Anyone have some tools for rent/borrow? Going to attempt my first heads/cam swap and don't wanna buy the tools unless I absolutely have to, would hate to only use them once. Will gladly leave a deposit or whatever you would like for them.

 

You don't want to pay someone to swap the heads and you don't want to spend the money on the basic tools to do it yourself... Maybe you should try collecting stamps or something. Tools are an investment, not an expense. Quit being cheap and go buy some. You won't regret it.

 

Unless you are talking about any specialty tools you should have most the of tools in a basic mechanics set.

 

I do, it was things like a pushrod length checker and balancer installer.

 

$18

https://m.summitracing.com/parts/cca...FQIaaQodFdsAcQ

$20

http://m.autozone.com/loan-a-tools/h..._0_0?location=

 

I have a pushrod length checker you can borrow, as stated some tools you can rent, and most of the tools you will need are not too pricey.
I would invest in a quality torque wrench and you will use that over and over in my opinion.

I'm about to put my LT1 together, so I'm in the same boat as you.
I'm in Clear Lake too on Bay Area.

 

Sure brother! Just let me know, I'm gonna rip into it hopefully next weekish, got a 8" caliper for pushrod length so you don't have to go by all that turn crap if you wanna use it?

 

For what it's worth I have never regretted buying a tool, there was always a use for it later. I understand not wanting to buy a pushrod checker and balancer installer, those won't be used much if you're doing just your car just one time.

It's nice to have a balancer installer but you could also heat the collar on the balancer to make it expand and lightly oil the crank snout and then tap the balancer on. Hell in my early days I would pound balancers on with a sledgehammer then pull them down with the bolt.

If you're not going with ARP bolts you will also need a torque angle gauge for torquing the stock bolts, but do not reuse the stock ones, you have to replace them.