When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm removing my ls1 from the top to replace it with an Is2.
I need to know where is the best place to mount the cherry picker chain on the block? Are there any tricks to unbolting the bellhousing or any other snags i might run into?
I do not want to move the transmission, so it will be unbolted.
The hood, radiator and Intake Manifold is off, harness and fuel lines disconnected, headers are unbolted,all front accessories removed.
There are many reasons i am not pulling from the bottom....one is I have a bad back and can not work from the ground.....so please don't chime in saying how much easier it would be from the bottom...because it's not for me.
There are tons of videos how to pull it from the bottom and a few motor and trans, but I want to extract the motor only.
I use a engine leveler and 4 point chain connection, I use the AC bracket bolt hole (top pass side), power steering bracket holes (top driver side), and similar holes on the back side of block.
Main thing is to be careful with the chain putting a dent into the soft aluminum deck surface..
Just curious....when you re-installed the engine.....was it a shortblock? I would like to mount the heads before I reinstall. I have seen a longblock installed in an f body from the top...though it didnt look easy.
We installed it with the heads on since we wanted to setup the valve-train properly without having to hunch over the car..
If you twist the engine 90 degrees while installing it in the bay you make it shorter length wise and once you lower the hoist a little you can spin it back right before bolting it in ..
That was the method we did. But you'll have to play around with it, and depending if you have an extra set of hands with you
I have pulled from the top, with heads on
had to bring engine hoist from the side
though, didn't have enough reach to go
from the front. Really wasn't that bad, just
watch where the engine is and don't get in a
hurry.
We installed it with the heads on since we wanted to setup the valve-train properly without having to hunch over the car..
If you twist the engine 90 degrees while installing it in the bay you make it shorter length wise and once you lower the hoist a little you can spin it back right before bolting it in ..
That was the method we did. But you'll have to play around with it, and depending if you have an extra set of hands with you
My thoughts exactly. I didn't want to put head gaskets on and torque the heads and reassamble the valvetrainwhile in the car. Sounds like a pain.
After looking at it....I do think it would be easier to pluck out with the heads off though, so that's the route I'm.going.
Did you have any issues lining the rear of the engine back up with the bellhousing?
My thoughts exactly. I didn't want to put head gaskets on and torque the heads and reassamble the valvetrainwhile in the car. Sounds like a pain. After looking at it....I do think it would be easier to pluck out with the heads off though, so that's the route I'm.going. Did you have any issues lining the rear of the engine back up with the bellhousing?
The rear of the block has 2 alignment dowel pins, so it makes it pretty easy to re-install..
The hardest thing about it is going to be doing everything from the top position. It would help to have a set of eyes and hands underneath to make sure the block is going in center to the tranny..
I have everything unbolted and all bellhousing bolts out and I'm trying to pull the motor out.....but I can't get it to separate from the transmission.
I had it in gear while I was working on it and now its stuck in 6th gear and the clutch pedal is going to the floor.
Could the clutch be holding it together or is it something else.
Do you have a chain hooked to the back of the engine?
It needs to be lifted from the front and back.
If no chain on the back of the engine your trans could just be in a bind.
I had a third chain going to the back of the block and it still wouldnt come loose...so i tried lifting the front and side to side to see if it would slide out but it wouldnt.
Would the trans in a bind cause the clutch to not work like that....or should i even be worrid about tje clutch and shifter not working at this point?
I know... necromancy is evil lol
Doing this method currently myself. Was stuck on an inclined driveway when I had to do this.
I do have a couple things to add though...
To remove
1. Take EVERYTHING out of the way in front, including the bumper cover, and if it's still there that cushion foam or your intercooler. Of course your radiator, fans, shrouds, get them out of the way.
2. Tear the old block down to the short block, it will save you agony when you get ready to yank it out. Use one of those valley cover hoist adaptors. It will save you alot of aggravation and controls the block better while pulling it.
3. Get a air hammer to either love tap the trans and engine dowls either enough to separate or yo completely remove them and replace. Id stick them in the engie so you you control where they slide in in, instead of trying to locate them and beat the crap out of the engine compartment.
4. Get rid of the clam shell motor mounts, and replace you engine mounts with one of the smaller poly mounts like UMI or BMR. They take up less room and look pretty good. Plus since your in there might as well replace then if you havnt already. Solid ones work too, but im partial to poly for some cushion.
5. Build your engine and get all the usual difficult stuff on the engine before installing it. Steam vent stuff if you have an aftermarket, heads installed, sparkplug, sensors, portions of adaptor plates for your accessories... anything that will keep you from bending over and having to fiddle with something that can be installed on the engine stand in comfort.
*im not entirely sure, i have not tried it, but you may or may not be able to get away with installing the crank pully and water pump before installing the engine. I'm not sure if it will clear the radiator support if you still have it there unless you notched t
it or completelt cut it out like many do for standing radiators up. Ill have to have some chime in on that one.
6. Test fit ANYTHING and EVERYTHING new that you plan on installing and get a feel for how it will go on the engine. This is more so for people that will add power adders like turbo/exhaust routs and hardware or supercharger stuff. You're not cranking anything down, your just test fitting to snug to make sure your parts before you're trying to figure out why a damn merge pipe isn't lining up to your manifolds or why a clamp isn't seemingly clamping down enough. New parts need to be "broke in" a bit and trying to do so in the engine compartment can be a PITA and wanna make you throw wrenchs lol
7. Don't forget about under the engine too. The oil pan and anything that might be around it. For example oil drains or oil pan modifications. Its way easier to do this when the pans out in the open or better yet off the the engine it's self.
8. while it may be affordable, the lower ranged engine hoist wont have the reach like a 2ton hoist will. Make sure to get one with reach so you can fully extend it becuase our engines sit deep. Even with full extention and the lift plate, I only had about 6" of play going towards the car due to the cowl and how far in the engine actually sits.
Heres some pictures of mine so far BMR poly motor mounts and as you can see, the oil pan also has been tapped and reinstalled the pan, that's why it's upside down right now lol Ignore the hole lol but you can see here how much room the clamshell mouny takes compared to the new one. When i say test fit, i mean test fit the whole thing, as best you can of course.for me, this allowed me to clock my turbo to figure out where to adjust for the oil drain and roughly where the pipe will be orientated. Heres what it looks like coming out the top. Youll have to pull it at an angle to clear the kmember mounting points but it comes out pretty easy once you get the trans off it Heres what you should have to pull everything off if youre reusing anything off the opd engine.
06-21-2016, 09:59 AM
Removing ls1 from the top 
