Narcosynthesis

It's my daily driver and I can't have it down for more than a weekend. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

DERTY

If you do everything you need to and have all the parts it can be done in under a day. Take your time and work through things slowly so that you don't miss anything. Hopefully nothing will go wrong after it's all up and running. Especially if you are swapping out the oil pump, make sure the pick-up tube gasket is in there and not damaged when you put it back together!!

Take a look at JMX's website, LS1howto.com.

I've also got pictures of my head and cam swap as well as a cam and valve spring swap on a C5. C5's are nicer for valve spring swaps, but a bitch compared to an f-body for getting the crank pulley off. So it's essentially a near wash in time.

badass 2002 z28

iTrader: (5)

a full weekend? you can do it in under 5 hours

Mach Go

Murphy's Law....if that is your only car then sure enough you'll run into problems.
I'm hoping that doesen't happen to you...it happened to me too many times so I just anticipate
that everything will go wrong. Of course it helps to have a second vehicle. My Bird is just a toy.

Camaroholic

iTrader: (1)

I did mine in a weekend, having never opened a valvecover on an LS1 before, and having no friends who had done it before. It did take me all weekend (started Saturday morning, finished Sunday evening). I did change the oil pump and timing gearset also, tho (which takes a little more time).

Read jmX's info at http://www.ls1howto.com , and be prepared with tools. Pulley removal and install, valve spring compressor, and the 16 pen magnets are all important. Don't plan on using the AutoZone valve spring compressor, you'll kill yourself. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

It can be done in 3 hours. But not by me. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

-Andrew

Evo98z

Under 5 hours is no problem, but when you start adding breaks for eating and stuff, it may take a little longer. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

xaon

iTrader: (12)

I started mine on a thursday afternoon and worked by myself all that day and the majority of the next day and then all day saturday, car was up and running saturday night. The only thing i really had "help" on was the installation of the springs and the radiator. If you are using the proper tool for the valve springs, you can do it in MUCH less time. I prefer the MORE Performance valve spring tool with a 2 foot cheater pipe on the ratchet handle. It made it much easier to me and is basically required for installation of a dual spring (REV-1116 for instance). A single spring can be done with the crank down style.
I did two installs for dual valve springs. The first was done with a crank down style and took ~12 hours to do the 16 springs. I did it a second time a few weeks later with the more performance compressor and it took about 2 hours to do all 16. The crank-style compressor is kind of hard on your hands.

I would DEFINATELY use the pen-magnet method of holding the lifters. This is the safest method.

If you really are unsure of your ability to get the entire thing done in a weekend. Start off one friday evening and get the valve covers off and the rocker arms out. Install all the valve springs. It really doesn't take too long to get the valve covers off and the rockers off. From there it's pretty much just a matter of having the right tools. If you're able to get all the springs changed friday night, then go ahead with the cam swap that weekend. Otherwise you have the entire weekend to get the valve springs swapped out and then get the valve covers back on. Then on another weekend you can do the rest of the cam install.

Something that I always do is search around and find all the tech articles I can find on something before I attempt it. Read and go through them all and make sure you understand them perfectly and every part of it. If you don't understand something or have a question, ask it on the boards and find out the answer.

BTW. It can be done all in a weekend. Just take your time and make sure you have everything you'll need before hand.

2001CamaroGuy

iTrader: (6)

IF!!!!! eveything goes right...it could almost be done in a day

note the IF!!!!!!!!!!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

I was not so lucky....I tired to go too big on the cam with the mill/valve size I have on the heads <img border="0" alt="[bang head]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_banghead.gif" /> (why you need to clay...I only had 0.010" on the exhaust) .....then I ran into problems with removing the oil pan (getting to the bolts) to get the pickup tube off <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="gr_sad.gif" /> ... it was a mess .... what should have taken me a weekend ended up taking almost two weeks <img border="0" alt="[cry]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cry.gif" />

Take your time though.... CLAY IT!!! .... DON"T CUT CORNERS!!! ... getting the car "driving" is not worth having something damaged.

good luck... your going to need it <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> (jk) <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

Superman

The cam is easy .. did that in 8 hours. It`s doing the springs where the real fun begins...

Narcosynthesis

Good responses. Appreciate it. I never thought about doing the springs one weekend and doing the cam the next. That makes sense.

Would it be ok to run with upgraded springs on the stock cam for a week?

TaTommyWS6

I don't think anyone suggested doing springs one weekend and the cam the next! That would amount in a lot of wasted "double" work.

What was suggested is start the night before, doing the springs. Then do your camshaft (front of engine) the next day. Kinda of splitting up the work load.

Tommy <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

PS Can't wait to do mine <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

VTtransam

A weekend is VERY reasonable. Like everyone above said, It can be done in less than a day if you know what you are doing and have all the right tools. Just take your time, double and triple check everything. You might run into some stupid little problem like I always do. You'll need a second person there to help you with the radiator removel and to hold the AC out of the way, so plan on having someone around. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!! <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

-Matt

ps-DO NOT let a lifter drop, use magnets!!!!!

horist

A weekend is probably feasible... I'm alotting myself 9.5 days for it though when I do mine <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="gr_images/icons/tongue.gif" /> Taking a full week off work plus 2 weekends... should be plenty of time in case I run into problems <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> Plus I should be able to put 300 easy miles on it, then I can beat on it when I get back to work <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

DriveATransAm

well, it only took a couple hours to take apart, then a couple weeks for more parts, then half a day to put it back together <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />