The donor was a 2003 GMC 3500 Savana with a LQ4 Vortec 6000 and a 4L80E. The van had 180K miles on it. I was nervous using a donor with such mileage, but a friend of mine (who is a custom car and engine builder said the new LS based engines are bulletproof).
My son and I started pulling the engine on August 16, 2020. Two of my curious neighbors stopped by to help. We hooked up the straps and cherry picker the morning of August 17. By 2 pm, it was out.
The engines are really tucked in there. The right way to do this is to remove the intake and valley cover, then use a LS engine puller plate. I didn't do that, but I wish I would have. I used a sawzall to cut the exhaust and body above the intake manifold. Note, don't forget to remove the fuse block with the harness. I cut it...
It was such a mental battle, by the time it was out of the van I let it sit for a few days.
