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I have had this 1994 Camaro Z28 about 2 years but just recently starting working on replacing the engine and getting it back on the road. Car has an original Camaro SS hood, full aftermarket suspension, subframe connectors, true dual exhaust. The body underneath the car was custom fabricated so the exhaust tucks up higher under the body.
The engine in the car was all messed up when I got it. I discovered a missing spark plug, all of the roller rockers were adjusted wrong, one wrong size push rod. I replaced the optispark cause the one in it was bad. When I tried to start the car it wouldn't crank at all. I eventually discovered a cut ignition wire in a area hidden under the fuse box under the hood. When I tried to start the car it would crank over slow and would run a couple of seconds and die and there was alot of smoke out the exhaust. So at this point I figured there is engine damage from whoever worked on the engine before.
I picked up this 1995 Camaro Z28 convertible for $575. It looked like it had been sitting a few years. Car didn't run when I got it because the fuel pump was bad. I replaced the fuel pump and got it running. Didn't know what all the car had until I started looking over it to see what all parts it had. I discovered it has a built LT1 engine with AFR 190cc ported heads. I am putting this engine in my 94 Z28.
Dude where are you finding cars at for that cheap! I wish I could get that lucky.. Nice hardtop btw.. My 94' is a hardtop also..
I guess I was lucky to get it that cheap. You don't seem to see hardtop camaros as much as t-top ones it seems. Previous owner had started to replace the fuel pump by removing the tank and must have given up and lost interest. The exhaust system, rear shocks and pan hard bar were all missing when I got the car. It also had a Vigilante 3000 stall converter on the car. Third gear is gone on the transmission though.
Took a couple of short videos of it running before I pulled the engine on the convertible. Car felt very fast even though 3rd gear was gone on the transmission.
Pulled the engine out of the convertible. I did it the easy way, out from the bottom. I am going to replace the spark plugs, valve cover gaskets and oil pan gasket before I put it in the silver Z28.
Can I leave the all AC lines to compressor hooked up or does that have to be disconnected when pulling the engine from the bottom. I think I remember reading somewhere that you could do that but I was looking at it today and it looks the power steering lines that run beside the compressor lines would prevent that from happening.
AC can stay totally intact. You can see the AC system in this a shot when I pulled the engine(first time ever from the bottom) and was wrapping chains around the frame. I've since switched to u shaped all thread through the shock towers with thick washers on the back....with a chain stretched across to lift the body(2nd pic).
Just be careful when raising and lowering the body not to bind up the compressor/lines.
Did you have to remove the power steering pump and aluminum bracket. I already have the radiator out to give me some more room. Did you leave the wheels on when you rolled the engine and trans out or did you have rollers under the suspension and the wheels off.
I put rollers under the subframe and trans to roll it out so I didn't have to lift the body up as high to clear the wheels. I also kept the power steering stuff connected to the motor, just un bolted the reservoir so it could go with everything
That is a very nice hardtop, I remember when I was looking for my car I was dead set on T-tops. Now that I have them, I like them and use them on cool days, but I wouldn't mind a hardtop. I have an LS7 I got for cheap, after I'm done with my 383 LT1, I might find a LS style firebird hardtop to put that in.
It looks like that motor that came in the convertible has a similar ignition system to a Cadillac Northstar or something. Does that use the opti for cam position or does it have one of those timing covers with a cam position sensor in it?
Looks like I will be leaving the wheels on when I roll the engine out because I only have one roller under the subframe. The ignition system is Delteq. It uses the opti for cam position I assume. The opti is still on there but there is no spark plug wires running off it. From what I can tell the company that made this ignition system went out of business a long time ago.
Why don't you use a furniture dolly on the k-member and take the wheels off? That way you don't have to raise the front end 9 feet off the ground...
I also leave the struts in, loosen them from the bottom on the a-arm and separate the steering knuckle from the upper a-arm. Makes life a whole lot easier IMO.
With the intake on it will be close with the airdam in place, but doable.
Why don't you use a furniture dolly on the k-member and take the wheels off? That way you don't have to raise the front end 9 feet off the ground...
I also leave the struts in, loosen them from the bottom on the a-arm and separate the steering knuckle from the upper a-arm. Makes life a whole lot easier IMO.
With the intake on it will be close with the airdam in place, but doable.
I agree that the dolly would be easier on a garage floor or concrete slab, but from the photos of the convertible, it looks like he's in a similar situation to mine where he's outside on a dirt surface, I'll be doing it on a gravel driveway, so in that situation, I'd probably use a dolly on the rear trans mount and a piece of plywood to get it out from under the car, but from there on I'd probably lift from the trans and roll it on the front wheels across the gravel, a situation where I'd rather have 2 full size tires instead of dolly wheels which would just sink into the ground.
Its on concrete, its been sitting in the same spot in the first picture for almost 2 years. I have a furniture dolly or whatever you call them under the transmission and subframe. I just wasn't sure how easy it would roll like that with the wheels off. I will try it that way so I don't have to jack the car up as high. Only issue I have had so far is figuring out how to move the power steering pump away from the AC compressor because I am leaving all the AC lines hooked up.
I got the engine out today. Biggest issue was the power steering pump because I couldn't get the bolt off on it. I had to take the line off the power steering rack to get it out of the way of the AC compressor.
11-12-2016, 07:27 PM
1994 Camaro Z28 Project 
