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I'm doing a lq4 swap in my 89 k1500 and I'm finally going to pick up a drop out this week. Which set up would be better for my swap? There is an 03 express van that has DBC, and a 03 silverado lq4 that's DBW. I know that the DBC is better for my swap, but will the van harness and fuse box lay out as nice as the truck harness? Also, are the exhaust manifolds and power steering lines different between the two?
The truck LQ 4 would be easier but you would have to get the DBW pedal and sender to make the swap complete. As for the van LQ4, I'm not sure of how the wiring harness looks compared to that of a truck. It would be easier from the standpoint of the DBC setup, but the manifolds and power steering hoses are issues that would have to be checked to make an informed decision.
Hopefully, someone who has some experience with the van setups can chime in and help out. Good luck!!!!
Thanks for the info, Mickey. I just got back from the yard. I couldn't get a good look at the van engine. The hood was tacoed shut and the seats were pinching the dog box in place. I would prefer to stay DBC, but I'm willing to swap over the pedal and TAC unit. It looks like the TAC will bolt perfectly in place of my obs cruise control box that I was going to yank any how.
Well if you convert to DBW your cruise will all be electronically controlled, eliminating need for the cruise control box anyway.
Good stuff. Thanks, Frenchy.
I found a post somewhere on ls1tech that said the manifolds are the same, so that's no longer an issue. Both of the donor dropouts in question have hydroboost set ups, so I'm gonna have to mess with the lines regardless. The van dropout is $200 less, so I'm leaning towards that one. Does anyone else see any potential problems with using a van engine and harness? The yard owner was very helpful in offering up a few parts from each vehicle if need be.
2WD or 4WD?Are you getting the transmission too?What is the history of each of those vehicles?That's a few things I would consider as well.
My truck is a 4x4. I'll be using the NV3500 that's currently in my truck until I come across a NV4500 for a fair price. Both of the vehicles at the yard have 110K, however the truck was a fleet vehicle that was probably beaten on pretty good. The undercarriage of the van was much cleaner and had a lot less rust on the exhaust components.
which is cheaper?
The van drop out is $200 cheaper. I'm concerned with how the van harness will lay out. I don't want it to look like a jumbled mess without having to cut up every wire.
get the truck harness with the van engine