Hey all,

I did the whole pulling of the crunched engine yesterday. I had previously pulled the intake and heads off in order to assess the damage that the crunch had done. It was very extensive, but fortunately hadnt touched the heads at all. Im sending them to MTI to replace a couple bent valves. I am actually planning on selling them and buying a complete longblock from MTI.

Awesome Stage 2+ ARE LS6 heads For Sale

So I went and bought a engine hoist from Costco (189$) and then went ahead and removed the M6 tranny under the car first. After removing the driveshaft, keeping the tranny fluid in the tranny is a real pain in the ***. Especially after you drop the tranny support and tilt the thing down a little to get to all the bolts that hold the tranny to the bellhousing. The stuff just keeps pouring out while you are trying to operate under there. Once the tranny was undone, I pulled it off the input shaft onto me and yanked the slave-master connection, then put the tranny on the ground and got out.

Tranny out

I then went to town removing the radiator, and all the accessories that were on the engine block, as well as the starter, and all electrical connections. As far as the AC, I just left the compressor on the floor under where the radiator had been. I didnt want to disconnect any of the AC stuff. I then lowered the car and started to undo the engine mounts, sure that the engine would start to tilt back. Fortunately, it never started to tilt, and so I was able to undo all the engine mount bolts on each side. I then realized I would have to take off the steering shaft. I then connected the now-put-together engine hoist to the engine leveler that came with it and connected the 4 chains to the head studs. The engine came out relatively easily, other then the leveler getting stuck under the cowl, constantly.

<img src="http://www.nolke.com/SyTy/nextphase/engineRR/engineout2S.jpg" alt=" - " />

Dont mind all the empty wine bottles. I was sober for this. (sorta) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Anyways, the engine came the rest of the way out without too much wiggling.

<img src="http://www.nolke.com/SyTy/nextphase/engineRR/engineout6S.jpg" alt=" - " />

Then I got to look one more time at what sort of mess the engine had made of itself :-/

Anyways... Its a job you CAN do by yourself. Woulda been much more fun with friends though <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Now I just need to finish saving up for the MTI 393 longblock, and I'll write up the "putting a nice engine back in, surrounded in hot naked women" post. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="gr_images/icons/cool.gif" />

\chrisn

 

Great job and nice write-up. It takes ***** to tackle a project like that alone...

When you figure out how to get the "surrounded by hot women" part to happen while doing an engine install, please let us all know! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

Shane

 

Sounds like you learned about the need for a tranny butt-plug!

If you'd had a friend helping you, they could have held the drive shaft in place to keep the tranny fluid out.

Good luck with your new motor!

 

Damn Chris, you never cease to amaze me. Glad to see you decided to go ball to the wall with the new engine...finally your SS will run like it should have

470+ hp watch out!

Blake

 

Shane: Im still investigating, but I think I have a few issues to take care of first, and then Im ready to go! ( Im poor, funny looking, and married <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> )

Dean: I obviously do need a butt-plug <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" /> FOR MY TRANNY. Where in the world can I get one?

Blake: Heh, yeah.... to have this car run like it should almost seems too much wishful thinking. Problem is...if it actually starts working Im going to prove what a lousy driver I am <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

Thanks all, it was quite a job. But after alot of work on LT1s and the Syclone, the LS1 never ceases to amaze me in how easy it is to work on...
I'd be glad to answer any questions or help anyone who is considering it...

\chrisn

 

WOW what a job. Imagine how I felt when 2bseen emailed me with an offer to help me pull my motor on his lift!!! <img border="0" alt="[Fluffy]" title="" src="graemlins/fluffy.gif" />
For free!
How was it pulling the heads with the studs

 

nice job!good luck with your new engine!!!

thanks,
wayne

 

cable: Sweeeet deal bud <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> I would have loved to just drop the K-member. Would have been about half the time. Lifts 'r cewl <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" /> The heads came off the heads studs without any problem whatsoever. Total cake, even moreso than I expected. Only problem is that one stud came out rather than the bolt coming off the stud. Hopefully that situation can be rectified without too much screwing around.

Wayne: Thanks, dude... I need all the luck (GOOD) I can get. Ive had LOTs of the wrong kind recently with this car. Its all a learning experience <img border="0" title="" alt="[Embarrassed]" src="gr_emb.gif" />

\chrisn

 

Very pimp Chris. How are you gonna pull off that naked women thing now that your vette is down here with me? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

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

Aint THAT the truth. But no..the vette is great for getting guys to come over and talk cars with ya... I think the chicks thought it was a substitute for a small... <img border="0" alt="[chug]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_chug.gif" /> glass of beer?

I just need to get the hell back to Texas, where the women are beautiful <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

I really could have used your help, jmX, even if we just made a cool howto <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> I was spoiled in TX in more ways than one. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

\chrisn

 

Did you ever figure out what actually happened to the grenaded engine?

 

Looks like fun! Been there a few times. You can pick up a tranny plug from Napa or just about anywhere. I think it is a #2 plug. They just slide over the output shaft and keep the fluid from draining out.

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by jmX:
<strong>How are you gonna pull off that naked women thing now that your vette is down here with me? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Why don't you go drive around and see how many... oh, nevermind. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="gr_tounge.gif" />

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by xssive:
<strong>Did you ever figure out what actually happened to the grenaded engine?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Im pretty sure a rod bolt let go. From the bits and pieces, it definitely looks like a rod went flying around, and then took out a few more. I dont think Ill ever know for sure, but it looks pretty much like the rod bolt. I had spent alot of time on the rev limiter that day. Its at 6700.

\chrisn

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">keeping the tranny fluid in the tranny is a real pain in the ***</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hey Chris, just a little FYI for ya. They make caps for the rear tail shafts, specifically for keeping the tranny fluid from spilling everywhere. Pepboys sells a kit of them for about 20 bucks, and they fit like a glove. I do about 5 clutch installs a month, and these come in real handy.

Feels good to do things yourself don't it? I have pulled 2 LS1's by myself so far from the top, really not that bad at all.

Josh

 

Hey man, if you need a hand when you get that new long block ready to go in, give me an email. I would love to help, as long as I get a ride in that bad boy. (I did graduate from Wyoming Technical Institute in 93, but I work for Linear Technology these days)

I have done my clutch by myself a couple of times, first the Spec and then the 01 Z06. Peace.

My good email is bradleyLS1@yahoo.com.

 

Hey visceral, do you think you coulda pulled the motor with the heads still intact. I recently did a head cam swap and it was a real pain in the *** to torque all the bolts down inside the engine bay. If I could next time I do any motor work like that I would prefer to just pull the motor.

 

When you tear the motor down, take a few snapshots of the rod bearings.

 

Brad: Sweet! Someone else in this damn place that works on F-bodies...I thought there werent any :-/ I'll let you know for sure <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

99RamairTA: I think I could have, but it would have taken just a teeny bit longer to mauever the engine. I learned a few things this time about how to chain an engine up better to pull it out. THe engine leveler needs to be as close to the top of the engine as possible, not a foot off of it like I have it in the pics.

JAS: I will, but the track officials already handed me a really crumbled up one from the track. It looked like nothing but backing from what *I* could tell. I'll certainly look at others and take pictures of the whole teardown and report back.

\chrisn

 

Nic job!!