Rate My Mechanical Skills!!!!!!!!
05-03-2006, 04:30 PM
#1
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Rate My Mechanical Skills!!!!!!!! Heres the deal. I want to install LT's and a cam(of course, with upgraded valvetrain) on my 2001 TA.
My most complex mechanical experiment in the past has been changing out the timming chain and gears on a LT1 (3times, dont ask), fuel pump, and removing the axle.
Im kinda concerned about taking on these mods because everyone's defenition of "easy" is different! I did not find the timing chain and ect. that difficult, just rather time consuming.
In yalls opinion, should I beable to do these mods, myself? I think so. I have never NOT benable to do something mechanical, I just havnt embarked into the internals of an LS1, yet. Thanx.
My most complex mechanical experiment in the past has been changing out the timming chain and gears on a LT1 (3times, dont ask), fuel pump, and removing the axle.
Im kinda concerned about taking on these mods because everyone's defenition of "easy" is different! I did not find the timing chain and ect. that difficult, just rather time consuming.
In yalls opinion, should I beable to do these mods, myself? I think so. I have never NOT benable to do something mechanical, I just havnt embarked into the internals of an LS1, yet. Thanx.
05-03-2006, 04:48 PM
#3
Originally Posted by just-a-z
It is very time consuming your first time, so just remain patient
05-03-2006, 05:06 PM
#4
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It will probably take you 10-15 hours to do for your first time. I would imagine that this will be a walk in the park for your if you have worked on an LT1. I hated those motors. Did a LT job on one and wont touch them again. Merely a pain in the ***. Just invest or rent a torque wrench and torque EVERYTHING down correctly. Use loctite where needed and antisieze where needed. Assemble the vavletrain while using engine assembly lube as well. Other than that, good luck!
05-03-2006, 05:23 PM
#5
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I had vertually no mechanical skills when I started, now people call me to help do their installs. I have done cams, headers, heads, rear ends, etc., etc., even an LS2 402 engine swap. Just take your time and follow the directions from ls1howto.com
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05-03-2006, 11:46 PM
#9
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Tell you what buddy, if I went from owning this car 2 years ago, and not even knowing how to change my own oil:
To owning this car now:
And doing almost ALL the work on it myself minus the actual pulling of the old cam out and putting it back in, with the timing chain, I am quite sure that you will be able to pull off the Longtubes yourself. Yes, I am the poster child for "Former Ricer gets a Clue". Im proud of the fact I just kinda dove right in and learned it all myself - Ive learned more about cam's and valvetrain and motors in general in the past year and a half then I ever knew before. Oh, by the way, my headers took me about 8 hours the 1st time. 2 hours were getting the old manifolds out, about. 30 minutes for the passenger side header, about 5 hours for the driver side haha. Lifting the motor an inch wasnt so fun haha. But, got it done.
To owning this car now:
And doing almost ALL the work on it myself minus the actual pulling of the old cam out and putting it back in, with the timing chain, I am quite sure that you will be able to pull off the Longtubes yourself
. Yes, I am the poster child for "Former Ricer gets a Clue". Im proud of the fact I just kinda dove right in and learned it all myself - Ive learned more about cam's and valvetrain and motors in general in the past year and a half then I ever knew before. Oh, by the way, my headers took me about 8 hours the 1st time. 2 hours were getting the old manifolds out, about. 30 minutes for the passenger side header, about 5 hours for the driver side haha. Lifting the motor an inch wasnt so fun haha. But, got it done. 
05-04-2006, 03:43 AM
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Teching In
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Mate, you'll be fine.
Ive never touched the internals of any modern engine let alone an LS1. I decided to change the cam and springs on my LS1 early this week.
With the right tools and some excellent instructions like those on LS1Howto. It was a piece of ****.
Once you get started, it all drops into place without any hassles.
But like others have said. Check, double check and then triple check everything. Pay particluar attention to dialling in the cam and make sure the cam plate is bolted back in with loctite and the right torque pressure. A mate was telling me that his workshop has fixed a couple of DIY'ers cam installs where this plate was loose and the cam was moving back and forth.
Jump in and give it a go.
Ive never touched the internals of any modern engine let alone an LS1. I decided to change the cam and springs on my LS1 early this week.
With the right tools and some excellent instructions like those on LS1Howto. It was a piece of ****.
Once you get started, it all drops into place without any hassles.
But like others have said. Check, double check and then triple check everything. Pay particluar attention to dialling in the cam and make sure the cam plate is bolted back in with loctite and the right torque pressure. A mate was telling me that his workshop has fixed a couple of DIY'ers cam installs where this plate was loose and the cam was moving back and forth.
Jump in and give it a go.
05-04-2006, 09:01 AM
#17
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Originally Posted by GuitsBoy
LS1's are super easy to work on. 90% of the time youll be using a single 10mm wrench
05-04-2006, 09:43 AM
#18
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Originally Posted by MightyBobo
Oh yeah, get one of those wratcheting 10MM wrenches - totally worth it on a lot of things 8P. Comes in great handy taking blaster coil packs off, and the oil pump to pick up tube!
Probably the most useful tool I had when doing my cam swap.
05-04-2006, 12:02 PM
#19
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Wow!! 17 responses and not ONE sarcastic remark! I think Im gonna cry!... THanks guys, I feel much better. Dont know what I would do without this board.
And MightyBoBo... I dont know what else to say but.. damn...
And MightyBoBo... I dont know what else to say but.. damn...
05-04-2006, 09:24 PM
#20
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headers dont sweat it anyone can do those just get a buddy over with real skinny arms. the cam... ive never done it but you can do it TAKE YOUR TIME and do it right!
