2008 GMC Envoy Denali

[n8in8or]

Well here we go.....another project. With the Tahoe still off the road into what has turned into a frame-on restoration I decided I needed to find a new daily driver. I’m kind of picky about what I drive - it has to appeal to me in some way, I don’t want to just drive some standard transportation every day. After some research I decided an Envoy Denali would fit the bill.....practical use as a 4 door SUV, luxury interior to make myself feel special and the LS V8 power in a mid sized package. And they fit in my budget. I was hoping to find one with bad lifters from the Active Fuel Management because it’s an expenive fix for other people to pay for labor, but the parts aren’t much in cost. What I ended up with is a bit further messed up than that: a truck with a seized engine. A lot of 5.3s with AFM use oil after a while and this one must have and the owners didn’t realize it. Otherwise it’s a 1-owner truck that has been pretty well taken care of with 147,000 miles. I actually like the idea of a seized engine....this gives me the opportunity to build the engine to my specs and I know exactly what condition it’s in. I’m also going to finally prove to myself that there aren’t unicorns and wizards in an automatic transmission and get in there and do some upgrades to the 4L65e as well. I’m first going to tear the engine down to see what I have and then make a plan forward. Right now the front runner in my mind is a 6.0 swap, but we’ll see....I still have a lot of research to do. This should be fun!

Hauled it home today.



And started the tear down. Still a ways to go....



The washer solvent tank has a built-in filter cradle. This should make building a cold air intake easy.

 

[Will L.]

Wizards and unicorns!!!
Which one of your old turbos are you putting on the 5.3?
Hahaha

 

[n8in8or]

Wizards and unicorns!!!
Which one of your old turbos are you putting on the 5.3?
Hahaha

I’d LOVE to do a turbo but the engine bay is already pretty cramped. Maybe some day when I can devote some time to do it right, but for now it’s staying NA.....sadly.

 

[ak diesel driver]

WOW you don't start new projects halfway do you. I wouldn't dream of starting that much of a project with a project in my shop already. Hope everything works out for you.

 

[n8in8or]

WOW you don't start new projects halfway do you. I wouldn't dream of starting that much of a project with a project in my shop already. Hope everything works out for you.

Ha! I never claimed to be smart. Thanks, I hope it works out too.

 

[Quadstar Tuning LLC]

Don't build the motor then find the frame is rotted near the trans cross member like we did on my trailblazer SS . It's fixed now but was a fun few weeks scrambling around.

 

[Husker6.5]

Unicorns and wizzards? HAH! More like orcs and balrogs!

 

[n8in8or]

Don't build the motor then find the frame is rotted near the trans cross member like we did on my trailblazer SS . It's fixed now but was a fun few weeks scrambling around.

Yuck! I looked the frame over really good before I bought the truck - that was one of the things I was told to look for on these things.

 

[DieselSlug]

I like the updates you have on here, well versed. Cant wait to see you get this one going!

 

[n8in8or]

I like the updates you have on here, well versed. Cant wait to see you get this one going!

Thank you for the complement!

 

[n8in8or]

Tonight I got the truck up on jack stands and rolled under it to get myself acquainted. Man things are really packed in under here!! I sure miss wrenching on my GMT400. I spent a lot of time working on unclipping wiring connectors and harnesses. Then I decided to remove the transfer case. I got it out though it wasn’t much fun having to leave the front driveshaft attached due to the CV joint at the case. I’m not really enjoying rolling under this thing to work on it....I sure wish the Hoe wasn’t living on the hoist right now!! The starter is ridiculous on this thing - I’d change 5 6.5 starters before I did this one. It’s coming out with the engine and trans and I’m putting a new one on while it’s out. I can’t see how you’d change it...at least it’s not apparent at the moment.

 

[ak diesel driver]

my brother thought 6.5s were hard to work on LOL

 

[n8in8or]

my brother thought 6.5s were hard to work on LOL

Ha! Tell your brother to stay away from one of these, he’d freak!

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

The good thing is LH6's can be had in running condition for $500-800 since nobody wants to deal with the AFM delete. Remember if you delete the AFM, you must swap the cam as well. And I'm sure you're liking how the front diff is part of the engine's oil pan.

 

[n8in8or]

The good thing is LH6's can be had in running condition for $500-800 since nobody wants to deal with the AFM delete. Remember if you delete the AFM, you must swap the cam as well. And I'm sure you're liking how the front diff is part of the engine's oil pan.

Yeah the diff is the next thing I’m tackling....

I’m hoping the heads are still good on this engine because they should compliment an LQ4 short block nicely. I’m still researching combos.

 

[n8in8or]

Last night I got the exhaust Y pipe and axle shafts disconnected.....yes, axle shafts. As Ferm eluded, the front diff is part of the oil pan so you have to remove the axle shafts to yank it.

Tonight was a final push. It was a struggle (the diff and motor mounts are a maze you have to traverse to get it out), but I finally got it pulled. Tear down will begin in a couple days.

 

[Husker6.5]

Plenty of room in there to drop in a P400! LOL!

 

[n8in8or]

Plenty of room in there to drop in a P400! LOL!

Believe me, the thought of dropping the Tahoe’s engine and trans in here has dcrossed my mind....

 

[FellowTraveler]

Wow another BIG project, can hardly wait for the results of this one too.

 

[n8in8or]

Wow another BIG project, can hardly wait for the results of this one too.

This one shouldn't be bit, but I may be underestimating it. Time will tell.