[ultradriver10000]

@cougarspeed

I want a turbo E39 LS1 M5 BAD

Yup lol good project for sure!

Just buy a 5.3L junk yard eninge and swap in a cam and good heads. <$1000

How-To - Car Improvement | DIY Cars | Car Work | Car Care

You can always buy a 4.8/5.3 block on the cheap, get a cheap ls1 rotating assembly and bore it out safely for an iron block ls1. Then later you can forge it and make a killer little 383 that looks like a 327.

241 heads are cheap and good ~$150

Used cam’s are only $200-300

Do an Ls2 timing chain or double roller $100

Cheap springs <$200

4.8/5.3 short block ~$250

LS1 internals $150

Machine work and bearings $350

Ls1 longblock 48k *need rebuilt* 850$ - LS1TECH - Camaro and Firebird Forum...

http://ls1tech.com/forums/parts-classifieds/1574239-2000-lq4-motor.html

LS1 6 Speed Pedals - LS1TECH - Camaro and Firebird Forum Discussion

[Shifty]

@96V6Bird

The M62 runs just fine—

:tup: I just heard this running.

Have you PM’d this guy? http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1685796

[Norb_O]

I actually did. He also wants like 1900 for mounts and headers. That’s absurd. I’d rather spend a few weekends with my MIG welder and make up my own mounts, and have my guys at work finish them up. As far as headers, depends on how hard it would be to make my own longtubes. Can anyone recommend a good “kit” where you can make your own? Something with like a bunch of 90s in the right size for primaries (1-3/4” or 1-7/8”) and mock up/tack. Grab a set of premade collectors, add in V-band, done. It’d be nice to reuse as much of the factory bmw exhaust as I can since I’ve already spent time in the past modifying it to accept a QTP cutout. I have the cutout sitting on my bench, but the motor went bad on it. anyone repair those locally?

If I don’t end up making my own long tubes, I will do what another board member did with his setup using SS manifolds. His setup:

[GV1390]

^ God please don’t, that looks horrific.

[focusinprogress]

@GV1390

^ God please don’t, that looks horrific.

yeah, that looks like shit. don’t half-ass it in an otherwise nice example of a BMW