Also, I m,ay your stocker if you are putting in a 7.0, pm me with a price if you are...I need another one like I need a hole in head but hey another one always works good for insurance purposes, I think.

 

Sorry I already had everything except the front accessories off the motor and it ready to pull.

 

What about selling your stocker motor? Let me know.

 

Do you have a write up for Vettes (C5)? Thanks!

 

The way I lifted my car high enough was,

I placed the rear end on jack stands, lowered the front so the crossmember was resting on a piano dolly, then lift the car with 2 suv jacks on both sides of the car. After it was high enough I just rolled the engine, tranny, crossmember unit, out of the way. Then I placed the front of the car on jack stands.

 

If anyone needs help email me and I will give you a call. I can take pictures also if need be. I didn't have any problems dropping the motor and discovered it was way easier than I thought it would be.

 

Cajun, no not yet, I have yet to finish this one. I will be working on it soon though...I know I have been saying that for a while but I have been extremely busy working.

 

Why would you want to go through all of that work! I've pulled many engines out from the top. It takes on the average about 2.5 hours and you don't have to remove the hood! I made a lifting plate that bolts where the valley cover would. Hook up the engine hoist with a three link chain and out it comes.

 

We can take them out the bottom in 2hrs on lt1's which is more work and we leave the hood on also.

 

Can you have it back in and driving in 2hrs?

 

On an lt1 about 3 hours if working hard, and thats without air tools or a lift.

 

FireHawk441, I'm not trying to come across the wrong way by any means but...coming out of the bottom is alot easier. Ask anyone who has done it both ways and they will tell you, no doubt. All dealer manuals, shop guides, and everything that has a "how-to" for professionals that I have ever seen says the bottom, not one from the top.

Like I said, I'm not trying to come across as a dick, just do me a favor and try it one time out of the bottom, you can thank me later.

 

I took mine out the top. It sucked. I put it back in the bottom. I was running in 3 hours from the time we bolted it to the K-frame. The subframe was setting on two wheel dollys and used a cherry picker to lift the car.

 

For a complete LS1 (exhaust, intake, all front accessories) on a 4th gen F-body? I can't see how because of the cowl rake. Maybe on a older or different car.
I have done both and pulling it from under is much easier and the way to go (especially with a lift).

 

I to have done it both ways. I do this 6 and sometimes 7 days a week. this is what I do for a living. I agree that GM says take it out the bottem. I 've read the procedure. I also have business associates who have worked for dealerships. I also have spoke to other friends and businesses who also would much rather take it out the top. We obviously don't know the same people. Different strokes for different folks, right? We also do C-5's the same way. Nice talking to you. Good luck with future projects. Glad were're not disscussing how to remove engines from a FORD!

 

If 2.5 hours seems like a great time for a tech that does it 6-7 times a week. I don't hell you've done it a bunch of time and you think that a person that hasn't done it once can do it in that time **** I bet that would be doubled or tripled for a first timer for sure. Not trying to get into a pissing match as you said about different ways for every one, but I take them out the bottom in 1 hour or less when I am in a hurry an if I take my time 2hrs is the norm. Engine trans all come out in one piece (No lift or special plate required.)and is easily accessible for taking it apart with an impact or air ratchet once it is out. I bet you have to take off a lot of the accessories to get it out also? IE:Intake,Water pump. Not knocking it cause I haven't tried it, but I know you can't tell my motor has been out a bunch of time no scratched up fenders or anything. I am sure you can becareful, but you are going to drop tools occationaly, and or the motor is going to swing a little more busted knuckles due to removeing more stuff in the car etc.... Most of the stuff comes off under the car when pulling it from the bottom so there is a lot less chance of having the above damage happen etc... Just a few things I wanted to point out on a number of reasons I still prefer the bottom removal to the top side way. But everyone has there own prefered way so good luck if you ever want to try it out the bottom again I will give you a detailed instruction on the way I do it. I am the first person that has pushed the bottom removal from the begining cause I have been doing it that way since the 80's on the third gens. I had a lot of people used say I was crazy the top was the only way to go I think you will find that the majority has swung the other way now after one time most say never again for removing it from the top. There are always exceptions though such as yourself. Happy motor pulling!

 

We just pulled the engine out of the bottom yesterday. Took 2.5 hours total... but thankfully I had the use of a lift and air tools. I was shocked at how smoothly it went being the first time doing something this involved.

 

I went directly to the last page of this thread, so if someone has already posted this, sorry.

I'd highly recommend buying the reference book, "How To Build High-Performance Chevy LS1/LS6 V-8s" by Will Handzell, published by CARTECH. There are 3 chapters, profusely illustrated, about dropping the engine/tranny out the bottom of: F-Bodies, 'Vettes, & Trucks/SUVs.

The guys in my local car club all agree that you can pull an LT1/LS1 out the top, but if you have access to a lift, dropping everything out the bottom on the K-member is much easier and faster. The book gives a few shortcuts so you don't have to do stuff like drain the A/C or power steering, and how to disconnect the torque arm so you can drop the engine/tranny as one unit, which is supposed to save a lot of time.

I'm doing a heads/cam/clutch/intake job this winter. The owner of a local speed shop (bought the parts from him) and 4 or 5 guys from the car club are gonna help me with the project. They're a great crew, and have lots of experience dropping LT1/LS1 engines out the bottom. Since I have a lift, I might as well use the recommended method, and go out the bottom, instead of out the top.

The pictures/text in the engine removal chapters are very clear, and it looks like a straightforward job, as long as you don't rush and get ahead of yourself. To me, the hardest part looks like it'll be re-aligning the k-member/shock tower stuff, and lowering the car back onto the k-member with everything aligned.

Anyway, installing the AFR heads, new cam, FAST intake & 90 mm TB, Z06 MAF, and the clutch should be fairly easy...especially since I'll have so much experienced help. Once the parts are in, a few of the computer-smart guys are going to data-log and part-throttle tune the PCM. Then she goes on the dyno for fine-tuning and WOT tuning. We'll be using HPTuners.

 

Good advice in that book, I got some of my info from there but there are still some other shortcuts they missed. I'm not sure which ones right off hand but they're on the right track IMO. Glad to see so many involved in this thread, I will be alot more active after Christmas when I have a little more free time.

 

hmm well anyone live in houston that wants to lend a helping hand that has done it before...i got plenty of the beer part for after...i gotta pull out the lt in 2 weeks and go pick up the ls1 in austin and then put it in that next weekend...also trying to find a cherry picker to borrow...dont really want to spend 300 on somethin ill be using twice