Well I started ripping down the motor (some) on the 93 LT1

Installing:
- New intake gaskets - leaking front & back
- New Dyna-spark - Opti pooped out (won't stay running)
- New Delco Water Pump - while I'm at it.
- New Belt
- Change Anti-freeze

Odd thing, got the intake removed, bolts came out easy w/ a
1/2" drive ratchet. Here is the odd part, the gaskets and RTV
looked to be in great shape, no evidence of a gap or break in
the corners or anything like I expected (judging by the leak that
I assume took out my opti).

The underside of the intake is virtually clean, nothing stuck to
it to speak of. Was my problem that it may not have been torqued
down properly from the factory?

Faulty RTV? (It seems to be a wide spread issue)

Only 18k miles, good size drops on floor overnite after driving. Anyone
else see this on theirs when they removed intake?

 

I would be IN TEARS if I had to pull a job like that ( especially the OPTI)

Good Luck

 

Can't say that I have, but I am going to start a tear down this weekend on mine so I will let you know if I do. By the way, anyone around the louisville area that wants to help let me know.

 

Good luck Tim If you had done it this weekend I would have come to help. Did you look at the weep hole to see if it came out there? That is where it drops straight on the opti. Use some Water Wetter in the coolant Advance sells it and it will help. Don't forget to burp the system when you refill to get the air out.I am getting Mine done this week to with the upgraded Opti I showed you on you last post.We will have to check it out at Chili's this summer. Did you get a vented Dynaspark? Do they even have one? And where did you get the intake gaskets at? I may have to do that soon. Did you get the seals from Pace for the timing cover?

Oh and intakes are notorious for leaking on these engines usually on the front or back side.

 

Were you experiencing oil leaks or coolant leaks?

 

I'll try to respond to all of you guys' questions.

First...my dad is helping me. 34 years & retired from GM, so he
knows his way around an engine, and he too has a '93. Nether of
us are ACE mechanics by any means, but we always seem to get
thru it, and this is the farthest we ever dared go on our vettes.

Also, I got the service manual and read about filling and burping the
system. I haven't picked up the seals yet. I haven't got the WP
and OPTI off yet, 3hrs to get the Intake off.

I bought the Gen I Dyna-spark, it is cross-vented w/ the spline drive.
Go to their website, they list the 10 improvements over the OEM unit.
Well worth the extra $200.

The WP weep hole is right under the bearing. It WILL drip in the OPTI if it starts leaking. I am going to run a vacuum line down the motor so
if it leaks, it will hit the ground. (No vacuum, just a drain line).

Also, my leak is OIL...not water.

I won't know the reason for my dead opti til I rip it off. I'll let all of you know. Tomorrow, I intend to finish the tear down, then spend a lot of
time just cleaning everything to brand new before I start the reassembly.

Thanks for all of your support (and my dad's!).

 

Job is done, and there is "fire-in-the-hole"! Running strong as ever.

The new Dyna-spark is a nice unit. The directions read more like a book than a step-by-step instruction, but it covers everything. The crossventing is well done. A lot smoother setup than the homemade weap-hole vacuum setup.

The entire front of my engine & k-member were covered w/ about 1/8" of oily/greasy dirt, from my leaking intake. Spent two nights after work just cleaning it. Looks like new now.

I put jacked my car up and set it down on 4 rhino ramps. This really helped minimizing the bending. It was tough bending over (started the job on a monday nite, and got it running on Saturday nite). I didn't realize how much it helped being on the ramps until I lowered it and bent over over it.

My Water Pump wasn't leaking, but I replaced it anyway. I added a drain hose to it for the future.

Life is good.