383 Builder blues
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 908
Likes: 1
From: Colorado Springs Colorado
There is nothing worse than having your car, or a major part of it, in the hands of a jacka$$. When I had my engine redone, the machine shop returned the engine with a deep gouge in one cylinder. They admitted it was stupid not to tell me the block should be overbored after a lot of hemming and hawing and accusations being tossed around. I politely took the engine to another shop and had it redone from scratch. No point having someone who thinks you are an SOB with a grudge working on your car. I wouldn't start a fight while they have your car, things will just get worse. Good luck getting through this.
Last edited by scranage; Nov 10, 2006 at 08:17 PM.
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 65,811
Likes: 71
From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by Pete K
I think they changed the firewall a bit in the lt1 years. My bolts are right against the firewall. It would help a ton if mine were accessable with the extension and swivels. Gm gets an "f" for doing this.
Mike, w/ the valve covers off, I never had too much trouble with the banjo fitting bolts on the rear coolant crossover. Another tip on them for those who may not know. Don't fret over finding stock replacement sealing washers for the banjos. A standard copper or aluminum washer will work fine and are nearly infinitely reusable. I believe about a 10mm inside diameter is required, if memory serves. Don't forget to put one on both sides of each banjo.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 908
Likes: 1
From: Colorado Springs Colorado
Mike and I both found those fittings to be a major PITA, on his 95 and my 92. Maybe we're both just too big in the hands department. Good tip on the copper washers, I think Mike paid something like $6 each for the GM parts.
Last edited by scranage; Nov 10, 2006 at 08:16 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,110
Likes: 0
From: JUPITER FLORIDA
where are you located? I had a guy like this do my engine and im still paying for it, cut and run. Figure a way to get the car and all its parts to another expeirenced person. I should have done that with my car.
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 65,811
Likes: 71
From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
I truly sympathize with the members who cannot do this type of work themselves. There are competent folks out there who can do such work but they can be difficult to find. Many otherwise good techs are way over their head when they get into high performance mods, if it isn't something they're already familiar with. It's something that takes special experience beyond that of normal automotive repair. All that being said I'm afraid, as several have already mentioned, that this guy sounds like a boob. Everytime I see a thread like this I just cringe. And I wish they could just bring their car to my house where I could fix it right. I really hope to semi-retire in not too many years and just do this type of thing exclusively.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 48
Originally Posted by Corvette Kid
And I wish they could just bring their car to my house where I could fix it right. I really hope to semi-retire in not too many years and just do this type of thing exclusively.
I've never been the fastest tech in the world nor am I claiming to be perfect or know everything but I have put together a lot of Vettes and other cars as well, problem free NO CUTTING, CHOPPING OR HITTING. My golden rule: If it doesn't slip into place you have the wrong angle, wrong tool or it does not belong there. Very rarely have I ever had to apply A LOT of force to install something.
For example, I've seen guys bang the crap out of a manual tranny trying to get the input shaft splines to line up with the splines of the clutch disk. On my car when I recently put in my new motor I swore I had the perfect angle yet the tranny would not slip through the clutch assembly. Instead of banging the crap out of it and applying brute force I looked around once again and found that one of the bolts attaching the chain to the engine was a little too long and was hitting the firewall. I swapped out the bolt for a shorter one and bingo, it just slipped in.
Cut your losses now and tow your car out of there!!!!
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: Minneapolis Minnesota
Wrong way
YEP just put the snow plow on my ATV for the winter. Spent 1/2 an hour trying to get the bracket on that holds up the back of the plow. Got out the book , one look and I had it backwards. 5 minets and it was on. If you don't know look it up / stop and ask!
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Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Originally Posted by BOWLING GREEN
YEP just put the snow plow on my ATV for the winter. Spent 1/2 an hour trying to get the bracket on that holds up the back of the plow. Got out the book , one look and I had it backwards. 5 minets and it was on. If you don't know look it up / stop and ask!
Now, tell us: what are you doing about your engine, you know, the original post that started this thread?? WADR, do you realize you live in the same state as Doug Rippie Motorsports? Have you heard of them?
I'm sorry to be the first one to tell you this but you haven't done your homework, you haven't heeded the advice from here, you've lost sleep and you're STILL gonna pay for it, big time.
Do something besides sitting down and bemoaning your fate. Your fate is in your hands, not ours. Go get the friggin' parts of your car that aren't YET butchered.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: Minneapolis Minnesota
Doug
That was one of the first on list of calls I made. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ TOO MUCH for the pay back. He may be the best but think I will have to burn it or let it set before I can take it to them, Bunch of stuff I don't want, Headers at the top of the list. Moving parts now is just as bad. Scrwed any way you look at it. Hind sight, pull it at home and let my truck set out side all winter in the geto. See if it is still there in the spring? Anouther clown in town would do every thing but what I wanted. What ever was ez fast and big $$$$$$$$$. He had my 75 and not geting the 91. Burn it and get a 2007. Like you won't have to take that in. I won't let any GMs boys work on my stuff after the jobs they have dumped on me. I will let you know how it comes out. Thanks. 
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 306
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by RWDsmoke
Removing and installing the motor without removing the hood is no problem. However, I wouldn't let anybody cut anything on my car that wasn't being replaced.
i have taken my engine out and put back in with out removing the hood
the other stuff is a little hillbilly
Racer
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 306
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Pete K
It is almost impossible to get the bellhousing bolts on an auto c4 without tipping the rear of the reans down. My method is to pull the heads off while it is in the car. Then, access to the bell bolts is simple. Pop the block out, trans and exhaust can stay. Hood can also stay on.
pete try flex sockets (they are the sockets with the universtal built in to them) they work great
rap a little bit of electrical tape on the unverstal joint to stiffen it up
they will get right in there, also a bunch of extentions to get the rachet past the tranyhere is an example
http://www.mytoolstore.com/sk/sk03040.html
Last edited by jeffyc; Nov 13, 2006 at 11:04 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 24,337
Likes: 25
From: San Diego , CA Double Yellow DirtBags 1985..Z51..6-speed
Originally Posted by BOWLING GREEN
he thought he would pull the motor and let the bellhousing hang with the transmission in place. Said it was like pulling on a rubber band, it wouldn't come out.
This guy is a hack. His method would work on most chevys, but not one with a pull type clutch. I hope he supported the trans when the motor was out, but he probably didn't, which can damage the 'batwing' differential cover. (The vette does not have tranny mounts.)
Pulling the motor with the hood on is fine.
