My LX450 is getting an LS - LQ4 with 4L60E (1 Viewer)

[MMaxim]

Hello, Mud!

This is time for me to throw my hat in the LS swap game.

This is my 1996 LX450 that I had since 2019.

Purchased it with 168,000 miles in need of TLC and maintenance. At 180,000 I had a blown HG but decided against the LS swap at that moment. It was my daily driver and I wanted it on the road as quick as possible. I knew the swap will take much longer and will be way more expensive. HG job turned into a bit more than just a HG replacement, and I ended up decking the block, resurfacing the head, cleaning and lapping the valves, honing the cylinders, installing new rings, regasketing everything. The engine has been awesome for the last 15,000 miles, no complaints at all. It will be for sale soon!



I am a big fan of LS engines and always wanted one in my rig. This brings me to the current time.

Engine I am using is an LQ4 out of 2005 Express Van. Unlike truck LQ4s it had DBC throttle body. Transmission is a 4L60e that I chose for the lower 1st gear.

Initially I planned on using the engine as-is with a small cam/springs upgrade, but I noticed something in the #7 cylinder with the bore scope that didn’t look right. When I removed the head I found some strange damage/scoring on the thrust side. That triggered a full rebuild (block bored 0.030 over for new pistons, new rings, cam, rod and main bearings, heads resurfaced, cleaned, valves lapped, etc.) I have a new engine now and can actually call it 6.0L, and not 5.96L!

LQ4
Cylinder #7

Rebuild Completed

For the transmission I went with a core out of a 2008 2WD Silverado that lost 3rd gear. I rebuilt it myself with upgraded parts, shift kit. It should be good for the power I am planning to put through it.

4L60E
Almost completely assembled

So at this stage I have engine/transmission Marks adapters, engine management ready. Almost all other parts are lined up as well.

This will most likely be a slow moving process, I barely have 4-5 hours a week to get this done. I am determined to finish this in 3 months and hopefully, contribute to this group.
Here we go!

 

[MMaxim]

Current state of the swap

Want to pull Transfer case/transmission/engine together and needed to take the front completely apart for that. Between removing the radiator/condenser and removing wheels it should make it relatively easy to pull everything as one unit,

 

[McDowra]

You will enjoy it!

 

[MMaxim]

You will enjoy it!

Yeah, I have been looking forward to this!

 

[MMaxim]

Disconnected power steering, and fuel lines, exhaust, etc. Next big thing is trying to pull the harness. Removed the glove box and did some investigation in that area. For now I do not see an easy way to get it out (without removing the dash). Any advice?

 

[sbman]

Disconnected power steering, and fuel lines, exhaust, etc. Next big thing is trying to pull the harness. Removed the glove box and did some investigation in that area. For now I do not see an easy way to get it out (without removing the dash). Any advice?

You can unplug all the wires from the ECU (3 connectors), A/C amplifier (2 connectors) and then pull it out through the engine side. From what I remember, once you have it unplugged and wrestle the rubber grommet loose on the engine side, this comes out surprisingly easy. The harness then just comes out with the engine. The FSM has detailed list of things to remove/disconnect to remove the engine, are you referencing that?

 

[MMaxim]

You can unplug all the wires from the ECU (3 connectors), A/C amplifier (2 connectors) and then pull it out through the engine side. From what I remember, once you have it unplugged and wrestle the rubber grommet loose on the engine side, this comes out surprisingly easy. The harness then just comes out with the engine. The FSM has detailed list of things to remove/disconnect to remove the engine, are you referencing that?

I have a FSM for 1996 Land Cruiser and not an LX and the area behind glove box seem to be more crowded. When I removed my engine for a rebuild a few years back, I left the Intake manifold in the car to avoid pulling the harness. Not an option this time around!

 

[simple]

Does the Z have a V8 also? That's more my dream than an engine swap in the Land Cruiser. That video of the black V8 Z doing burnouts circa 2000 internet still lives in my head.

 

[MMaxim]

Does the Z have a V8 also? That's more my dream than an engine swap in the Land Cruiser. That video of the black V8 Z doing burnouts circa 2000 internet still lives in my head.

That one is a slower paced project for sure, but has an LS1 and t-56 ready to go in hopefully next summer.

 

[MMaxim]

Took a day off to work on the project and made good progress.
I have to say I didn't like pulling the engine with transmission and the transfer case together. So heavy, and my sloped driveway isn't helping. One of the front wheel on the hoist broke right when I was lowering the engine on to the blocks. Lucky...

 

[MMaxim]

Made some more progress. Split engine, transmission and transfer case. Pulled the harness. I would LOVE to know why the harness runs through the intake manifold like that...

Will be cutting the output shaft and installing Marks adapter.

 

[MMaxim]

I am as confused as anyone by the instructions that came with the adapters and went a different route. I assemble everything without cutting the tail shaft. Took a measurement of the tail shaft sickout on A343F (56mm). Compared against 4L60Ewithout cut shaft (it was 81mm). Difference is what I shortened the 4L60E shaft by.
Anyone sees any problem with this logic?

Stock A343F Stickout

Measured against 4l60E tail shaft with spud shaft installed and all adapters in place.

This is how much I ended up cutting.

 

[MMaxim]

More work done today, started mocking things up and locating everything for fabrication of the engine mounts. After a close call with the hoist I am a little "gun shy" and decided to install transmission by itself first. For now it sits with the transmission mount in stock location.

Looks like I will have about an inch clearance between the firewall and the heads.

Need to finish installing all front accessories and I will be ready to drop the LS in for the first time.

By the way I listed the engine and transmission in Classifieds.
Spent a little bit of time this morning building a storage/transportation stand for the engine to free up my hoist.

 

[MMaxim]

Engine SOLD! The guy that came to pick it up doesn't give to many f..ks about anything! Came in a van, proposed we load the engine through the side door, jacks his van up when we realized that it doesn't have enough ground clearance for the the hoist to drive under it. Paid, left....
I should live like that!

 

[JoeCova]

Why 4L?

 

[ALX4X4]

10+ years after my LS swap, just changed the sparkplugs while I was in there last month. Oil and filter change every 10k have not laid a spanner on it outside that except a few idler puller bearings after river crossings. Better than an FZ in every way.

 

[MMaxim]

Why 4L?

You mean 4L60? If that's what you are asking, I chose it for cost and low 1st gear.

 

[MMaxim]

10+ years after my LS swap, just changed the sparkplugs while I was in there last month. Oil and filter change every 10k have not laid a spanner on it outside that except a few idler puller bearings after river crossings. Better than an FZ in every way.

Apart from head gasket, I never had any trouble with 1FZ. I like it a lot, just like projects and tinkering with my cars a bit too much.

 

[JoeCova]

You mean 4L60? If that's what you are asking, I chose it for cost and low 1st gear.

Yup that’s what I was referring to. Thanks for the insight.

 

[MMaxim]

A little bit about the engine:

Initially I wanted an engine I will just clean up, replace some maintenance items, and install. Purchased (at a premium) an LQ4 from a good dismantler, reworked stock harness and had stock PCM reprogrammed. I test ran the engine on the stand, things looked good.

Somewhere along the way the plan evolved into cam and spring upgrade and Holley Terminator fuel management. During the upgrade I discovered that the engine most likely lived a pretty tough and neglected life, oil sludge was off the charts. Further investigations showed serious wear on the thrust side of cylinder #7.

The wear was bad enough to need at least 0.020 overbore to clean up. So, just like that I ended up with a full rebuild. Reused rods (with new bolts), and crank. Pistons, rings, rod and main bearings, lifters and pushrods are all new.

All machining was done my Somer's Race Engines in Vancouver, WA.

Checked all main and rod (no picture) bearing clearances