TomXTC

I am about to do a Comp Cams trunion bearing upgrade. I found some of the bearings attached the oil drain plug, fortunately I noticed this before something worse happened as there were no symptoms.

I have looked up the installation instructions and all seems fine and easy.

I don't have the official shop manual yet so I printed out information from All Data and Chilton thinking that would be sufficient for this relatively minor procedure. Get torque specs etc.. Though I found the two sources had conflicting information, perhaps due to differences in the various year TA's LS1 motors.

Anyway I have looked at my car, a 98 WS6, and it does not appear to me that I need to remove too many things to remove the valve covers.

There is one particular item that I am a bit confused by. The information from the manuals say to jack the car up and remove the serpentine belt before removing other things necessary to unbolt the valve covers.
This just does not make sense to me and I was wondering if someone could explain if it is truly necessary to remove the belt and if so why?

Thanks in advance.

Z28/2002

iTrader: (27)

You don't have to remove the belt to take off the valve covers

transamtom

iTrader: (8)

They just want to see if you will do it, then they drive by take a picture and laugh

TomXTC

I have had several TA's and Vettes and it seemed crazy from the get go. I looked at my car and it still made zero sense to me. Just thought I would ask to make sure I was not going insane. It seems easiest to me to just leave the coil packs on, unplug the wires and remove the air tube and a couple connectors and slide them out of there. I am glad to hear my sanity is intact and it was just a poorly written manual.

Thanks Much

TomXTC

They succeeded in making me wonder why they would even remotely think that was necessary as well as confirming my low opinion of Chilton manuals.

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

Why remove the belt...?
That's so you can use a large socket and ratchet to rotate the crank shaft to close the valves and take the rockers off with damaging the rocker bolt threads in the heads.

TomXTC

There were those instructions to remove the serpentine belt but no instructions about doing anything else such as you are referring to. I also watched videos on just doing the bearing upgrade and there was no mention of taking the pressure off the rockers just removing them and bolting them back on in the same order. Even the aftermarket roller tipped ones had the same sort of instructions.

So while what you are saying may make sense only the remove serpentine belt was in one of the instruction manuals, no follow up. The other manual did not mention it at all.

One person suggested that was so that the engine did not rotate accidentally which did not make any sense at all. I don't think he understands that a motor does not turn that easily as if you just bump the belt while doing this.

It made no sense to me but I thought I would ask since the dumbest questions are the ones you don't ask.

I am going to ask the guy that was one of the lead engineers that designed the LS1 and see what he has to say.

Either way thanks for your input. To me it appears that just removing the AIR pipe and a connector is pretty much it. Possibly the cruise control adjuster if I have to. otherwise it appears to me that I can leave the coil packs on and slide them out. The procedure itself seems nice and easy. I have the torque specs and that is about all I need. I am going to use some high quality assembly lube on the new bearing rather than just motor oil as the manual said but otherwise this was the only confusing thing I came across that just did not make sense to me.

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

Okay so it doesn't matter (at least according to my service manual)when removing the rockers what position there in. Installing them it does matter,according to my GM service manual (99 Camaro) you'll need to make the sure the valves for each rocker is closed when reinstalling each rocker to tighten the rocker bolt correctly to 22ft.lb..

TomXTC

Thanks, I will check that out. I have not had to do any work on my car yet. Only 38Kmiles on the car. So I need to get myself a real shop manual but thought that this should be simple enough to do in the meantime. I did see the same 22 ft lbs torque specs but not the rotating the valve closed first. I will double check that before doing this. If it is necessary they should put it in the instructional video.

It is obviously not an obstruction to taking the valve covers off so I was just wanting to make sure there was not some other reason I did not think of. The manuals, All Data and Chilton did not say anything about rotating the valves closed before torquing down the bolts but those are hardly bibles to go by, just something one might use in a pinch like I was attempting. But if it makes a difference I want to know about it. Too late once things are buttoned up, at least something I would not be happy about having to take apart and do again.

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

IMO, if you plan to hang on to your car as long as possible I'd get the 3 GM service manuals. There's a lot of info left out when you condense it all down to a single 1" manual.

transamtom

iTrader: (8)

To make it easier for you you can tighten 1/2 of them after you turn the engine to TDC.

Then turning the engine over by hand another 360* you can do the second 1/2.

From TDC

Tighten Int 1,3,4,5

Tighten Exh 1,2,7,8

Turn 360*

Tighten Exh 3,4,5,6

Tighten Int 2,6,7,8

All 22lb ft.

TomXTC

Smart tip, Thanks, T

TomXTC

I totally agree. I have several vehicles and typically do just that. This was a surprise when I went to do an oil change so was caught off guard. No symptoms just found some needles attached to the drain plug and figured I better fix it fast.

TomXTC

Do you have any suggestions on where these can be purchased for the best price?

My first car when I turned 16 was a 1971 Mustang Mach One and I got the factory service manuals which totaled 5 volumes and it was great. Subsequent manuals have been of varying degrees of quality depending on the vehicle.

I rarely find the aftermarket manuals of much use and certainly do want to get them for this car. If there is a best place to purchase them though I would certainly like to know about it.

transamtom

iTrader: (8)

Go into your local dealership and ask if they have them,they probably aren't doing much work on them any more and would let them go cheap.

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

The only complaint I have about the GM service manuals is the the pages are very thin, beside that they're great, you can also get them on disc(dvd).

You can find them used for about $80(online) for the 1998 3 volume set.
I bought mine new back in 2000 through my local GM service department.

777Shock777

iTrader: (5)

HEY!

I actually just bought the 3 vol set for 1999 for 35 bucks on ebay.
They are all over ebay if you look em up.

Hope that helps ;D

TomXTC

Thanks I will just hunt around online and make some calls. Usually when I am using a manual I will copy the pages I am using so they can get full of grease etc. and not damage the original. With the dvd type I could just print out the pages I was using so I will price shop.

TomXTC

The price is right, I will look on ebay today. Thanks Much.

TomXTC

I saw a nice 3 volume set for 45 including shipping. Seemed like a good enough deal so I bought it. The local dealers would only give me a 15% discount so I am good with this. I should have got them when I first got the car. I completely agree there is no substitute for a set of factory shop manuals. From something complex to just knowing tool sizes and torque specs they are great to have.