The "help save my marriage" LSx swap!

[Goldhawg]

Well, it looks like I've got a slight air gap in the upper part of the throttle body blade. I was finally able to get the stock connector from the vortec motor to go into the 03 LQ4 IAC I had, but it made no difference. Then I put a piece of large rubber 0-ring at the top of the completely closed throttle body and the truck slowed down almost dieing and then started using the IAC. Since Ballistic Speed is out of business, what throttle body would you all recommend? Is it possible to get a replacement throttle blade? Are all 92mm throttle body blades the same?

[Goldhawg]

Well, we're almost home free now. I have the Tahoe back from the tuner, and after I bought a Nick Williams Throttle Body and replaced the Ballistic Speed unit, it runs fine with a great idle. Dyno numbers were disappointing (276 RWHP, ~320lbft across the curve), but when I get on it on the highway as if passing someone, let's say it is very feisty. I like driving it with the current power a lot. The original vortec w/all my mods only dyno'd 228hp, which I was also disappointed in. I'm running stock exhaust manifolds thru 2.5" pipe w/cats before going into a gibson single 3" exhaust. Not sure how much the exhaust is costing me. I also have a 3" elbow coming out of Diesel stock airbox filter going into 4" the rest of the way into the throttle body, so that's a potential loss. My tuner says he has seen up to 30hp loss just from larger 4WD tires like my tahoe has, so that is undoubtedly part of it. Anyway, with the Tahoe suspension this is not a drag car and it drives great, idles smooth and will flat out get up and go, so I'm glad to have done the swap.

Things to do/issues to clean up. I have no A/C, but the tuner has the compressor engaging when I turn it on, but it makes racket but no cool. So off to a shop this week. Lastly, the tuner had one problem he couldn't resolve--we can't get it to shift during WOT from 1-2. If you back off the throttle even slightly it shifts right away, but not if you keep it floored. He played with the commanded shift points (lowering it way down to like 4500rpm) way before the redline, but it didn't do anything. We had some code on "turbine shaft speed" that he didn't understand, and the only thing I found online suggested it wasn't an issue and could be turned off in the tune (so we did). The way I drive this it shouldn't be a problem, but if anyone knows what the issue is on the WOT shift, I'd appreciate it.

So swap is basically done and my marriage is still intact. What a great wife I have!

PS: Anybody want to buy a Ballistic Speed Throttle Body cheap?!