i'm pulling mine out the top also.you'll be allright,most of the problems is doing it the first time and worrying where everything goes but after you have done it it seems much easier.

 

yup!!!

 

Here are some pics of mine comming out the bottom I did it on a lift but you get the idea. Also like you said you reasemble 90% of the moter and trans on the ground and put it back in as one big part. See sig for more pics.
http://www.clanocdelta.com/chuckcar/...going%20up.jpg
http://www.clanocdelta.com/chuckcar/...nginetrans.jpg
http://www.clanocdelta.com/chuckcar/...ap/nomotor.jpg
http://www.clanocdelta.com/chuckcar/...ensionshot.jpg
http://www.clanocdelta.com/chuckcar/...kpossensor.jpg

 

Any walkthroughs? Or just pics? I dont want to go into this halfway blind.

 

you can pull the entire motor out from the top. heads, valve covers, intake, front pulley. which means you can install it the same way through the top.

 

Buy this book, How To Build High-Performance Chevy LS1/LS6 V-8s: Modifying and Tuning Gen III Engines for GM Cars & Pickups

 

That book is awesome thanks

 

Out the bottom...

 

If you are gonna take the motor out from teh top, I'd suggest trying to drop the tranny first simply because it will make the entire process easier. That can be done with the car on the ground with 4 jackstands, I have helped do one that way... not fun, but possible. This will leave you with alot less weight and overall lenth to have to lift up I would think.

I've never personally pulled an ls1 either, but have pulled enough motors out of other stuff to know that it can come out thru the top.

 

You're saying you can get the motor out from the top, with valve covers, intake on, attached to the tranny? That's insane. I could hardly get the motor in with no tranny, much less with the tranny and the intake etc.... Was it extremely close? I know when i tried with the intake on, I had to take the intake back off, because it was so close to the cowl. Any tips?

 

Me personally, I'd drop the tranny, and pull everythign off the motor I could, intake, all teh stuff off teh fron tof the motor ( pulley, waterpump, power stseering stuff, alt, a/c stuff, all that ) so that you have the smallest possible piece to remove.

The exhaust, I think I'd probably leave hanging in the engine bay, or at least try.

Mind you this would be relativly easy with a lift, on your back it's gonna be a pain, but not impossible. If you have access to a lift so that you can get the car up in the air so getting to the stuff on the bottom of the engine is easy, then this should be cake. If you are doing it in your garage yourself, and you get the car up in teh air on jackstands so taht the tranny can be dropped first, then get the accessory's off the bottom of the motor then, get the car back on the ground and go topside. The radiator, fans, a/c condenser, that stuff is all gonna have to be pulled so that you have room, but with the tranny and pulley/front of the motor stripped, I'd think ti would be pretty easy to do actually out the top.

The bottom route would be fine too, but the biggest downside to that is once it's out that way, the car is immobile, you can't move it anywhere that way... hence why I'd think going out the top might be a better idea.

 

every professional engine builder or performance shop or even the book I just bought says out the bottom is easiest

 

I fyoiiu have bought the book, go by what the book says, you have a step-by-step diagram from the pro's. IMO I would never pull a LT1/LS mmotor from the top, these f-bodies just dont have enough room to make this job very easy.forget leaning over and disconnecting everythin beofer you pull the motor. I have never heard of anyone pulling the motor and tranny from the top.

 

I agree out the bottom is the way to go, but I know a VERY reputable shop that pulls them out the top in 3hrs

 

I've been debating and based on what I've (A) seen and (B) read, I think I'm going from the top. I don't need to remove the tranny so I can simply unbolt the bellhousing and seperate the engine from the trans, slide it forward and then up.... or at least that's how it seems heh. Anybody see a problem with this? As it is I already have the entire radiator/fan/condensor assembly out of the way so I have a ton of room to slide the motor forward and up.

 

Its not as easy as you think!!! I am almost done pulling mine out the bottom! I have only been working on it for like 3 hours and once I get a kart for the cradle I am done in 20 minutes or so. This was also my first time pulling a LS1 out. Trust me I had my heads, intake, etc. already off. Lets just say I had a bare block and I STILL am glad I went out the bottom.