Someone told me to remove the lifter retainer clip and see if I can free the insides of the lifter. I may try that.

 

Lifter problem solved.

Yesterdays pics...

 

I believe I was over thinking things with the lifters. I went back and installed them 1/2 past with no issues.

Update:

I'm still not finished the install. Saturday was mostly wasted running around looking at lifters. Sunday I get done with the valve train, shaved the drip tabs, reinstalled the intake, and gapped and installed the new spark plugs. I started on the timing cover but there was still a lot of gasket I had to scrape off. I sat thinking for a while about how everything in the front was going to go back together. I figured to do this right I needed to stop the crank from spinning. I got under the car and pulled the flexplate cover. I couldnt easily see how to get a screwdriver in there and stop it from turning. So then I started to pull the oil pan. I then realized I had to remove the filter and adapter to get to that one bolt. After that I realized I also needed to pull the starter. That was another couple hours wasted on the bottom end. It was getting dark so I had to cover everything up and call it a day. Laying on the ground under the car in 30 degree weather is not a good idea. Not to mention I got a face full of oil when I was pulling the filter. I used the old stick it with a screw driver method. Not a good idea! I am now sick from the weather. I hope I'm better by Friday to finish up.



Here's the plan. Please correct me if you see something wrong.

Finish removing the starter and oil pan. Turn the crank a few times to check for clearance on the timing cover and new chain. Find TDC on cylinder one. (Crank at 12 o clock and cam at 12 o clock) Jam a screw driver in the flexplate to keep the crank from turning. Reinstall timing cover with gasket and bolt down. Install new optispark, lining up the pin slot hole to the cam sprocket pin at 3 o clock. Heat hub in oven at 250 degrees. Install hub using various size crank screws to tighten down. Line up hub arrow to 12 o clock position. Reinstall oil pan with new gasket. Reinstall filter adapter, new filter, and starter. Reinstall balancer lining the mark up at 12 o clock with the arrow on the hub. (Mark with bright orange paint) Reinstall EWP with new gaskets. Reinstall radiator, fans, shroud, etc. Reinstall fuel injectors. Connect all wires, fuel lines, and hoses. Pull fuel injector fuse and turn over a few times to oil engine. Start car for first time. Hows that sound?

 

It looks like this project is on hold for a little bit. I had to run to the ER yesterday for 105 fever and dehydration. They gave me some fluids and antibiotics so I'm starting to do much better now. Thats what I get for working on the car in 30 deg weather. The things we do for our corvettes.

 

So did you have any issues with rubbing conserning the timing chain and cover? Did you stay with the stck harmonic balancer, I didn't see it in your list? Ill go thru and read your thread again to make sure its not in there. If so no issues with staying stock and clearances?

 

I feel you on that Im Doing the same thing.

 

I forgot to prelube the engine before putting the intake manifold back on. Now I have to use an alternative method for pre lubing. I really did put a generous amount of lube on the cam. Someone suggested on another thread I had that I prefill the oil filter. They also said I should put some engine assembly lube in the oil pump before I put it back together. Then when starting the car I should turn it over for 20 seconds at a time with the coil unplugged from the battery. They said after two times I should have oil pressure. I am also going to soak the valve train with a quart or two before putting the covers back on.


Todays Update:

I had to shave a ton of metal off the timing cover. I fitted it first without the gasket. I hand tightened all the cover bolts and turned the crank to check for clearance. Each time the chain scraped I had to pull the cover off and shave some more. I had to do this at least 20 or 30 times. I didnt want to cut too much off at once. Even though I was carefull I still went through a little bit in one spot. It's behind the seal so I don't think it will hurt anything. I'm also going to reuse the stock balancer.

Dad clearancing the cover.

Here you can see where we went too thin.



118k mile botom end.




Here's how I kept the flexplate from turning.


Crank hub and new opti back in.

 

Way back when this thread began, I knew you'd have timing chain cover clearance issues, because I did too. That's why I sold the Cloyes set I first bought and bought a different one which was designed specifically for the LT1/LT4.

I knew too, that the job would take a lot longer to complete, longer than the time you had alloted, being your first time. But, I didn't want to discourage you.

I hope the grinding and clearancing of the cover works out well for you. Good to know you're now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Jake

West Point ROCKS!

 

This is a very entertaining read - thanks for the write-up

 

Update:

I received my new oil pan baffel early in the morning Saturday. I broke the stock one trying to remove it on Friday. The bolt just broke the thin metal off. The $6.50 part cost me $57 after next day shipping. I installed my new oil pump drive shaft and put the pump and new baffel on yesterday. The old nylon drive shaft broke apart as it fell out. I then spent the entire morning trying to get the oil pan reinstalled. Once I figured out the hole in the gasket had to go around the dipstick it only took a few minutes to get it installed. Two hours wasted fighting with it trying to figure it out followed by a few minutes of installing. Thats how just about everything has been with this cam install. If I knew what I do now I could have finished all this a long time ago. Thats why it rerally helps to have someone there whos done it before. The good news is that almost everything is back together. I have to reinstall the radiator, fans, shroud, and nitrous. I need to tighten or reconnect all hoses and electric connections. Then I have to reinstall the air ducts and ram air and I should be done. I have a new tune I have to upload also. I'm stuck at work now until next weekend. Looking forward to the startup.

 

I figured it would be a tough job for you, since it's your first time. That's why I recommended and was hoping someone would drop by to give you a hand; someone who'd walked that road before.

Hang in there, you're almost done.

Jake

West Point ROCKS!

My West Point "ROCKER" is in Aruba kicking back on Spring Break.

 

I know it has gone a whole lot smoother than it could have thanks to you and everyone else that has helped. I'll be sure to pass on the knowledge and everything I have learned to the next rookie.

 

Your thread is already helping me out. It's not my first engine project but it's been so long in between, I feel like a rookie again. I started tearing down about the same time you did, but you're moving faster than me so I've been able to find answers to questions I haven't even asked yet. So thanks to you and everyone for all the detailed information!

 

Rick, I'm getting very impatient waiting for this project to end.


j/k -Mike

 

Your not the only one.


If I ever have to do this again it sure will be a hell of a lot easier and quicker. I'm sure theres a 396 build somewhere in my future.

 

If the dipstick and dipstick tube were in place (as shown in the pictures)
during the R&R of the pan, then my vote is that this may have
complicated your life.

Also, it helps to rotate the crank so that the front counter-weights
are up inside the block so they do not interfere and there is greater
effective clearance at the K-member for removing the pan.

Perhaps too late to assist your project but others may benefit.

.

 

Thats exactly what was holding me up. It was the stupid dipstick. I had pulled the stick out but I didn't realize that the gasket had to go on first, fitting the hole around the tube. Once I figured that out it was a 5 minute install. I also knew about turning the crank thanks to someone mentioning it earlier.

 

I wanted to post how I reinstalled the hub just to keep track of everything I had done while it's still fresh in my head for future reference and for others to use...

I used a tool I had made that consisted of a 7/16 hardened rod, various size washers, and 7/16 nuts. I got the idea from here. I left the rod longer though since I was installing the hub with the engine still in the car. This allowed me to first tighten the rod all the way down in the crank from in front the steering rack using two nuts tightened against each other at the end. The crank was prevented from spinning by a small c-clamp I had placed on the flexplate against the block. I heated the stock hub in the oven to 500 degrees for about 15 minutes. I slipped it on the crank with the arrow up using oven mits. I then put the rod with the nuts and washers in the crank. I tightened the rod all the way down in the crank using the end nuts. I then tightened the nut with the washers against the hub to push it on. When the hub stopped to move easy and appeared to be all the way in I removed the rod tool. I then put in my hub bolt and tightened it down to the required torque specs.

I used my belt tensioner tool with a socket extension and socket to keep the balancer from spinning when installing it. I used the belt tensioner on the crank bolt to keep everything from spinning. The tensioner tool was in front of the steering rack and spun until it made contact with the frame. This held the hub in place and allowed me to tighten all the balancer bolts. I did have to remove it once to get the other bolts in a position where I could tighten them from in front of the steering rack.

Parts for tool...

3' length of 7/16" SAE Fine threaded rod, B7 (high strength alloy steel) grade, from http://www.nutty.com, various size washers and 7/16 fine thread nuts.

 

Question!!

Was I supposed to leave off the hub bolt spacer since I used a double roller crank gear/chain??? I can't remember the differences in thickness between the stock crank gear and the Coyles. Anyone know??

No one had mentioned it before and I just read of this today. Just about everything is back together already. Do I need to pull everything apart again or will it be ok?


Thanks

 

Yes, you have to use the hub bolt washer. If the lower gear was thicker the hub/dampner wouldn't align with the rest of the pulley system.