Project Novakane suffered a temporary lock down after the birth of my son. Life got in the way of going fast, and that’s why you haven’t seen any updates in a few months. But now we’re back on schedule and ready to assemble the heart of our beast. A quick recap is in order; you’ll remember us pulling out the worn-out factory 4.8L and ordering a boost-friendly GM Performance Parts LSX376 crate engine. That 6.2L LSX engine is going to be fitted with a MagnaCharger TVS 2300 supercharger, American Racing Headers long-tube headers, an ATI Racing 8-rib pulley setup, LS7 throttle body, complete ARP bolt kit, and new sensors/OE parts from Summit Racing. In the last Novakane installment, we showed you the necessary parts to make your GM truck engine swap go more smoothly and what parts we recommend upgrading for optimum performance. In this issue, we’ll show you how everything goes together in preparation for our break-in and engine dyno appointment in next month’s issue. For photography and illustration purposes, we’re going to show you the engine’s assembly on an engine stand, this way you’ll be able to get a clear idea of what our new engine will look like before we drop it in our ’04 GMC Sierra. If going fast gives you tingles and jingles, check out our LSX376 engine buildup and don’t miss next month where we’ll see just how much power our combo makes.
| project Novakane Crate Engine Assembly rendering
From The Driver Seat
Bolting everything onto our GM Performance Parts’ engine went smoothly, with the exception of making a trip or four to the parts/hardware store. We needed new intake and exhaust manifold gaskets, longer intake bolts, and we bought six different 8-rib belts to make sure we had the right size. That’s why we assembled our engine before making the trip to the dyno, because there’s nothing worse than wasting everyone’s time while your engine is sitting on a Super Flow dynamometer. Our LSX376 looks nasty with the accessories and covers painted black, and after our dyno testing is completed, we’ll paint the throttle body and tensioner black to match the other components. As far as power goes, in just four short weeks, we’ll be able to show you how many ponies our combo makes. Go to the blogs sections of truckinweb.com to cast your vote and we’ll mail out a free T-shirt to the person who comes the closest to guessing the real number.
| project Novakane Crate Engine Assembly engine Built
Your Questions Answered
Time Spent Working:
3 Hours
Degree of difficulty
Beginner
Tools Needed:Torque wrench (in-lb and lb-ft), 12-point 8-,10-,12-, 14mm sockets, 8-,10-,12, 14mm wrenches, 7 and 8mm Allen sockets, T-40 Super Torx bit, 24mm socket, 11/16-inch socket (for oil sender)
Parts Used:
GM Performance Parts LSX376 crate engine 19171049
$5,954.95
American Racing Headers long-tube headers GMTE78NC
$1,375.00
(price from americanracingheaders.com)
ARP Bolts LS-engine 12-point black kit 534-9705
$263.99
ATI Racing 8-rib conversion 917339
$952.85
MagnaCharger TVS 2300 upgraded supercharger
$7,450.00
(price from magnacharger.com)
Powermaster 225 amp alternator black 58237
$379.95
Summit Racing water pump AAZ-58-626
$73.95
Total:
$16,450.69
(prices from summitracing.com and do not include tax, shipping, or installation)
| project Novakane Crate Engine Assembly tech Center
