My LS1 v8 engine came in a few nights ago. It will replace the v6 that's in the Camaro now. It'll be a lot of work, but I'll learn a ton and I know I'll have a blast building a muscle car.
I'm going to section each part of the build as separate posts so that things will be clearer. I'm doing things carefully and step-by-step, so that's how the LS1 blog posts will be.
It's all about learning so I hope you guys learn a few things while I go through the process of building a car. :)
LS1 - Part 1: Getting the engine onto an engine stand
The motor came off of a truck and was sitting on a shallow crate.
I could have worked on it from there, but it would be easier to work with it on an engine stand. I bought one from Advance Auto Parts for about $40.
My good buddy Carl had an engine hoist so that we could lift the motor onto the engine stand.
To lift a motor by a hoist, the first thing you need to do is find the screw holes on the outside of the heads as indicated in the pics. The bolts I used were 3/8 course thread and I got them at Ace Hardware. You want to get Grade 8 bolts. The engine hoist chain will go through this bolt, and one cattycorner on the other side of the motor.
Then you put one of the chain links through the bolt, and then do it on the other side. Keep in mind though, that the stress of the chain up against the valve cover or head when it's hoisted into the air might scratch the valve cover/head. So it's a good idea to have a rag or towel in between the chain and the metal it would scratch, to protect the valve cover/head surface.
Then make sure that the chain is fastened securely. Here we used a Grade 8 bolt and nut (3/8" inch again).
The next step is to hoist the engine up into the air. On Carl's engine hoist, there was a lever you jacked up and down to lift it, and a dial that rotated to let the engine back down gently.
The next step is to attach the engine stand onto the motor. The engine stand comes in two parts really - one part is the part that bolts to the back of the engine, and the other part is the stand. In the pic below you'll see the first part being bolted to the back of the motor, with bolts going through bolt holes where the transmission would bolt to. The bolts going into the motor (the ones that have arrows pointing to them in the pic below) should screw in about half an inch to an inch into the motor. Notice we used washers and nuts to give it more stability:
Make sure the bolt connections are really secure. Here I'm using two wrenches to tighten all the bolts:
The next thing to do is to attach the second part of the engine stand, the stand part. Slide it onto the first part of the engine stand attached to the motor, and be sure to stick in the engine stand pin (indicated by the arrow in the pic below):
Then you just lower the engine hoist so that the stand rests on the ground. Here you can see me using a pair of pliers to turn the dial on the engine hoist to lower it:
And now that the stand is on ground, the engine will be stomach to chest height, so it will be much easier to work on!
Now the teardown begins, so the next part will be about removing the throttle body.
I could have worked on it from there, but it would be easier to work with it on an engine stand. I bought one from Advance Auto Parts for about $40.
My good buddy Carl had an engine hoist so that we could lift the motor onto the engine stand.
To lift a motor by a hoist, the first thing you need to do is find the screw holes on the outside of the heads as indicated in the pics. The bolts I used were 3/8 course thread and I got them at Ace Hardware. You want to get Grade 8 bolts. The engine hoist chain will go through this bolt, and one cattycorner on the other side of the motor.
Then you put one of the chain links through the bolt, and then do it on the other side. Keep in mind though, that the stress of the chain up against the valve cover or head when it's hoisted into the air might scratch the valve cover/head. So it's a good idea to have a rag or towel in between the chain and the metal it would scratch, to protect the valve cover/head surface.
Then make sure that the chain is fastened securely. Here we used a Grade 8 bolt and nut (3/8" inch again).
The next step is to hoist the engine up into the air. On Carl's engine hoist, there was a lever you jacked up and down to lift it, and a dial that rotated to let the engine back down gently.
The next step is to attach the engine stand onto the motor. The engine stand comes in two parts really - one part is the part that bolts to the back of the engine, and the other part is the stand. In the pic below you'll see the first part being bolted to the back of the motor, with bolts going through bolt holes where the transmission would bolt to. The bolts going into the motor (the ones that have arrows pointing to them in the pic below) should screw in about half an inch to an inch into the motor. Notice we used washers and nuts to give it more stability:
Make sure the bolt connections are really secure. Here I'm using two wrenches to tighten all the bolts:
The next thing to do is to attach the second part of the engine stand, the stand part. Slide it onto the first part of the engine stand attached to the motor, and be sure to stick in the engine stand pin (indicated by the arrow in the pic below):
Then you just lower the engine hoist so that the stand rests on the ground. Here you can see me using a pair of pliers to turn the dial on the engine hoist to lower it:
And now that the stand is on ground, the engine will be stomach to chest height, so it will be much easier to work on!Now the teardown begins, so the next part will be about removing the throttle body.
FUEL INJECTION CONVERSION FOR 1972 FIREBIRD
While the engine work is being done to the LS1, I have several weeks to kill, and so now is an excellent time to work some on the 72 Firebird I have.
My very first post was about carburetion. Things change.
I just couldn't deal with all of the tiny little mechanical parts in a carburetor. Fuel injection makes more sense to me. The computer figures out your air/fuel ratio, and adjusts accordingly, and does so a LOT faster than someone tuning a carburetor by hand.
So I ordered a fuel injection system and it just came in the mail. It's the BossEFI system by Retrotekspeed. It looks BEAUTIFUL and I will be sure to document the conversion.
Note the cover of the manual in one of the pics below – it has a really good illustration of how the fuel flows to the throttle body, through the injectors, and down into the intake.
Enjoy the pics!
My very first post was about carburetion. Things change.
I just couldn't deal with all of the tiny little mechanical parts in a carburetor. Fuel injection makes more sense to me. The computer figures out your air/fuel ratio, and adjusts accordingly, and does so a LOT faster than someone tuning a carburetor by hand.
So I ordered a fuel injection system and it just came in the mail. It's the BossEFI system by Retrotekspeed. It looks BEAUTIFUL and I will be sure to document the conversion.
Note the cover of the manual in one of the pics below – it has a really good illustration of how the fuel flows to the throttle body, through the injectors, and down into the intake.
Enjoy the pics!
LS1 - Part 2: Throttle Body Removal
The first part of the motor I wanted to bolt off was the throttle body. I figured it wouldn't be very hard to do, and would get my confidence rolling for the rest of the motor. The removal was very easy to do. Here's what the throttle body looks like:
I needed a socket set that was tougher and more diverse than my beginner socket set, so I went to Sears Hardware and got this for about $100:
The throttle body was held on by three bolts:
I went through the socket set and tried different sockets to see which one would fit. The one that fit was 10mm.
After unbolting the last bolt, the throttle body came right off. Next thing to come off will be the intake plenum.
I needed a socket set that was tougher and more diverse than my beginner socket set, so I went to Sears Hardware and got this for about $100:
The throttle body was held on by three bolts:
I went through the socket set and tried different sockets to see which one would fit. The one that fit was 10mm.
After unbolting the last bolt, the throttle body came right off. Next thing to come off will be the intake plenum.LS1 - Part 3: Intake Plenum Removal
To remove the intake plenum, use your 10mm socket to remove the bolts along the sides of the fuel rails that hold it down, indicated by the red arrows in the pic below. Use the 10mm socket for the bolts indicated by the fingers in the pic below too.
Once those are unbolted, just lift the intake plenum right off:
Once the intake plenum is off, this is what you will see:
Pop off the black circular pads that are in the center of the intake valley plate, and you'll see the knock sensors in there.
You'll see that the sensors are held on by a clip (as indicated by the white arrow in the first pic below). Just pull them forward a little and off with your fingers.
Remove the assembly the knock sensors and the black caps are a part of and move them out of the way. Now if you look down into each of the knock sensor holes, you'll find a big bolt in each hole.
These bolts are holding down the intake valley plate. To unbolt them, I had to go to Sears Hardware and get a 12 point 22mm socket. It cost about $13. Then I unbolted them:
After that I thought the intake valley plate would be attached by a gasket or some sealant, so I grabbed my gasket scraper, which I got from Goodson for $7. You can see the part number on the plastic bag in the pic below.
I just stuck it in between the plate and jimmied it around to get the plate off.
Once it was detached, I just lifted the plate right off.
You can now see the camshaft. :) Next I'll talk about how to remove the coil pack assemblies and the valve covers.
Once those are unbolted, just lift the intake plenum right off:
Once the intake plenum is off, this is what you will see:
Pop off the black circular pads that are in the center of the intake valley plate, and you'll see the knock sensors in there.
You'll see that the sensors are held on by a clip (as indicated by the white arrow in the first pic below). Just pull them forward a little and off with your fingers.
Remove the assembly the knock sensors and the black caps are a part of and move them out of the way. Now if you look down into each of the knock sensor holes, you'll find a big bolt in each hole.
These bolts are holding down the intake valley plate. To unbolt them, I had to go to Sears Hardware and get a 12 point 22mm socket. It cost about $13. Then I unbolted them:
After that I thought the intake valley plate would be attached by a gasket or some sealant, so I grabbed my gasket scraper, which I got from Goodson for $7. You can see the part number on the plastic bag in the pic below.
I just stuck it in between the plate and jimmied it around to get the plate off.
Once it was detached, I just lifted the plate right off.
You can now see the camshaft. :) Next I'll talk about how to remove the coil pack assemblies and the valve covers.
LS1 - Part 4: Coil Pack Assemblies and Valve Covers Removal
To remove the coil pack assemblies, use a 10mm socket to unscrew the screws that are holding it down to the valve cover (circled in red in the pic below). You do NOT have to remove the other screws (circled in white in the pic below). these hold the individual coil packs to the assembly.
Set the coil packs aside and label them "PASSENGER SIDE" or "DRIVER SIDE." Then remove the four screws holding down a valve cover with an 8mm socket:
Then just pull the valve cover right off, and do the same for the other side. Label these "DRIVER SIDE" and "PASSENGER SIDE" accordingly also. When those are off, you will see the rocker arms, the pushrods, and the valve springs. This is what they look like:
Next I'll talk about removing the rocker arms and pushrods.
Set the coil packs aside and label them "PASSENGER SIDE" or "DRIVER SIDE." Then remove the four screws holding down a valve cover with an 8mm socket:
Then just pull the valve cover right off, and do the same for the other side. Label these "DRIVER SIDE" and "PASSENGER SIDE" accordingly also. When those are off, you will see the rocker arms, the pushrods, and the valve springs. This is what they look like:
Next I'll talk about removing the rocker arms and pushrods.
LS1 - Part 5: Rocker Arms and Pushrods Removal
Before you remove the rocker arms and pushrods, make sure you have a good rocker arm/pushrod/valvetrain organizer. You can see the one I got from Goodson in the pic below. The item number is VTO-80.
A word of caution before you begin: be very organized and careful; when you put the rocker arms and pushrods in the organizer tray, make sure they match up to where you removed them. If you don't, you risk damage to the motor when you reinstall them.
Remove the rocker arms with an 8mm socket and put them into the tray:
After the rocker arms are out, you will see the pushrods, indicated by red arrows in the pic below:
Here is what the tray will look like when you're done:
My pushrods had information on them:
My buddy Carl said that according to the info written on my pushrods, I've got really good pushrods that are very strong. Cool. :)
Next I'll talk about removing the water pump and the oil dipstick.
A word of caution before you begin: be very organized and careful; when you put the rocker arms and pushrods in the organizer tray, make sure they match up to where you removed them. If you don't, you risk damage to the motor when you reinstall them.
Remove the rocker arms with an 8mm socket and put them into the tray:
After the rocker arms are out, you will see the pushrods, indicated by red arrows in the pic below:
Here is what the tray will look like when you're done:
My pushrods had information on them:
My buddy Carl said that according to the info written on my pushrods, I've got really good pushrods that are very strong. Cool. :)Next I'll talk about removing the water pump and the oil dipstick.
LS1 - Part 6: Water Pump and Oil Dipstick Removal
All I needed to do to remove the water pump was to use a 10mm socket on these bolts:
After those bolts were removed, I just pulled it right off:
Be careful when you pull it off though, you might drop one of these:
Those are water pump gaskets. There's one on each side, so be sure to label them correctly and remember how they go on.
To remove the oil dipstick, first remove the oil dipstick bracket bolt:
Then, just pull the dipstick tube straight up and out.
Next I'll talk about removing the heads.
After those bolts were removed, I just pulled it right off:
Be careful when you pull it off though, you might drop one of these:
Those are water pump gaskets. There's one on each side, so be sure to label them correctly and remember how they go on.To remove the oil dipstick, first remove the oil dipstick bracket bolt:
Then, just pull the dipstick tube straight up and out.Next I'll talk about removing the heads.
LS1 - Part 7: Heads Removal
Below is a pic of the heads and the bolts I had to take off to get the head off of the engine. The top bolts (circled in red) were 10mm bolts and the middle bolts (in green) were 15mm bolts. The things the red arrows are pointing at are spark plugs.
Before I started removing the bolts, I took the spark plugs off. I used this tool, which is a 5/8 socket, but a special 5/8 just for spark plugs. You'll see that it says FOR SPARK PLUG USE ONLY on it:
To remove the middle bolts, I had to use an extension along with the 15mm socket:
Once all the bolts are removed, just find some openings on each end of the head and pull it off:
Be careful, they might be heavy. Mine are aluminum heads so they're not heavy at all, but cast iron heads are pretty heavy.
So here's where I'm at with the motor:
Next I'll talk about removing the harmonic balancer.
Before I started removing the bolts, I took the spark plugs off. I used this tool, which is a 5/8 socket, but a special 5/8 just for spark plugs. You'll see that it says FOR SPARK PLUG USE ONLY on it:
To remove the middle bolts, I had to use an extension along with the 15mm socket:
Once all the bolts are removed, just find some openings on each end of the head and pull it off:
Be careful, they might be heavy. Mine are aluminum heads so they're not heavy at all, but cast iron heads are pretty heavy.So here's where I'm at with the motor:
Next I'll talk about removing the harmonic balancer.
LS1 - Part 8: Harmonic Balancer Removal
Ok, this was a bit tricky. I also forgot to take some pics so I had to use some old pics, but hopefully you guys will get it.
In order to remove the harmonic balancer, I had to remove this bolt:
That bolt is on there so tight that you will need an air compressor and an air ratchet gun to get it off. My buddy Crazy Cool Carl came over with his air compressor:
I think this was a 3 and a half horsepower air compressor that he got at Harbor Freight. We plugged it into an extension cord, let it run til it was "warmed up." It was pretty loud warming up. When the loud noise stops, that's when you know it's done warming up. We then hooked up an air ratchet gun to it. The crankshaft pulley bolt is a 15/16 bolt, so we put a 15/16 socket on the end of the air ratchet gun. Carl put the gun/socket on the bolt and pulled the trigger, and it came off in a second. AWESOME.
Then we had to get one of these harmonic balancer removal kits:
We went to Advance Auto because they have a "tool borrow policy" where you pay for the tool, but if you bring it back the next day, they refund you 100% of the money. Great for when you only need to use a specific tool occasionally.
You'll notice in the kit that it has a few parts — some bolts, some nuts, a "crow's foot," a pushrod or two, and a clamp bracket thing. In the first pic below you can see that in one end of the crow's foot, we put in one of the pushrods (indicated by the red arrow), and in the other end, we screwed in the nut and bolt (indicated by the white arrow). We also had to stick in a pretty long bolt into the end of the crank so that the pushrod had something to push against (this is shown the second pic below. You'll notice that the harmonic balancer is already off in this pic. This is so you can see this step easier.)
Now what we had to do is get the end of the pushrod to butt up against the bolt in the second pic above, take the three claws of the crow's foot and make them grab onto the three prongs of the harmonic balancer:
Once they're grabbed on, attach a 3/4 inch socket and a socket wrench to the crow's foot:
Turn it slowly but steadily. The crow's foot will start to pull the harmonic balancer off! You will know it's working when you start seeing this stripe of metal:
Just keep turning and turning, and it will eventually come off:
Next I will talk about removing the oil pan.
In order to remove the harmonic balancer, I had to remove this bolt:
That bolt is on there so tight that you will need an air compressor and an air ratchet gun to get it off. My buddy Crazy Cool Carl came over with his air compressor:
I think this was a 3 and a half horsepower air compressor that he got at Harbor Freight. We plugged it into an extension cord, let it run til it was "warmed up." It was pretty loud warming up. When the loud noise stops, that's when you know it's done warming up. We then hooked up an air ratchet gun to it. The crankshaft pulley bolt is a 15/16 bolt, so we put a 15/16 socket on the end of the air ratchet gun. Carl put the gun/socket on the bolt and pulled the trigger, and it came off in a second. AWESOME.Then we had to get one of these harmonic balancer removal kits:
We went to Advance Auto because they have a "tool borrow policy" where you pay for the tool, but if you bring it back the next day, they refund you 100% of the money. Great for when you only need to use a specific tool occasionally.You'll notice in the kit that it has a few parts — some bolts, some nuts, a "crow's foot," a pushrod or two, and a clamp bracket thing. In the first pic below you can see that in one end of the crow's foot, we put in one of the pushrods (indicated by the red arrow), and in the other end, we screwed in the nut and bolt (indicated by the white arrow). We also had to stick in a pretty long bolt into the end of the crank so that the pushrod had something to push against (this is shown the second pic below. You'll notice that the harmonic balancer is already off in this pic. This is so you can see this step easier.)
Now what we had to do is get the end of the pushrod to butt up against the bolt in the second pic above, take the three claws of the crow's foot and make them grab onto the three prongs of the harmonic balancer:
Once they're grabbed on, attach a 3/4 inch socket and a socket wrench to the crow's foot:
Turn it slowly but steadily. The crow's foot will start to pull the harmonic balancer off! You will know it's working when you start seeing this stripe of metal:
Just keep turning and turning, and it will eventually come off:
Next I will talk about removing the oil pan.
LS1 - Part 9: Oil Pan Removal
The first thing we did in removing the oil pan was removing the oil filter. Make sure the motor is upside-down, and then all you do is stab it with a screwdriver (be careful with oil spilling out of it), and using the screwdriver as a lever to turn the oil filter counterclockwise. It just screws off.
Next, with a 10mm socket, remove all of the bolts that go all the way around the oil pan. These are circled in green in the pic below. The bolt that's circled in white in the pic below does NOT need to be removed in order to remove the oil pan, so i just left that on.
Now just yank it off. You might have to squeeze a gasket scraper in between the oil pan and the block to help pry it off. There also might be an oil pan gasket in between the oil pan and the block. Once you get the oil pan and gasket off, you will be able to see the oil deflector and the oil pump screen:
I removed the oil pump screen first. Just use a 10mm socket on the bolts circled in white in the pic above, and it will come right off. Then just use the 10mm socket on the bolts going all the way around the oil deflector, circled in green in the pic above. Once you get the oil deflector off, you'll now be able to get a good look at the crankshaft and piston connecting rods:
We'll now be able to pull the pistons out soon. But first, we're going to remove the camshaft, which is what I'll be talking about next.
Next, with a 10mm socket, remove all of the bolts that go all the way around the oil pan. These are circled in green in the pic below. The bolt that's circled in white in the pic below does NOT need to be removed in order to remove the oil pan, so i just left that on.
Now just yank it off. You might have to squeeze a gasket scraper in between the oil pan and the block to help pry it off. There also might be an oil pan gasket in between the oil pan and the block. Once you get the oil pan and gasket off, you will be able to see the oil deflector and the oil pump screen:
I removed the oil pump screen first. Just use a 10mm socket on the bolts circled in white in the pic above, and it will come right off. Then just use the 10mm socket on the bolts going all the way around the oil deflector, circled in green in the pic above. Once you get the oil deflector off, you'll now be able to get a good look at the crankshaft and piston connecting rods:
We'll now be able to pull the pistons out soon. But first, we're going to remove the camshaft, which is what I'll be talking about next.
LS1 - Part 10: Camshaft Removal
Before you remove the camshaft, you'll want to take out the lifter valley pans:
I didn't use any tools to take the lifter valley pans out; I just used my hands. After you take the lifter valley pans out, you'll be able to see the lifters (one shown in the pic below):
I just used my hands to pull these lifters too, even though they were really slippery. If they're hard to get out, you might be able to get them out with a lifter pick removal tool, or a dentist's pick that's in an L-shape. I hear those work pretty well for this. When you take the lifters out, you can just put them in the organizer tray you used to take out the rockers and the pushrods:
Now go to the front of the engine and remove these three bolts with a 10mm socket:
Now you can pull off the timing gear and the timing chain. Then you'll be able to see four bolts holding in the camshaft thrust plate. Take out these four bolts with your 10mm socket:
Put the plate aside. Now what you're going to do is take the timing gear you just pulled off and bolt it back on to the end of the camshaft, with three of the 10mm bolts you just removed going into these three holes:
Now, using the timing gear as a base, AS STRAIGHT AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, pull the camshaft out very carefully, and try not to bang it around as you pull it out:
Here's what it will look like when you pull it out:
Pat yourself on the back if you've never pulled out a camshaft before. It's truly a defining moment for a gearhead. :)
Now that the cam's out, we can get started on removing the pistons and the crankshaft, which I'll talk about next.
I didn't use any tools to take the lifter valley pans out; I just used my hands. After you take the lifter valley pans out, you'll be able to see the lifters (one shown in the pic below):
I just used my hands to pull these lifters too, even though they were really slippery. If they're hard to get out, you might be able to get them out with a lifter pick removal tool, or a dentist's pick that's in an L-shape. I hear those work pretty well for this. When you take the lifters out, you can just put them in the organizer tray you used to take out the rockers and the pushrods:
Now go to the front of the engine and remove these three bolts with a 10mm socket:
Now you can pull off the timing gear and the timing chain. Then you'll be able to see four bolts holding in the camshaft thrust plate. Take out these four bolts with your 10mm socket:
Put the plate aside. Now what you're going to do is take the timing gear you just pulled off and bolt it back on to the end of the camshaft, with three of the 10mm bolts you just removed going into these three holes:
Now, using the timing gear as a base, AS STRAIGHT AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, pull the camshaft out very carefully, and try not to bang it around as you pull it out:
Here's what it will look like when you pull it out:
Pat yourself on the back if you've never pulled out a camshaft before. It's truly a defining moment for a gearhead. :)
Now that the cam's out, we can get started on removing the pistons and the crankshaft, which I'll talk about next.
LS1 - Part 11: Pistons and Crankshaft Removal
Turn your engine upside-down. We finally get to remove the pistons and crankshaft! We'll remove the pistons first. Before we do that though, we're going to mark the pistons numerically with a metal stamp set:
Now there are two places you will mark each piston assembly: at the base of the connecting rod, and on the rod cap. You will see a horizontal line connecting the two. You will stamp one number above that line, and one number below that line. That way you will have one number stamped on the base of the connecting rod, and one number stamped on the rod cap. I didn't get a chance to take a pic of this on my LS1, but I did manage to create an example, shown below, from one of my hot rod magazines:
Now even though the above pic is from a different engine, what you'll be looking at on the LS1 will be very similar. Also note in the above pic that they have the number 4 stamped on both the rod cap and the connecting rod.
Now how do you know which piston gets what number? Refer to the GM Service Manual of your engine year (in my case, 1998), or a Haynes manual, and you will see the firing order, which will tell you what cylinder number goes to what cylinder, and that's how you know which number to stamp on what piston rod and cap.
Now to stamp it, just press the numbered end of the stamp against the metal, and strike the end of it with a hammer. I sucked at this. You have to hit it pretty damn hard to make a dent. It's tricky when you don't want to smash your fingers:
Now you need to grab your 9mm socket (along with some muscle) to unbolt the bolts that hold the rod cap(s) and connecting rod(s) together, circled in red in the pic below:
Now you can remove the rod caps and get the pistons out. Be careful to not let the piston(s) slide out and fall onto the floor when you remove a rod cap. Get a friend to put his or her hands underneath the cylinder the piston could fall out of. The hands will serve as a good safety net while the piston scoots its way out of the cylinder.
To get the piston out after you've removed its rod cap and rod bolts from the connecting rod, you get a dowel rod or a breaker bar and set the flat end of the dowel rod/breaker bar on the outer edge of the piston slug. You'll see what I mean when you put the dowel rod/breaker bar down the cylinder and look down the cylinder at the bottom of the piston. You don't want the dowel rod/breaker bar to push the against the body center of the piston. It's better to push against the outer edge of the piston that's got some thickness to it. Here's a picture of my buddy Carl getting a piston out on the LS1:
Notice in the pic above that Carl is pushing with his breaker bar tool, and cupping his other hand underneath the cylinder to catch the piston in case it falls out quickly. I would have helped, but I was too busy taking a picture. ;)
The video below is a great example of how to remove the pistons from a v8 engine. It shows you EXACTLY where to place the dowel rod/breaker bar to push the piston out (in case my description is a little unclear), and is very easy to follow:
When you have all of the pistons out, you should have something that looks like this:
To remove the crankshaft, you first have to unbolt all the main caps. You will use a 15mm socket (use a 15mm deep socket if you have to) on the bolts indicated by green arrows in the pic below, and you will use a 13mm socket on the bolts indicated by white arrows:
In addition to those, there will be main bolts going into the sides of the mains through the block. Be sure to remove those. Then you'll just pull off the main caps (except for the last one at the rear of the engine because you have remove the engine backing plate to get the last main out, which I will soon explain how to do). Make sure to keep them in order in a shallow cardboard box or something similar as you take them off. If they're hard to get off, tap them with a hammer on their sides to try and loosen them some, but be careful not to damage them. Then just pull them off with your hands:
Now to remove the last main, you have to remove the backing plate at the rear of the engine. This is where small hands come in....well....handy, because the space in between the backing plate and the engine stand is minimal. Get one of those small hands a socket wrench with a 10mm socket and undo these bolts:
Once all the bolts were out, the backing plate came off pretty easily. Now just bang on the sides of the last main if you have to loosen it some, and wiggle and work it upward with your hands, and it will come out eventually:
Now all that's left to do is pull the crankshaft! Get a really good grip on it, it's a little heavy and slippery with oil. Once you've got a good grip, just pull it off:
Removing the crank will REALLY make you feel like a gearhead.
Now just remove the main journals, and you're all done:
Now the teardown is complete. Well, unless you have engine mounts on the side. If you do, then no big deal, you'll be able to unbolt those without any problems if you've gotten this far!
And just for kicks, I thought I'd include a video that very clearly shows you how the crankshaft, pistons, lifters, pushrods, rocker arms, valves, and camshaft all work together. It's a very clean animation and props to whoever made it. Enjoy:
Now there are two places you will mark each piston assembly: at the base of the connecting rod, and on the rod cap. You will see a horizontal line connecting the two. You will stamp one number above that line, and one number below that line. That way you will have one number stamped on the base of the connecting rod, and one number stamped on the rod cap. I didn't get a chance to take a pic of this on my LS1, but I did manage to create an example, shown below, from one of my hot rod magazines:
Now even though the above pic is from a different engine, what you'll be looking at on the LS1 will be very similar. Also note in the above pic that they have the number 4 stamped on both the rod cap and the connecting rod.
Now how do you know which piston gets what number? Refer to the GM Service Manual of your engine year (in my case, 1998), or a Haynes manual, and you will see the firing order, which will tell you what cylinder number goes to what cylinder, and that's how you know which number to stamp on what piston rod and cap.
Now to stamp it, just press the numbered end of the stamp against the metal, and strike the end of it with a hammer. I sucked at this. You have to hit it pretty damn hard to make a dent. It's tricky when you don't want to smash your fingers:
Now you need to grab your 9mm socket (along with some muscle) to unbolt the bolts that hold the rod cap(s) and connecting rod(s) together, circled in red in the pic below:
Now you can remove the rod caps and get the pistons out. Be careful to not let the piston(s) slide out and fall onto the floor when you remove a rod cap. Get a friend to put his or her hands underneath the cylinder the piston could fall out of. The hands will serve as a good safety net while the piston scoots its way out of the cylinder.
To get the piston out after you've removed its rod cap and rod bolts from the connecting rod, you get a dowel rod or a breaker bar and set the flat end of the dowel rod/breaker bar on the outer edge of the piston slug. You'll see what I mean when you put the dowel rod/breaker bar down the cylinder and look down the cylinder at the bottom of the piston. You don't want the dowel rod/breaker bar to push the against the body center of the piston. It's better to push against the outer edge of the piston that's got some thickness to it. Here's a picture of my buddy Carl getting a piston out on the LS1:
Notice in the pic above that Carl is pushing with his breaker bar tool, and cupping his other hand underneath the cylinder to catch the piston in case it falls out quickly. I would have helped, but I was too busy taking a picture. ;)
The video below is a great example of how to remove the pistons from a v8 engine. It shows you EXACTLY where to place the dowel rod/breaker bar to push the piston out (in case my description is a little unclear), and is very easy to follow:
When you have all of the pistons out, you should have something that looks like this:
To remove the crankshaft, you first have to unbolt all the main caps. You will use a 15mm socket (use a 15mm deep socket if you have to) on the bolts indicated by green arrows in the pic below, and you will use a 13mm socket on the bolts indicated by white arrows:
In addition to those, there will be main bolts going into the sides of the mains through the block. Be sure to remove those. Then you'll just pull off the main caps (except for the last one at the rear of the engine because you have remove the engine backing plate to get the last main out, which I will soon explain how to do). Make sure to keep them in order in a shallow cardboard box or something similar as you take them off. If they're hard to get off, tap them with a hammer on their sides to try and loosen them some, but be careful not to damage them. Then just pull them off with your hands:
Now to remove the last main, you have to remove the backing plate at the rear of the engine. This is where small hands come in....well....handy, because the space in between the backing plate and the engine stand is minimal. Get one of those small hands a socket wrench with a 10mm socket and undo these bolts:
Once all the bolts were out, the backing plate came off pretty easily. Now just bang on the sides of the last main if you have to loosen it some, and wiggle and work it upward with your hands, and it will come out eventually:
Now all that's left to do is pull the crankshaft! Get a really good grip on it, it's a little heavy and slippery with oil. Once you've got a good grip, just pull it off:
Removing the crank will REALLY make you feel like a gearhead.
Now just remove the main journals, and you're all done:
Now the teardown is complete. Well, unless you have engine mounts on the side. If you do, then no big deal, you'll be able to unbolt those without any problems if you've gotten this far!
And just for kicks, I thought I'd include a video that very clearly shows you how the crankshaft, pistons, lifters, pushrods, rocker arms, valves, and camshaft all work together. It's a very clean animation and props to whoever made it. Enjoy:
LS1 - Part 12: The Engine Shop
Now that I had my engine all taken apart, it was time to take it to the engine shop, just to make sure all the clearances check out and to get it balanced. I've never been to an engine shop before so this was a great experience.
After doing some research on LS1 engine shops in Houston (thank you LS1tech.com!), I decided to go with LME (Late Model Engines). The have a great reputation so I felt comfortable with them.
It was cool seeing the parts I took there in actual engine shop. I took the crank, the mains, the main bearings, the heads with the valves and valvesprings, the block, and the pistons with their connecting rods, rod caps, and rod bearings:
Right away the engine shop dude wanted to check how tight the piston fit inside the cylinder, so he kept switching between the piston and the block, using one tool (a micrometer) to measure the piston, and another tool (don't know what this one is) to measure the cylinder width:
After awhile of going back and forth between the piston and the cylinder, he told me I was gonna have to get new pistons because the pistons don't fit tight enough in the cylinders. THIS IS EXACTLY WHY YOU TEAR DOWN A MOTOR WHEN YOU BUY ONE!! It's a good thing we didn't install this motor right after we bought it; the engine would have run like crap.
So the LS1 is now at the shop, and they're working on the block, crank, and other parts to make it all work beautifully when we put it back together, install it, and fire it up. I should get it back several weeks from now. :)
After doing some research on LS1 engine shops in Houston (thank you LS1tech.com!), I decided to go with LME (Late Model Engines). The have a great reputation so I felt comfortable with them.
It was cool seeing the parts I took there in actual engine shop. I took the crank, the mains, the main bearings, the heads with the valves and valvesprings, the block, and the pistons with their connecting rods, rod caps, and rod bearings:
Right away the engine shop dude wanted to check how tight the piston fit inside the cylinder, so he kept switching between the piston and the block, using one tool (a micrometer) to measure the piston, and another tool (don't know what this one is) to measure the cylinder width:
After awhile of going back and forth between the piston and the cylinder, he told me I was gonna have to get new pistons because the pistons don't fit tight enough in the cylinders. THIS IS EXACTLY WHY YOU TEAR DOWN A MOTOR WHEN YOU BUY ONE!! It's a good thing we didn't install this motor right after we bought it; the engine would have run like crap.
So the LS1 is now at the shop, and they're working on the block, crank, and other parts to make it all work beautifully when we put it back together, install it, and fire it up. I should get it back several weeks from now. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
