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New motor

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,418
Location
Meridian, ID
Where do I even start? Do I go new reman? Used? Do I swap over accessories? Get new ones? 3.5? 3.7? 5.3? This is all being realistic...it's a daily driver. Minimal down time with minimal cost. Obviously it's all cost benefit Analysis. 5.3s are so common they may be cheaper. Do I do it myself? Bring it somewhere?

Colorado guys do 5.3s all the time from 3.5/3.7s but idk about firewall mods.

Very overwhelming....I'm in my last semester of college. Woohoo! But I have a ton of work there with regular work 25-30 hours and may be picking up hours now lol Luckily my dad has drilled it into my head since I was young to save money for a rainy day. from the looks of it I can most definitely fund this myself no problem which is good but they will loan me money and pay them back in payments if I need it so that takes a ton of stress off atleast.

Just don't know where to start lol
 

jphh20

Well-Known Member
Messages
173
Location
CT
Sorry to hear about your engine,
I have been thinking about this very same thing for my 06' if and when the time comes. All of my thoughts have come to a 3.7 upgrade with pcm as I would plan to do all the work as I would imagine you would as well. This will give you slightly more power with a small amount of down time. Your daily driver probably requires you to act quickly and I would imagine a rebuilt or new engine might be the quickest path. The 5.3s are a dime a dozen but are all the retro fit/fab items available that you see a path to install? Does the extra weight have any impact on wheeling. I know your running highly modified suspension but I have always been concerned about increased weight in my 06' on the front end. I recall prices flying around last year on a V8 conversion but had been pricey in the 10k+ range. I have always been fine with the power of the 3.5 with some small mods and will probably pursue a 3.7 upgrade when the time comes. Just my .02 and keep us posted on your decision and progress and/or any help you might need getting your rig back on the trail.


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Messages
1,248
Location
New Jersey
Sorry to hear, hopefully it will end up being even better then when you first got it! I'm a firm believer, that if you have to change it, then make it better!!
 

USMC_TOP

Well-Known Member
Messages
491
Location
Muir Michigan
With your bad ass suspension up front I would love to see you do an LS conversion! I believe external size is the same on 5.3 6.0 and 6.2. A 6.2 with a 6L80E WOULD BE AWESOME!
 

mudbug

trail blazer
Messages
232
Location
Brighton,Co
Yeah dude what happen to your engine?

A 5.3 or bigger would be awsome but not sure how much work is needed to the firewall. Does the whole firewall need to be moved back or is it just partial firewall?

If it's an easy upgrade I would definitely upgrade to the 3.7 especially since you have the ability for lower gears in your axles.
You could always be the first for the new 2.8 dmax:wink:
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,418
Location
Meridian, ID
If it was a daily driver I would be more open to bigger and badder swaps. The 3.7 can be done easily. #1 thing is legality. I am finishing up college. I am taking a year off, depending on finding a job I may go for my masters right away or work a few years get experience and get the company I work for to pay for furthering my education. That means I may or may not be in California in the future. I am not too sure. So I want to be able to keep it legal.

#2 down time, its still a daily driver. I work within 5 miles of work and school but about 20-25 miles from home. Luckily work/school is about half way between home and my dad's work. He might be dropping me off before he goes to work and I will be riding my bike back and forth between school and work. then sit in the library doing homework and he can swing by and pick me up on his way home. Not sure yet.

#3 is cost, for some reason I feel I can get a 5.3 cheaper but then needing more parts like accessories and headers etc may offset that and make it way worse/more expensive.

#4 have a shop do it or me? I know a really cool shop that will probably allow me to pull it out then have it sent down there and have them install it to offset cost.

I will be talking to my parents today and get opinions.
 

Best4x4

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,042
Location
Vidor, TX
Yeah what happened?

Remember when looking at 5.3L's that the unit in the Alpha is an all aluminum block/head unit vs the typical 5.3's with a CI block. Either will work, and with your solid axle up front the weight isn't really an issue (just possibly stiffer coils to compensate for the weight). The bulkhead is different in the Alpha vs a 3.5/3.7, but anything can be made to fit with enough love lol.

A 3.5 to 3.7L shouldn't require a new PCM if it's an early 07. They have the same single PCM with the TCM built in. 08 and up 3.7 & 5.3L's had the PCM and TCM separate.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,418
Location
Meridian, ID
from my other thread.

Sorry I didnt get to meet up with you much this weekend. I will explain why, lol. First off you are dead on accurate on how the wheeling is a whole different level. It is some of the most unforgiving terrain.

I have been beating the piss outta squeaky for 5-6 years now. Luckily I have been **** free for the most part. Well this weekend **** hit the fan. In the past, replace a diff or two but **** free. This weekend I took out a rear diff cover, a rear driveshaft, a motor, a dent in the door, ripped my driver rear fender off, rear locker is done. If you are not ON YOUR GAME **** will get ruined out here.

On top of all that I was wrenching on other peoples rigs also, I didnt even watch the race.

So it all started with Thursday, we were driving along and before I left I had checked the oil all was well. As we were driving I started to hear knocking, I quickly pull over as I kill the motor the oil pressure light came on. I had oil ALL over the place. Kyle ran a mile down the road picked up a ton of oil. filled her back up. drove to an autozone then had it towed to hammers. I knew the damage was done so why not have some fun. Thursday night I hit up chocolate thunder. My buddy in his TJ made it before. He said I could make it. Sure enough 1000s of people there watching and a few rigs before me was in a big ass wide rock bouncer it was so wide he couldnt pick a line he had to go up the middle kicked the biggest rocks in the middle of the 2 possible lines. So the people before me in buggies took 10 minutes to get through the gatekeeper I then couldnt get through. I have 1000s of people talking **** about the hummer yelling at me. Mind you its buggy central I am in a full bodied rigs on 37s and they are buggies on 40s that look like rasians. Well the piece of **** *** behind me in his TJ on 40s decides it would be funny and take a video of me struggling I never got on a strap I backed out. Either way this guy is a ****in piece of ****. (side story, his ghetto TJ rolled on the freeway with 35s on it on his way to hammers last year because obviously its a pile of **** just like him. He had someone build his rig for him, a ****ty shop that did a ****ty job and made it into a trailer queen that cant be driven on the street. His rollcage is half welded and when he rolls over the cage will fail and pierce him in the neck.) Anyways he takes a video of me and sends it to a big instagram page with the music going move bitch get out the way they post it making fun of me and sure enough when he goes he blows up his front end and hes on a dana 60 and 40s so why talk **** when your bigger and badder then me and break. Either way **** him. I was the only one out there with the balls to take a street driven daily driver up chocolate thunder with 1000s of people watching. Half my issue was the rock bouncer kicking rocks all over the do able lines.

So I get back go to sleep, I lost a little bit of oil but not much. We went back to camp tried to track down the oil leak, non existent. WTF! Either way we call it a night. Friday morning everyone is up going to watch the race but when my buddy was egged on to a tug of war he blew his axle shafts. So I spent a few hours pulling the axle shafts, they didnt wanna come out, etc. it was a nightmare. Either way we got it done and driving in 2wd. Then my brothers bearings in the tire carrier failed. Had to fix and jerry rig his tire carrier. Before you know its late, we start the fire wait for 10pm when the trails open. We hit up clawhammer. I did that trail last year and it killed me, all bypasses and still got stuck 4-5 times. This year I took all the hardlines and winched once after my locker died. My driving was HORRIBLE :( Between the knocking motor, little sleep, wrenching all day, I wasnt on my game. I took horrible lines and killed a driveline, small dent, and rear fender which popped off. BEST OF ALL THE fender prevented more damage and pops right back in and doesnt even show the damage that could of been done to the body.

Overall it was an interesting weekend, I dont wanna say it was ****ty but it wasnt the best lol. I will have stories for a lifetime.

After everyone breaking we decided to leave early. Im driving down the road and keeping the load off the motor as best as I could. Next thing you know BANG, motor parts down the road white smoke. I killed the motor and got out with my fire extinguisher ready within seconds. Got a AAA tow, home my buddies dodge ram 2500 then lost voltage. In a small little town we pull over to think we were pulling out the tools and getting ready to change an alternator. Luckily the wire from the alternator to the battery ripped. Jerry rigged it back together chased down a dude for a jump and got home.

What can I take away from this weekend? From a positive point? How prepared I was. I felt this weekend could of gone EXTREMELY worse. From a tow standpoint between 2 tows I owed the the tow truck drivers less then 200 bucks total. It could of been over 2,000 bucks in tows if I was not a AAA member with the 1 200 mile tow and 3 100 mile tows. I only had one slip yoke between 2 driveshafts. I had to swap it on the trail in the dark. If I did not have a harbor freight ball joint removal tool it would have taken me HOURS to change the slip yoke. Instead it was under a 30 min repair. The spare fluids I had, without those it would have been bad. Really good sealant. As I poked a hole through the cover I lost some fluid but had someone hold there finger on it and within seconds I had DAP auto/marine sealant poured on there. It stopped the leak ASAP. If not I would have lost all my fluid. Lastly, the knowledge I have acquired. I am not tooting my horn, I still know nothing and want to learn more but without the knowledge I had acquired throughout the years and the tool to improvise under stressful ****ty situations I could still be out there with a lot more issues.

If I was not prepared I could of been screwed. For example, no rear driveline I would loose all fluid in the t case, fry that up, with no sealant I would have toasted my bearings, with no oil I could have blown a hole in the motor on a trail making it even worse. with no ball joint press I could of been changing a 30min swap into hours. It was the best outcome for the worst disaster.

Being SELF SUFFICIENT is KEY!!!!!

 

amrg

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,317
Location
Qatar
If it was me, I'do go for the 5.3.
That engine is so open to mods (simple cam swaps to stroker kits) that the 3.5/3.7 don't have.
Offcourse if thats possible...
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,418
Location
Meridian, ID
Where do I even start? Do I go new reman? Used? Do I swap over accessories? Get new ones? 3.5? 3.7? 5.3? This is all being realistic...it's a daily driver. Minimal down time with minimal cost. Obviously it's all cost benefit Analysis. 5.3s are so common they may be cheaper. Do I do it myself? Bring it somewhere?

Colorado guys do 5.3s all the time from 3.5/3.7s but idk about firewall mods.

Very overwhelming....I'm in my last semester of college. Woohoo! But I have a ton of work there with regular work 25-30 hours and may be picking up hours now lol Luckily my dad has drilled it into my head since I was young to save money for a rainy day. from the looks of it I can most definitely fund this myself no problem which is good but they will loan me money and pay them back in payments if I need it so that takes a ton of stress off atleast.

Just don't know where to start lol



 

Best4x4

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,042
Location
Vidor, TX
I'm gonna blame the engine failure on that AC Delco E rated oil filter (never heard good stuff about them), darn thing is plastic inside.. J/K

That is certainly a graphic engine failure pic! I've seen the side blown out of a 4.0L inline 6, and a 3.9L V8 Rover, but man that poor little 3.5L gasped one last breathe before the big bang for sure!!

Wish I lived near you, I'd help you with the repairs and get you back up and going. Good luck with the repairs and if ya need anything from TX just let me know :)
 

chaos254

Well-Known Member
Messages
577
Location
United States
Being that its your daily, id have to vote for 3.7. We all would love to have a 5.3/6.0 or 4bt but realisticly they are very involved swaps.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,418
Location
Meridian, ID
yes, I agree. I think the 3.7 is the way to go. ALL parts are interchangeable according to the colorado guys. PS pump, alternator, etc. Even my new headers are interchangeable and I can either leave them as is or have them ported for the 3.7. I would have them ported but people have run them with the 3.5 headers before.

Also if I did the 5.3 I would want one from a colorado or H3 so I dont need to track down accessories like PS pump, alt, starter, etc. the H3 normally has some oddball parts to it. I would also have to do the headers and redoing an entire exhaust etc. etc. but with the price I am getting from Zach would be great and he has a 5.3 from an envoy that I could use but it is burning some oil. It only has 36k on the motor.

We have a family friend in from NY so I havent worked out the details yet but I think I will probably be paying my sister weekly as a thank you for her car if she lets me. Shes still in high school and really only uses it to go from school and back. She also has a friend around the block who she used to drive with to school before my sister had her license. She can probably hitch a ride with her.

Either way the 3.5 seems like a ****ty option. It would probably be a 3.7 or the 5.3 from Zach but nothing is set in stone seeing most places are closed today so I cant get any more info then whats online.

Lastly, I will be pulling the trans for a rebuild, before my trans cooler I would consistently hit 240+ and once or twice at 250, on my trans just about everyday for 3 summers and then had a trans line bust and drove the ****er empty into a parking lot. According to transmission people my trans should have been gone a LONG LONG LONG time ago. Thats why a 4l80e serves little purpose to me. If I am pumping out big power then yes a 4l80e is a great idea but I am not and a 4l60e can be built to be pretty strong. It is one of the most common transmissions in the country. Which is what I need, same with the dana 44. I like road tripping and I would love to be able to drive across the country and have whatever I need done. I usually upgrade after repeated failures. 4 diffs I did a SAS. 1 locker in the rear so far, will probably wait for it to get killed again then ditch it for an ox or a 14 bolt. I still believe this motor's life was not ready to die. I truly dont...It was some freak accident IMO, how does ALL the oil get lost then I put it back and it stays? It makes ZERO sense. Either way the engine God said it was time for a new one.

With almost 137k on the clock and with the tire size calculations I have over 142k on the clock. Not great but cant bitch.

I may do the 3.7 wait for that to die in another 10 years then have a daily driver and do a 5.3/6.0/6.2 4l80e but I have plenty of time before that happens.

Just for giggles check out a transmission life expectancy chart. at 240 I should get 10-20k miles out of it, I was overheating the thing back around 90k miles. With 90k already on the clock and hitting those temps consistently I have put another 52k miles on the trans since then.
 

derian06

Red Rockett
Messages
1,866
Location
Madison, AL
You could always invest in a junker for a grand or two, then take your time throwing in the engine that you really want.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,418
Location
Meridian, ID
im not looking for insane power. Just something to cruise along a big better on hills. The reviews I have seen on the colorado forums are the 3.5 to 3.7 swap is more power then you think.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,418
Location
Meridian, ID
My sister needs a car. I just reserved a rental car for a month $499 through costco travel unlimited mileage. I told my parents, they are now kicking themselves for not using Costco travel for the past 10 years when renting a car in NY when visiting family. I now have a month to get my **** together. If I get it done earlier I get a refund.
 

Cyouincourt007

Pavement Prince
Messages
542
Location
Miami,Fl
Wow sorry to hear the news, that is wild how that blew out of there. Hope it all turns out for the better and judging by your skills I'm sure it will.
Message received too about being prepared, any excess weight of carrying extra stuff was definitely well worth it in the time of need.
aaa member also and it's worth every penny. Best of luck to you sir and we'll stay posted.
 

deserth3

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,069
Location
Conroe, TX
I had the engine and tranny replaced at a Chevy dealer in my 06 last spring.
Took about a week. With rental it was about $12k. I ended up having the rental a few extra days due to circumstances beyond my control.
If a GM dealer installs it you get a 3 year 100k warenty on the engine and tranny.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,418
Location
Meridian, ID
thank you that is an option but for me 12k not sure if I would do it. I know the warranty is nice but GM is not trustworthy and I can totally see them being a bunch of *******s and blame any failure I have in those 3 years/100k miles on my tire size and added weight of axles/offroad accessories.
 
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