jeffstar

iTrader: (6)

Hey guys!

Looks like I'm going to be doing my H/C swap this weekend. Starting Friday I'll be tearing down my motor. I'm hoping that the tear down is completed by Friday night. I normally take a lot longer putting things together then taking them apart but I'm hoping I'm done with the assembly by Saturday afternoon taking reasonable breaks. I have the 2002 GM Service manuals and a nice write up on the swap all printed out (2 copies in case I opps)


Ok, here is a list of 'Gotchas I have found on this board'

Crankshaft Balance Bolt (must have a fresh one): check
MAP Torch to heat balance center: check
Oil Pressure sending unit can crack if you're not careful: Check


Stuff I have that may not be in the guide along with a pretty nice set of tools:

Craftsman Crankshaft puller
Craftsman Torque wrench
Metric Craftsman gear wrenchs
SAE & Metric Tap and Die Kit (life saver on the Supra)
5 Gallons of Distlled water and Redline water wetter

Parts:
TFS heads
ECS Cam
FAST Intake/NW 90mm TB
LS2 Timing Chain
Water Pump Gasket
Heads Gaskets
Exhaust Gaskets
1 oil change for start up and filter
1 oil change for 500 mile break in
Some nice fender covers heh

All those guys out there that have done this swap could probably tell me, watch out for X or Y or Z that I've not listed.

Thanks guys!

DaddySS

Head bolts, timing cover gasket & seal, big breaker bar and 24MM socket - impact preferably, seals for steam tubes, 3m scour pads and 100 to 150 grit sandpaper, black RTV, anti sieze compound, thread lock, lifter trays, lots of rags, wet and dry vac to pull coolant once the pump is off, a freind to help with the radiator, cam degree wheel, pushrod length checker, pushrods, threaded rod and nuts to pull pulley back in place.

matts22

iTrader: (2)

Damn

Sticky? If not, bookmark worthy I do believe...

jeffstar

iTrader: (6)

Pushrods check. I have no idea where I'd get a pushrod length checker, can you rent those from VatoZone?

"seals for steam tubes" I can buy them locally at the GM dealer? If I damage mine while I remove them? (unlikely though my car has 20,002 miles)

2000Hawk

iTrader: (5)

I used the OTC 6267 pulley puller for my crank and it worked very well. Tips i would say to take your time if you get frustrated just sit back relax and look at the problem.
-Joel

pdd

iTrader: (3)

degree wheel if u want to double check cam specs

DaddySS

Comes from comp, thunder has them.

Your dealer may have the steam tube seals, just real cheap insurance.

Long Beach

iTrader: (51)

Water pump gaskets, ported oil pump, head bolts (do your self a favor get some arp bolts), plastic ice scraper (to clean deck), front engine seal, shop vac (use it to suck out all the coolant from the water pump holes so you dont spill coolant into the head bolt holes), some papertowels and fast food straws (thread the paper towel into the straw and use that to clean the head bolt holes. When you pull it out and its soaked or dirty just cut off the papertowel and thread some more out. This is easyer than threading papertowel into the holes and makes sure you get all the coolant out from the verry bottom), some new header bolts (even if you dont have headers it is good to get some or those stage 8 but dont use the locks $40, or arp but be prepared to spend almost $100 for those), 1/2 drive breaker bar (do your self a favor get a metal pipe to put over handle for more leverage because it is on there), new spark plugs, plug wires if you have the $, antiseaze for the plugs, red loctite for the cam retainer bolts and rocker bolts, rtv sealent for the corners of the front engine cover (can leak sometimes), 8mm allen wrench or socket for the coolant plug on pasanger side head, extra quart of oil for coating cam and priming lifters, 3/8 fuel disconnect tool (get the one that is long not the short one), you will need the oil sending unit socket to put the oil pressure sensor in, i got mine from kragen it was 1 1/16x2 3/8 or something like that) I think that is about it. Good luck take your time and it wont be too hard. I did not but should have used some tape and labeled wires to there location but figured it out just fine.

dnm12

iTrader: (13)

oil pressure sending unit is on valley cover why would you need oil sending socket?

oh yeah lots of time and a clean garage

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

read the ls1 howto over and over again till its in your head. Go slow, take your time. Use a breaker bar with the jack handle over it as a cheater pipe for more leverage.

ls1_doc

iTrader: (6)

Torque Specs in advance are nice as well.

exSSer

You don't need to buy a 24 mm socket if you already have a 15/16" It fits perfectly.

jeffstar

iTrader: (6)

Ls1_doc: I have the GM factory service manuals.
exSSer: Great man thanks!

General question: I keep hearing the front engine cover and intake gaskets are reusable. My engine has 19k miles on it. Should be fine?

DaddySS

Intakes are fine but front cover would have been sealed to the pan so you might want to have a replacement.

Sean Collins

Clean the Deck surface and Headbolt Holes religously. Do not use abrsive discs on small hand held grinders. Use a razor and a couple of rags a few bottles of brake clean to clean the decks take your time and scrape and scrape and if you think your done. scrape it again. then use compressed air and brake clean to clean out the threads. Chase them with a thread chaser or cut some slots in a stock head bolt once you chases them clean them out again. Don't forget to follow the TQ sqeunce and instructions.

Don;t forget the Locktite on the Rocker arm bolts !!!!!!!!! a dab of Silicone on the intake Rocker bolts will help keep oil out of the ports.

Long Beach

iTrader: (51)

The socket is not really to take the old one off but to get the new sensor on there you need this socket because the sensor is long and a standard deep socket will not fit. It was $10 at kragen and here is the link
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...tnumber=648447.

jeffstar

iTrader: (6)

Thanks guys...I'm going to take some pictures of this super sexy hardware tonight and post them up on another thread!

jermzz

iTrader: (18)

When you take the exhaust manifolds off, be careful that you don't break the coolant temp sensor, that's common. Make sure you remove the bolts on the back of the head also.

When you unbolt the head, leave the bolts in a little, but enough to bring the head off the dowls, this sill stop a majority of the coolant from going in the bolt holes.

Grind down one side of one of ur old bolts and thread it in and out to help pick up all the gunk in the holes.

I used really fine grit sand paper to get excess graphite off the block that didnt come off with the razor. Some people perfer a plastick scraper, It would have been easy to nick the block with a razor, which would suck.

also put rags in the piston sleeves on top of the piston and in the lifter tray to keep all the gasket gunk out of the cylenders.

good luck!

Long Beach

iTrader: (51)

If you are going to put the exhaust manifolds back on i would recomend getting new studs for the manifold to cat bolts. When i took mine off to put my headers on one of them snaped. Plus they are rusted bad and might make it easyer next time you take them off if you decide to go with headers. NOTE: use the straw method that i posted above it saved me hours of time cleaning the holes out because you can get all the way in the bottom without having to thread papertowel down the bolt holes. If you want to see pictures of what im talking about pm me your email address and i will send pictures of what i used. Good luck

jeffstar

iTrader: (6)

Head bolt holes, check. (chase and clear)
Intake rocker studs, check (silicon)
I have Long Tube headers
I have a 02 wouldn't that mean metal head gaskets? No graphite?? Or is there still graphite? Either way, LT1 gaskets sure were hard to get all the way off I'm sure these can't be much worse.