Building a 1000 Horsepower Daily Driver
Summer, 2007
It all started when my little 5.3L that could, almost couldn’t. I was taking my 5 year old Avalanche I had purchased just 6 months prior on its first vacation. I was pulling a 6000 pound camper and stopped for one of those 2:00AM coffee breaks when the oil light came on. The gas station was closed so not only did I not get any coffee, but I didn’t get any oil either. We camped in the gravel lot across the street and waited for them to open. After the clerk showed up for work 2 hours late, I bought 5 quarts of oil and began to refill my truck. I had one of those “brain farts”, and didn’t check the dipstick after each quart and proceeded to overfill the crankcase. Luck would have it that this vacation was taking us to a family reunion just about 100 miles away from where we broke down, and my dad came to the rescue with his 2500HD Silverado to pull the camper. I limped the Avy to the camp ground, checked in, and drove to the nearest Chevy dealer for repairs. Naturally, they found nothing wrong and told me it was normal to use 1 quart of oil every 500 miles while towing. What?!!?...Unacceptable in my book. So we finished out our family reunion, bought a few quarts of oil for the road, and headed home.
About a month later, I picked up a noise in the drive line, so I took it to the dealer. It turned out, Jiffy Lube skimped on the 4x4 service and cost me a rear end, and almost a front differential as well. It was also discovered that a wheel hub was going out, the front brake rotors needed replaced and I had just about had it up to here. While they were inspecting the truck, I walked around the car lot and test drove a few and almost bought a new truck. In the end, I decided it would be cheaper in the long run to fix the Avalanche and perhaps beef it up a bit. Little did I know what was lurking in the mist!
December, 2007
I started doing my homework and researching my motor options. A lot of information came from the Chevy Avalanche Fan Club of North America (http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php.) I even talked with a few of the guys at the Chevy dealer about engine and transmission options. Some of the folks I work with own and drive race cars and had some suggestions. I called local hot-rod shops, engine builders, “Joe’s Garage”, various performance shops across the country…you name it, I called ‘em. I eventually was lead to Red Star Performance (http://www.redstarperformance.com/) out of Oxford, GA (just outside of Atlanta). I looked at their web site. I called the shop owner/operator. I asked CAFCNA more questions. I asked the Chevy dealership more questions. Of course, my father had his input to give…some of which was actually good, much to my surprise.
I originally thought I would have Red Star Performance drop in a 427 cid motor, with side pipes (just for that “old school” effect). I asked for 500 HP and 500 ft TQ, just to be sure I would have plenty of low-end-grunt to pull that 6000 pound camper up those mountain highways. I was talked into a 6.0L with a turbo instead, on the promise that it would produce 1000HP/TQ at the rear wheels (and for less money than the 427)! They told me the motor was already prepped for a turbo. I never thought I would ever want a turbo charged engine, nor that I would have a vehicle that produced 1000HP! I was like a kid awaiting Christmas!
May, 2008
With my Avalanche now at the shop of Red Star Performance, things looked like they were going smoothly. We had to be able to handle well over 1000HP/TQ. An automatic would fail simply by design…they slip. That’s how they shift. This would only work with a manual transmission...or a very pricey Allison transmission. Enter the folks at ZF. The ZF S6-650 6-speed is rated to tow 26,000 pounds. What a monster! Exactly what I needed. More planning was needed to make this thing fit in the Avalanche. Custom drive shafts had to be fabricated. We ended up getting a transfer case from a one ton Silverado with electronic controls. Cross members had to be modified. Re-wiring of the electronics had to be done. And what about 1000HP on that ½ ton rear end? We installed a Hummer H2 rear end (slightly modified for the 5-link suspension), with a Detroit locker and 3.42:1 gearing (and matching front gears). What does this mean? It means that we have now built a truck that will handle anything you hook up behind it. That H2 rear end is of the 8-lug wheel type. So adapters had to be fitted to the front when the new, larger, Chevy Tahoe brakes went on. This also means that new wheels were in order to accommodate the 8-lug pattern. Jesse James Lawless 11 x 20” chrome wheels fitted with some Toyo Proxes ST2’s put the power to the pavement.
The intercooler has been a bit of an issue. In order to handle a motor that produces well over 1000HP, you need to cool that compressed air so you don’t burn the pistons. An air-to-air intercooler was so large that it didn’t fit between the frame rails, stuck out 3 inches beyond the bumper and all but completely restricted the air flow to the radiator. The obvious solution…water-to-air intercooling from FrozenBoost.com (http://www.frozenboost.com/index.php?cPath=216&osCsid=9a01b7ba62ed8578d6cea0a5dc2ec4da), along with the help of CX-Racing.com (http://www.cxracing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CXR&Category_Code=AWIC) to complete the fit.
Have I mentioned “overkill”? Those twin turbos turned out being Garrett GT3582’s, capable of producing over 1300HP (http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobygarrett/catelog/Turbochargers/GT35/GT3582R_714568_3.htm). We won’t be over-taxing these babies to get me the 1000HP I am looking for. All the air piping is made of stainless steel. And what about my all-too-important “old school” side pipes? Custom-made polished-stainless steel, 3” diameter pipes wrapped in 4” tube for a heat-shield…from the boys at Conyers Muffler just outside of Atlanta, GA.
So what does it take to get over 1000 rear wheel HP and TQ? It takes over nine months of planning and more than three months of custom fabrication, customization, building and installation. Oh, yeah…not to mention an extra $40K (not including the price of the truck).
Now, not everything has been listed in this little write up. There are incidentals like, a glow-in-the-dark-scorpion shifter knob. Wallboro fuel pumps (2 in fact), numerous fittings and hoses, gauges to monitor air pressure (boost/vacuum), temperature and other vital statistics. Waste gates and an electronic boost controller protect the motor from over-boost. A Nelson tune and HP Tuners (http://www.nelsonperformance.com/). The list goes on and on.
So, what do you do now that you have the baddest truck on the planet? You could always re-do the interior, sound system and other various electronic gadgetry, and add a trick paint job…but that would run another $40K. We’ll see. Maybe next time I have some loose change in my pocket.
Doom and Gloom
After 4 months at Red Star Performance, and nothing being accomplished in over 2 months, I became less than happy with the performance of the shop. Evidently, they were at a loss when it came to installing the intercooler. Instead of coming forward and admitting that they got in over their head, they started blaming me for being too unreasonable. Yes. That’s right. After I let them talk me out of my 500HP 427 cid motor and into a 6.0L turbo motor, (which, by the way, was NOT prepped for a turbo) and $40K and 4 months later...I have become unreasonable. Forget that I went along with every hair-brained scheme these people threw at me...forget the fact that they would have been perfectly happy building a $20K motor that would have torn the truck apart...forget that I arrived at their shop and put in 2 fourteen-hour days helping to get the thing built, trusting their judgement every step of the way. I even let them talk me into another $8k in parts. Forget that after adding all these power-building parts, they no longer claim it will make the 1000HP...not unless I spend ANOTHER $5k on a fuel system (which supposedly had been paid for 3 months earlier). They couldn't keep to their story...they couldn't keep the bill straight...they couldn't keep track of what lies they had told me, as was evidenced by the lack of completion when I arrived. Talk about not being able to handle a little criticism. What more could I do? They could have hired outside assistance to complete the project and I would have footed the bill every step of the way. They simply said they have stopped work on the project, would not complete it and I had to make arrangements to remove it from their property immediately...and oh, by the way, it can’t be driven. Well, after a phone call to a local tow service, 2 days on the road, 900 miles and $1800 later, I had my Avalanche back in my garage...along with several boxes of parts.
$40,000 would have gone a long way towards a new Corvette!
A New Beginning
September, 2008
Today my Avalanche was hauled away once again. My boss has a drag racing team, and they agreed to attempt to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. We'll have to see how things turn out. If the whole turbo thing becomes too much of an issue, we'll scrap them and the custom exhaust and run normally aspirated. My first choice would be to keep the turbos, but I will sacrafice them if that is what it takes.
Getting the Avalanche onto the car hauler was a bit of a chore. First, it wouldn't start...at all. The battery is good and strong, there suddenly seems to be no connection between the key and the motor. Evidently, installing a new DVD HU in place of the stock GM radio sent the Avalanche into "theft mode". I will eventually have to get it into a Chevy dealership to reprogram the anti-theft device. Luckily, we were able to push it enough to pop the clutch and it fired right up! Because the tires are too big for the front wheel wells and they rub, it took quite some time to turn the Avalanche around to face the car hauler. It died on me once, but I was on enough of a slope that I let off the brake and let it roll and popped the clutch. It fired right up again! Now that I'm facing the car hauler, it suddenly dawns on me...the hauler has fenders and it isn't wide enough! Both tires rubbed the car hauler's fenders, but we got it on there. So I watched my Avalanche being hauled away once again...but this time it will stay local. I can easily drive to their garage after work and see how my truck is progressing...and hopefully lend a helping hand.
There is now a plan in place for getting the intercooler hooked up. Hopefully, all will fall into place from this point and I will have my truck back soon. We'll have to see.
January, 2009
It's been a long, slow road, but I'm told that the intercooler and it's heat exchanger and associated parts have finally been welded into place and we should be ready to go soon. The truck still won't start with the key, and I'm rethinking the audio/video install. What good is a DVD player if the truck won't start? I'll have to see about putting the stock radio back in and see what happens. GM's anti-theft features dictate that I will have to contact them for a code to re-install the stock radio. I might just go with a push-button start system and bypass the factory anti-theft all together.
A Nelson Performance tuned computer has been installed and the truck runs much better already. I'm looking forward to installing the wide-band O2 sensor and getting some good HP Tuner readings and re-calibrate things to optimize performance.
Since all of the intercooler piping that RedStarPerformance planned for this project is the wrong size, I had to buy a lot of aluminum tubing, silicone fittings and expensive T-bolt clamps. These are things to keep in mind if you ever decide you want to build a hotrod. It will not only take more parts than you figured, but also more time and more money. If you can afford to spend $25k on a project, only configure the build to cost $10k...I guarantee you'll eat up the other $15k on all the little miscellaneous parts to put the project together. You might also plan on long, sleepless nights spent tossing and turning as you become so stressed out that you can hear your soul melting...or is that just your wife complaining about your project in her sleep?
February 2009
Progress!!! It looks as though things are finally coming together again. The intercooler system is comming together nicely and is just about done. With any luck, I can take the truck out for testing by early summer...only a year behind schedule. We are still unable to figure out what happened with the ignition and why the key won't turn the motor over. We are convinced that the aftermarket radio install has much to do with it. Perhaps disconnecting the OnStar was the killer here. I didn't bother rewiring the OnStar because it is an older analog system that is obsolete. Honestly, a push-button-start sounds cool.
June 2009
I finally managed to get my truck back. I am quite dissapointed in the work ethics of people these days. Grant you, I wasn't paying up the yazoo to have this last bit of work done...but it took 8 months to do a week-end's worth of work! I was told that I wouldn't have to do anything to it when I got it back...not the case. I have a ton of work to do, and I'm finding out as I go that RedStar Performance didn't do as much work as they lead me to believe either (imagine that...RedStar Performance telling more lies????). The electric cooling fans weren't wired up, as I found out when it overheated after a test-drive to the gas station and back. I've purchased the necessary equipment (thermo-switch) to complete the fan installation and it is pretty straight-forward. Of course, the turbos are making it extremely difficult to install the probe into the radiator because I am not able to remove the electric fans with all that turbo stuff in the way...but I have managed to get the probe and wiring in place.
I'm in the middle of another "home improvement" project that needs to be completed before I tackle the Avalanche...so it will have to wait for a few more weeks.
September 2009
The tear down
I finally managed to get the fans working properly. After several tries with Advanced Auto Parts items...I went with another type of relay that will hold the demanding current draw of these electric fans. I've made several attemps with probes and even with the truck's PCM controlling the fans, but no luck. I ended up wiring them to the ignition so they come on whenever the key is on. I will eventually go back to either a radiator probe or an engine block sensor to switch the existing relays, but this works for now.
After about one tank's worth of gas for tuning, and achieving good power, I have come to the conclusion that the turbo setup isn't the way I want to go. Sure, the power is there...but at the upper RPM range. I want the power down low as well. Pretty much across the board. I managed to lay some rubber with the turbos, but a lot of heat is generated building all that power. Plastic started to melt and there is a lot of plastic in modern cars...so off come the turbos. Everything associated with the turbos will be sold off.
October 2009
I have managed to get all the turbo related items removed and will include some pictures. The exhaust was probably the most difficult item to remove, as it was fabricated in place in the engine compartment of the truck. I thought an extra pair of hands from a buddy was the answer to getting the exhaust out, but in the end, I had to cut the exhaust just after the cats. Let me tell you...heavy gauge stainless steel isn't very easy to cut. I used a sawsall and steel-cutting blades...and went through three of them before the pipes were cut! I suuppose I could have removed things like the AC, front drive shaft and steering shaft so I could get the exhaust out in one piece, but it just seemed like less work to do a little cutting.
I have had to change the front tires because they rub when turning...this will never pass the state inspection with the tires rubbing. I went with a slightly shorter and slightly narrower tire of the same Toyo series. Now the thing is driveable!
November 2009
I put a set of stainless steel headers on and will work on getting the exhaust re-done. The guy that did the exhaust in Georgia didn't build it to spec's, and it would have had to be re-done even if I kept the turbos. Just another case of someone not doing what they were paid to do and taking short cuts and being deceiving. I found out the hard way, but I will make things right.
I talked to a local (if you can call 20 miles away local) exhaust shop about my idea for the side pipes. I told them I wanted the mufflers mounted inside the polished stainless steel pipes and a 2 1/2 inch stainless steel pipe running inside the 4 inch polished pipe. They understood exactly what I was trying to do, and were happy to accomodate me.
We got to talking about the project as a whole and they showed an interest in the turbos. I offered to trade one turbo for the exhaust work, and they seemed to like the idea...after all, they were getting a $1500 turbo for less than $600 worth of exhaust work. However; when it was all said and done, they raised the final cost and didn't want the turbo. I was just glad I had the money in the bank to cover the bill, since I was expecting a trade. One of the guys wanted to buy the whole twin turbo setup, but naturally didn't have any money. That seems to be the case every where I turn...everyone wants the turbos, but they don't have any money. Even if I offer to sell them for a killer price, and they get all excited about it like they could get the money...it just doesn't happen. These things are going to make some interesting paper weights.
I had a new tune file sent to me from Allen Nelson and I installed it in the PCM. The truck still makes great power..in fact, there really doesn't seem to be any loss without the turbos. My only guess would be because turbos don't make power below 3000 RPM or so, and the truck rarely gets above that...unless I'm really revving it to tap into the HP. This thing is a true muscle car...just like I wanted. Power down low. A twin-screw supercharger would still be awsome, as they make power all across the RPM range. If I ever manage to sell the turbo stuff, I can look into getting that Whipple supercharger. The tune still needs a little tweaking yet, but I'm close.
I also started putting things underneath back together...inner fender wells, skid plates (I need to get the bolts for these, since it seems they didn't make it back from RedStar), engine cover, etc. Some things won't be able to go back on, such as some fender braces, bucause the battery, computer and coolant overflow bottle were relocated to allow room for the turbos. The fenders seem plenty steady, so I'll have to play this one out and see what happens.
The electric cooling fans are now back on a radiator-mounted thermo-switch and everything is working properly. I still need to make the shifter boot, but other than these few minor things, the truck is pretty complete.
January, 2010
I went ahead and purchased a set of used GM 2500 steel wheels from a junk yard to put snow tires on. This will set the project back by about a grand, but the Toyo Proxes ST2's weren't very good on snow/ice.
May, 2010
The project has failed. You cannot successfully or economically outsource this type of project to the extent I have done here, due to the workforce and businesses of America looking to lie, cheat and steal their way into your pocket and give you nothing but heartache and grief in return. The local exhaust shop, after charging me substantially more than the estimate, actually destroyed their own work through their incompetence. They cross-threaded the O2 sensors when they put them in. I discovered this about 4 months later, when I couldn't get the truck tuned because the O2 sensors were not sealing in the exhaust pipe. I hadn't realized the magnitude of this until I had managed to destroy 2 wideband O2 sensors, trying to get them installed in place of the stock O2 sensor. I ended up having to take the truck to a national exhaust chain and have them rethread the threaded O2 bungs. To do this they had to drop the exhaust out of the truck, tap out the threads and reinstall the exhaust. Now, this is a dual exhaust, so they had to do it to both sides in order to determine the extent of the damage caused by the shop that built the exhaust. Given that the O2 sensors were stripped, I was also charged for new O2 sensors.. While they had the exhaust down, I had them weld in a seperate threaded bung for my wideband O2 sensor. This re-working of the exhaust cost almost $700!
So now I go to re-install the PLX Devices wideband O2 sensor, and it still doesn'tt work. I have a new harness and new O2 sensor and it doesn't work. I contact PLX and send the unit back. They then return it to me and tell me that it tested fine and could find nothing wrong with it. So I install it again, and it still doesn't work. I am now very dissatisfied with PLX. I have returned it to them once again, and am hoping to get a replacement unit, as this one obviously didn't work right from the very beginning, and had nothing to do with the harness being melted by the exhaust pipe. The unit is out of it's one year warranty period, so I don't know what to expect from PLX. They seem to be playing a game at the moment, asking questions about how I'm supplying power to the unit and if anything else is on the same circuit...all of which is irrelivant since the unit is supposed to work on 12-18V DC, and I am at 14.6 V DC and nothing else on the circuit. It is set up well within its operating range. Not to mention that it seemed to work for the first hour or two before it got stuck on a "rich" reading, so you can't tell me I am not supplying the necessary power to the unit.
Nelson Performance has been unable to fine tune through the PCM, as I still have a sputter under heavy load at 2000 to 3000 RPM's and the truck seems to be lacking a little power across the entire range. This motor should really pull, even in a 6000 pound truck, this thing should have some serious grunt! Without a functional wideband O2 sensor, fine tuning will be impossible. I guess I'll need to get it on a dyno and have the shop tune it based on the dyno readings, which is what I had planned to do eventually anyway to fine tune it, but the PCM tuning with HPTuners was supposed to be better than where I'm at now...which leads me to yet another dissappointment in yet another product...HPTuners. Not very user friendly. Very difficult to understand. It seems like it would be easy, but executing your programming changes is another story. The help section falls short of actually helping as well.
January 2011
The stock fuel pump crapped out two weeks before Christmas, so I now have a good excuse to rip into it and install those two Walbro 255lph fuel pumps. I began by cutting out a hole in the floor under the rear seat to gain access to the fuel pump. Once the hole was cut, it was pretty simple to remove the old fuel pump. I disassembled the stock pump and began modifying it by cutting the bottom and a portion of the side out to make room for the two Walbro pumps to fit within the stock housing. I re-plumbed and re-wired the pumps to work together, with one pump functioning like a stock one, controlled by the truck's PCM. The other pump is wired to an MSD digital RPM window switch, that reads a signal from the truck's PCM, so essentially, both pumps are controlled by the truck's PCM.
255lph is a lot of fuel, and I currently have the 2nd pump turned off altogether as it was flooding the engine when it came on. I won't need this 2nd pump until I install a supercharger. One pump seems to deliver enough extra fuel to warrant a re-tune. I no longer have a "sputter" at 2500 RPM's under hard acceleration, but it does sputter above 4000 RPM's under hard acceleration now. For daily driving, it is not a problem.
I contacted Allen Nelson about the current conditions I am experiencing with the truck. After a few tries and changing the setup back to the stock MAP/MAF sensors, we now have a decent tune. It could still use a little tweaking, but it's close. I don't have any "sputter" going on, but it feels like it's being held back or somehow restricted. The power is pretty good, but not quite there yet.
July, 2011
I have been toying with the idea of installing a PC in the Avalanche for the purpose of monitoring telemetry/diagnostics of the motor and running HPTuners full time to keep an eye on things and for tunning on the go. I also want to use wi-fi/3G for the internet music like Pandora and Youtube and to keep connected to various web forums and my email accounts on the go. I would also like to store all my music/movies on the hard drive so I never have to do without, no matter what I might be in the mood for at any given time. Streaming of Netflix and the like would be an added bonus.
I now have an HP donor PC. I will start striping the components from the cabinet and reassemble them as needed within the confines of the Avalanche. My Jensen head unit with flip out touch screen also has inputs that will allow me to hook the PC up and not install a seperate screen just for the PC.
August 2012
Time for an update to the project. I've put the computer install on hold, as I will need to do some electrical upgrading and some interior changes for everything to go together nicely. I've been concerned with the lack of power from the engine. I've done some research and come to the conclusion that the cam is just too small. It's been robbing this motor of power instead of building power. I've installed a Comp Cams high performance truck cam that should really bring the motor to life.
Some things to keep in mind when installing a new cam (or tearing into the engine for any reason). First, gaskets are not only non-re-usable, but expensive as well. To the tune of well over $100 for head gaskets all the way up to several hundred dollars, depending on your needs. Anything you remove that has a gasket...you guessed it...needs a new gasket. Second, modern GM engines use "torque to yield" or "stretch" bolts. Like gaskets, they can't be re-used. Now, you could buy new GM bolts and be in the same position the next time you need to make a repair...or if you are "experimenting" with various set-ups. The other option is to get some good quality aftermarket bolts that can be re-used. I went with ARP bolts and went a step further and upgraded to the 12 point bolts and studs. These are vary expensive, but the long term payoff far outweighs the initial cost...just make sure you also have a high quality 12 point mechanic's socket set...and be prepared to buy a few, very specific tools that you likely will only use on the vehicle you are currently working on and for only one or two bolts...and never pull the tool from the tool box again. You could always rent the tool, but it is so much more convenient to have one on hand, just in case. Third, you may find that sometimes things break. For example, when removing a spark plug, the ratchet hit a coolant temperature sensor and broke it. That's a $35 item. Of the bolts that can be re-used, they sometimes break during torquing. These $5, $20 and $50 dollar mishaps add up, like the special tools you just bought.
Where does this leave me now? Well, a $400 weekend cam swap has turned into an $800, two-month-long, "up close and personal" relationship with my engine bay. Is it worth it? For me...yes. Maybe not for you. If I needed this vehicle for daily use, I would be in a lot of trouble by now; but it has become another, very expensive toy.
September 2012
Here are some step by step instructions for those thinking of swapping their cam. It isn't necessary to remove the engine from the truck or spend thousands of dollars to have a garage or the dealership do the work, if you have a few basic hand tools and the willingness to learn as you go.
I will update this thread as I get more pictures of the progress taken and uploaded. So here we go.
The cam currently installed in my truck was robbing my engine of power instead of making power. There is a plethora of options out there, so know what your goals are and don't be afraid of making a mistake...it's only money 
Any reputable source can tell you the cam you need for your engine and your goals. I eventually went with Comp Cams, as they are one of the few suppliers that actually grind the cams. Many on-line sources buy from Comp Cams, and are merely a middle man. I went with a cam that makes power from 800 to 5200 RPM's, which is honestly where we all run our engines at unless we are on the drag strip.
First...disconnect the battery, remove the hood latch support, radiator, A/C condenser, fans, belts, water pump...
Now you have access to the front of the engine, so there is no need to remove the block from the vehicle, but you should remove the spark plugs to make turning the engine over by hand easy.
You'll need a 3-jaw gear puller to get the crank pulley off. Then you will have access to the timing chain cover.
Once you have access to the cam gear, turn the engine over by hand using the crank bolt and a ratchet/cheater bar and align the timing marks. Remove cam gear and camshaft retainer plate. I marked the dowels to fit behind the cam gear for the final re-installation process, with approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch still sticking out of the block; install 3/16th wooden dowel rods in the holes that were behind the retainer plate. This will keep the rollers from falling out. (Be sure to use good straight dowels, as a bent one could allow a roller to drop, as did mine and I had to tear the engine down to get to it and re-install it). Remove the coil packs and valve covers.
In the picture above (taken AFTER a lifter had already fallen into the block), the cam has already been removed and you can see that there is room for two dowel rods in the hole, but they aren't fully inserted. Only one rod is used in each hole to hold the lifters in place. The picture is purely to show you where the wooden dowels go.
Remove rockers and the push rods. Now put the cam gear back on with one bolt finger tight for easy removal of cam. Remove cam with a turning/twisting motion, supporting it along it's length the entire time you are pulling/turning.
With the cam gear installed on the new cam using just one, finger tight bolt, install the new cam. Pre-lube the cam with a builders lube or a good quality synthetic motor oil. Twist and push the cam into place, supporting the center of the cam. Once the cam is all the way in, remove the cam gear, remove the wooden dowel rods and re-install the cam retainer plate. Now put the cam gear back on for the final time.
Unfortunately, I must stop here and continue at a later date, because one of my dowel rods was warped and allowed a roller to fall out. I now have to remove the intake, driver's side exhaust and driver's side head to retrieve the roller and re-install it in the head. Once I have done so, I will finish this write up with pictures.
By the time I had removed the head and retrieved the lifter and began installation of the new cam...another screw up on my part caused a lifter on the other side to drop, so I had to remove the other head as well. A good telescoping magnet with light comes in handy here. If I hadn't had one, I would have had to pull the oil pan off to get to the lifter.
Now that I have researched and purchased gaskets, I have completed the cam swap. I went with a Cometic .040" thick head gasket set, and a basic set of timing cover caskets, which included the timing cover gasket, water pump gaskets, a few O-rings (which I didn't need) along with some other gaskets that I didn't need for my application. This was an extra expense I hadn't counted on, which set me back another $240 in gaskets and a bolt. I was fortunate enough that when the builder put my engine together, he used ARP head studs instead of standard GM. The GM's are "torque-to-yield" and are a one-time-use type of bolt. The ARP's can be used over and over, but the GM's are about $100 and the ARP's are $300 and up, depending on the type of bolt set you get. The crank bolt is also a one-time-use item, so I went with the ARP bolt, which was about $20...and looks cool! Be sure to torque down all the bolts to the proper values and in the proper order. I thought I would post all of this in this thread, but it would just make it unnecessarily lengthy, as I got all my information from other sites like LS1Trucks and the like. The values may vary for your vehicle year, so be sure to research before you start over-torquing a bolt and snapping it off (gee...I wonder what THAT is like?)!!! 
Before putting the valve covers back on and the spark plugs back in, crank the motor over by hand and observe the rockers and valve springs to make sure nothing binds up. If you can turn the motor over freely and all the rockers are going up and down smoothly...you have successfully re-assembled your engine! Now take a break and drink a beer.
Once you have everything buttoned up;intake manifold on, exhaust manifold on, valve covers on, wiring harnesses plugged back into all the sensors, water pump, power steering, radiator, etc., fill with fresh anti-freeze and change the oil/filter. Now hook up the battery and prepare yourself for the moment of truth...did you do it right? Did you get all the sensors plugged in? DID YOU MISS ANYTHING? 
Start the engine.
Mine fired up on the first try 
It ran like crap, but it still needed to be tuned. I already had the tune in the PCM, but it obviously needed some serious tweaking. I have been working with Allen Nelson on the tune, and we are pretty close. The truck hasn't run this well since the day it rolled off the assembly line...but this is not a stock truck. Granted, a heavy foot will chirp the tires in 1st...2nd...and yes...even 3rd gear...with little effort. But I don't want to just "chirp"...oh no! I want to "Dukes of Hazzard" - slide around corners when I'm feeling a bit frisky. 
I want the back end to get a little squirelly 
Another thing I should mention is the anti-freeze. When you've drained or partially drained the system, you get air pockets in it. It took several times of boiling over before I got all the air out and enough coolant in. It can be frustrating...Keep a container, such as an oil pan under the over-flow to catch the coolant. Animals LOVE the taste...it is sweet to them...but they will die an agonizing death as it eats them from the inside out and poisons their entire body...every organ, their brain...if they live that long. There is only a one-in-one million chance of rescue once they have ingested even the tiniest amount. An extensive treatment of a charcoal solution flush is their only hope of survival. Please...USE EXTREME CAUTION WITH ANTI-FREEZE! Unless you've seen an animal suffer from anti-freeze ingestion first hand, you have no idea...I can't emphasize this enough.
In all, this was a fairly simple job...aside from a few mistakes that cost me both time and money. This should have been a weekend job at about $400 or so, but it turned into several months and nearly $1000...those costly mistakes tallied up to about $600 and time spent waiting for parts. I really can't complain about the wife here. She's been a real trooper...even if I had to beg, whine, cry, lie, cheat and steal to get my way...oh yeah; I also threw a few tantrums in there too
So...impress me with your tuning Allen... 
I would also like to thank everyone that helped me with advise on parts...
Doward (one of our own here on CAFCNA), for helping with cam selection.
John at Texas Speed for helping with head gasket and crank bolt selection.
The guys on LS1Trucks.net that did most of the foot work years ago and posted torque specs.
Allen Nelson for his great work on email-tuning the PCM.
There were various others here on CAFCNA that have given advise along the way. I have checked other threads to get information and guys like Itstopher have been a big help with this and other projects.
If I didn't mention anyone specifically, it is only because so many of you have given advise and expertise here that I don't remember the specifics. This is a great community of people with a wealth of knowledge. It would be a shame if it ever went by the wayside or in any way fell apart. I consider all of you my close and personal friends...family. Who knew, right?
