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So I finally have the time to put all my parts on with this quarantine.
So far I have the car torn down to the timing chain due to a bad opti (wet) and oil leaking from my front cover. So I'm doing all those seals and my oil pan gasket, I have all the bolts on the pan out, just ordered a engine hoist chain for my cherry picker.
Here's a rough list of parts I have to install
-front/rear koni shocks with vogtland springs
-umi adjustable panhard bar + Lcas all with rotojoints
-weld in subframe connectors (dont have a welder so NA I assume)
-Fully assembled 3.90 Rear end with detroit tru trac
-Adjustable torque arm
-Poly Motor mounts
-Umi Front & rear sway bars
-Strut tower brace
-Full exhaust headers back (going from 1 7/8 to 1 5/8) 3 inch back, straighpipe, will weld in walker quiet flow and a cutout
-Lunati voodoo lt1 dual valvespring kit with 1.6 RRs
-Steering rack assembly w/ tierods
-Wideband o2 sensor
-ram clutch
I have the car on jackstands right now, I'm thnking of dropping the whole k member to the ground and doing all front suspension parts I have, steering rack, oil pan and motor mounts then put the k member back in and finish the front timing cover, a little unsure on how to support the engine other than using the hoist I have....then removing the headers and exhaust (then finish plugs and wires with the nice clearance). Before I put the new exhaust in I'll drop the rear, finish exhaust then put the rear back in with all new suspension parts. Lastly after I get it all back together test it make sure its workin, then do the springs and roller rockers...I'm not sure if I have the capabilities to do the clutch by myself. I have done it before on a lift with a friend who knew what he was doing. I think I can handle the mechanicals but working by myself under the car removing the trans seems difficult.
Last edited by Bengtson95; 04-24-2020 at 08:25 PM.
lol i already discussed this with her, she will be out there, I just am not sure on what order to do things. I sometimes worry I won't be able to get it back together again!
Honestly, this is just my opinion but if you can handle the rear under the car and move it around you can do the clutch. The first time I did mine I was just a kid laying on my back in my dads garage. Room to move under the car Is really the hardest part. When I put the transmission back in the car I ended up crawling under there and dragging the trans up on my chest and pressing it up into the car. I had just a floor jack back then and it had no transmission adapters and I couldn’t for the life of me keep it on the jack pad. If you have enough room and a few better tools than I had you’ll have no issues.
Also, again if you can get the car high enough in the air you can drop the engine down while still on the k member and this might help some with the clutch job and definitely will putting headers on. Everything you do without a lift is difficult, you have to be creative and very careful. Good luck with it and don’t be afraid to ask, PM if you need help.
Also, to get my car up higher I cut some 2x10’s (4 high) and screwed them together and set my jack stands on top of them. Idk if I’d go any higher than that and I had stands with a small base on them. Once the stands are on the blocks they’re pretty stable and my car sat like this for about 2 months over the winter while I did several things to it. It may sound sketchy but if it weren’t stable I wouldn’t have worked under the car. You just be VERY careful with how you lift the rear while the nose is that high.
Honestly, this is just my opinion but if you can handle the rear under the car and move it around you can do the clutch. The first time I did mine I was just a kid laying on my back in my dads garage. Room to move under the car Is really the hardest part. When I put the transmission back in the car I ended up crawling under there and dragging the trans up on my chest and pressing it up into the car. I had just a floor jack back then and it had no transmission adapters and I couldn’t for the life of me keep it on the jack pad. If you have enough room and a few better tools than I had you’ll have no issues.
Also, again if you can get the car high enough in the air you can drop the engine down while still on the k member and this might help some with the clutch job and definitely will putting headers on. Everything you do without a lift is difficult, you have to be creative and very careful. Good luck with it and don’t be afraid to ask, PM if you need help.
after working under the car and getting the headers and exhaust off I'm a bit more confident I could do the clutch. I got enough space to use a creeper under there and I definetly have it stable...I have been spoiled and always used a lift. First time using 4x jackstands and it was sketchy getting in the air but its definetly solid now. I have just been taking parts off...I figure I'll remove almost everything I'm replacing first, then piece it back together with. New parts.
Am I on the right track with the front end though?
I am replacing steering rack. Sway bar and shocks and springs. That along with the oil pan gasket has me thinking just drop the kmember on the floor to do that work.
Here's an update, pretty sure I'm ready to lift the motor a bit and drop the k member to do the oil pan gasket.
I got exhaust off and torque arm and D.S too.
Slow progress but not terrible.
Did a bit of inspecting, I have an ac leak and trans
leak, (see pics),the drop is formed and casing is wet but I never noticed any spots. Seems to be covering most of the trans maybe seeping from the seams in the case?
Could not believe how many exhaust leaks, 3 of the 8 cylinders, then extremely black Mark's on the exhaust where it slipped together on all the joints...I bought aluminum tape to use on the slip joints, I think it would work really well to help seal. Unsure about the y pipe hitting the floor, had this issue before and it sure was annoying, I am going to do motor mounts, but I was looking at my stockers, dunno if there original bit they dont appear to have anything but superficial cracks, not bad shape to me, Similar to my trans mount.
Anyone around CT need a full a 3.23 rear end? Not looking to keep this one once I pull it..
Another thing, I'll probly add a picture tomorrow but I noticed a hole in the rubber joint that connects one of my fuel lines a little behind my y pipe...I am not leaking fuel so I assume this is for venting? Unsure, can that cause my to lose pressure at the fuel rails? I almost instantly bleed down all fuel pressure and I have a new regulator and newer fuel pump
Ac leak? How easy is that to fix? Plugs and wires out, headers off. Timing chain is next Oil pan bolts out Sensor was left connected by a few bare windings of wire...will have to address that. Does this trans mount look good? Trans is wet.. drip accumulated on bottom..no drips on floor. Though, need to check trans fluid... Torque arm and driveline out.
Got the rear out! Was pretty easy...using 2 jacks (one under pumpkin, other under yoke and 2 jackstands under axle tubes i was able to lower it and roll it out of the way without muscling anything myself. Very happy with how that worked out Transmission was not as fun. Using 2 jacks on front and back of trans with a ratchet strap to one jack i tried getting it out. Was not fun, ending up falling off jack and the tailshaft landed on my chest and covered me with delcious transmission fluid. Trans is from a donor car. Apparently they broke off the reverse lockout then epoxyed it back on, i was thinking of deleting it but i have real alotof comments warning not to. Any ideas? Maybe i should just wire it up I have a crack in that rubber connector, i am not leaking fuel so i assume its for evap. Can this be causing my almost instant loss of fuel pressure at the fuel rail when i turn off the car? Following that cracked line leads back to this Opinions on lifting points? After thinking further i think i need to move the passenger side as far back as i can so its more balanced Overall project is goin well. Not too many hiccups thus far.
This is my first go around doing this work by myself. I did a auto to manual swap with a friend who knew what he was doing. So I'm trying to go nice and slow and steady! Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
My next task is to decide how I am going to handle the motor mounts, oil pan gasket, front shocks and springs,and steering rack assembly.
So from someone who's done this work before. How would you suggest tackling the following
Motor mounts
oil pan gasket
sway bar
Front Shocks/springs
Steering rack
Helicoil header bolt (thinking of doing this while engine is attached to the hoist maybe will give me more room)
I think that's it.
Also how do you guys effectively clean parts? I'm sitting here with a wire brush on a drill and rags and it's just terrible. I was thinking maybe a steam cleaner? I have seen some youtubers using those to clean grimy parts.
One other piece of advice while you have the rear out of the car, it would be a good time to install a 255 or 340 LPH fuel pump and wiring as you can drop the gas tank now. Also put the over the axle section of the exhaust in before you put the rear back in the car.
One other piece of advice while you have the rear out of the car, it would be a good time to install a 255 or 340 LPH fuel pump and wiring as you can drop the gas tank now. Also put the over the axle section of the exhaust in before you put the rear back in the car.
Previous owner made a trapdoor in the trunk for the fuel pump, I believe he put in a racetronics unit...not sure. Good idea putting the exhaust in prior to the rear! Thanks for the heads up
Another update! Hard parts are done! (Oil pan) lol...that was terrible to do! Lol
so far this is what I have done
new timing set
new timing cover seals
new rear main seal
New rear main seal housing gasket
Fixed vacuum leak for pcv system
also got a whole new pcv system with catch can to keep oil out of intake.
trans is removed (removed it by myself, NOT FUN trans fell off my supports and I broke the fall with the tailshaft on my chest lol)
-bought a trans jack for reinstalling lol
rear is removed
Went to install my opti, realized I only bought msd cap and rotor, so I looked online, I found a acdelco distributor (no cap and rotor) and in the picture it shows the Mitsubishi sensor...so I bought it, for 190...hoping the one I get also has the Mitsubishi sensor and it's not a ploy in the stock photo!!
Also...dont think I had shared this in info, when I removed my old distributor...unknown brand, I took it apart and the cap and rotor were severely corroded and there was oil inside the optical sensor area, also two of the terminals on the distributor were black, not clean brass. So that was definetly a bad part. Also one of the plastic rings on the shaft was broken and deformed probably during installation..will not have anyone else work on my car! You can zoom in and see the Mitsubishi symbol
so glad to be able to put all these hours in the car to get these things fixed. Car was leaking oil everywhere!
04-03-2020, 10:18 AM
Order of operations, quarantine overhaul! 
