Once I took that bolt out, it came out no problem.

To clear up some confusion (I read conflicting things across the forum) it definitely is possible to pull the engine without removing/unbolting/lowering the transmission. I don't think it would be possible without a load leveler though, because in order to clear the transmission input shaft with the clutch bell housing I had to tilt the engine backward as I lifted it.

There were a few ground wire straps I hadn't undone, a few of which got pulled a little tight before I noticed them (no harm done, but I'll definitely undo them sooner if I do this again), but other than that and just untangling various hoses and stuff all I had to do was lift it out.

Because I left the hood on, it was a little tricky to maneuver it out of the engine bay. If I had either removed the clutch slave cylinder (rather than just disconnecting the metal line going to it) or removed the handle from the load leveler it would have been a bit easier, but it wasn't a big deal. Definitely nice to have two people though--one to lift and roll the hoist, and the other to hold the engine to help it clear stuff and make sure it doesn't go through the windshield.

Now I gotta remove the clutch so I can put the engine on the stand. I suspect it's not as easy as just unbolting the clutch and pulling it off, so I'm going to do some research on that first. Then I'll swap over the oil cooler and oil pan to my new engine, install the timing chain cover, harmonic damper, and intake base on my new engine, and I'll be in business.

Thanks again for all the help you guys have given me to help me get this far.

 

Man, getting the clutch off isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Everything I read says just pull the housing off the dowel pins and rotate it to unhook the fork from the throwout bearing, but it's super stiff. I read that you can't remove clutches that way if they're worn, but this is a new clutch.

I can't loosen the ball stud because a) it needs some special hex key with rounded lobes and b) the stud underneath needs a 17mm hex key, which neither I nor the auto parts stores have. Ordered one for the transmission plugs but it won't be here for a few days.

EDIT:
Turns out you have to take the slave cylinder off. Not sure if it's obvious once you know how a clutch works, but once it comes off it allows the housing to EASILY pull away from the engine block, and then it can be rotated 90 degrees so the fork lines up with the flat spots on the throwout bearing and can pull off.

For anyone doing this in the future, do yourself a favor and unbolt that slave cylinder before you pull the engine. Disconnecting the line that goes to it is just a hassle since you'll eventually need to remove the cylinder.

 

Now that I got the clutch off, I'm putting my new engine the rest of the way together.

For the intake base, it sounds like the norm is a thick bead of The Right Stuff across the china wall and 1/2" or so onto the head, and non-hardening Permatex in any bolt holes that go into the water jacket? Also maybe a thin layer of RTV on both sides of the gaskets around water ports?

Do I need to let The Right Stuff set up before I put the manifold on? Does the 1/2" of The Right Stuff that goes onto the heads go under or above the gaskets, or both?

I'm looking for answers online, but not really finding anything definitive.

Edit:
Seems like there is no consensus whatsoever.
I think I'll put a thin layer of RTV around the coolant ports, put the gaskets on, then do TRS on the china walls, let it set for 15min or so, then put the base on.

One thing I noticed is that the gaskets don't quite match the heads. Here's a picture with it centered on the bolt holes.



Notice how the gasket hangs over the top of the intake ports a bit, and off the bottom edge of the head as well. The tiny hole (not sure why there's just a small hole, but I'm sure Fel-Pro knows what they're doing) on the rear coolant port is about 1/3 off of the hole in the head. Should I enlarge any of these holes at all, or just install it like this?

 

Your doing ok, don't beat yourself up over a missed bolt. Your next engine replacement will probably be on a different make/model = another learning curve.

Clutch/trans etc: Does your new crank have a pilot bearing? If not you need one.
You also need a clutch disc alignment tool
http://www.summitracing.com/search/p...lignment-tools

On engine install: You need guide studs in the bell housing to mate the trans to the bell housing. The guide studs will help align the trans input shaft with the clutch plate splines. While chasing parts get 2 or 3 of 4 or 5" long bolts the same thread pitch as the trans to bell housing bolts. Cut the heads off of the bolts, bevel the bolts at the cut I put a 45* taper on them. Hack saw or whiz wheel a slot in the cut end in case the threads are tight = a means to remove them after engine/trans assembly.

Important: Check the trans to insure a long stud can be removed from the trans side. Some transmissions have casting protrusions & require a short bolt in that hole.

The way I make the engine standard shift trans connection with the trans in the vehicle.
Block the rear wheels, E brake on, transmission in a low gear. When it slides together then if it stops an inch or so short the clutch disc & trans splines may not be lined up. Rotate the crank a bit with the balancer bolt it should slide together.

 

I believe it has a pilot bearing, but I'm not entirely sure. The rear snout of the crank looks the same on my new engine as on the old one.

Didn't know about that alignment tool, thanks. Hope O'Reilly's has them.

Also didn't know about those studs. I'll buy some bolts and make those.

That sounds easy enough. Let's hope for once in this swap something is actually as easy as it sounds.

What are your thoughts on those intake gaskets? From what I can tell, those gaskets are made for engines where the rear coolant passages on the heads dead-end and don't do anything, but looking at my block and intake base it looks like mine actually have coolant flow through them. Should I just carefully cut open the passage in the gasket with a razor?

 

Okay, this is my plan: cut open the rear coolant holes with a razor, but leave the intake ports alone. I held it up to my intake base and the gasket is bigger than the holes in the base, meaning that unless I port the base (which I have neither the time nor skill to do) the base is the constriction, not the gasket.

 

You will soon discover that the entire TPI system is a constriction.

Those intake gaskets are ok for this go round. As long as the intake manifold ports are smaller than the gasket = no intake air reversion. You can get larger port gaskets to match the heads when a good intake is installed. Port matching a stock intake manifold to your heads is in my humble opinion a waste of time.

BTW: RTV etc application varies by user nothing set in stone. Apply as you see fit.

 

Yeah, I'm hoping to upgrade to SR or perhaps FIRST TPI at some point.

For now I'm happy with the torquey TPI. Might not be a screamer but it's fun off the line.

 

Okay, I got my intake base and valve covers on. I'm moving over the oil pan now.

The oil pump on my new engine was meant for a deeper pan, so the pickup is too low. I have two options. I can either reuse the M55HV (high volume) pump I installed 6 months ago to fix low oil pressure, or use the 25-year-old stock pump.

I know a HV pump is not necessary, so I'm leaning toward reusing the stock pump. My only hangup is this: will 25 years of use "wear out" an oil pump to where it needs to be replaced?

 

......... Oil pumps are cheap ... buy a new one ...........

 

I appreciate the advice, but I'm finding that "Well, it's cheap, might as well just buy a new one" quickly adds up. And for something as simple as an oil pump (basically two large gears in a housing) I don't see a reason to replace it.

I'm most interested in whether you think an oil pump will be appreciably worn after 160k miles. If so, I'll just use my 6-month-old HV pump. I'd rather lose the 1/10 hp than spend $40 and an hour of time to get a new pump, pickup, pickup tube installation tool, and put it all together. (Before someone brings it up, people have proven a HV pump won't pump the pan dry.)

 

I would use the newer pump rather than an much older pump. You should be able to get a shorter pickup assembly for the newer pump. Unless the pickup tube is welded to the pump, you can grab the tube with vice grips and work it off. Installation of a new tube assembly is close to the same. Put the VG loosely over the tube and tape the grips with a hammer to set the tube into the pump.

If you use the Right Stuff you don't have to wait any time at all. If your using Silicone RVT that has to sit for 24 hours to set before you can put the car in service.

Keep up the good work.

-John

 

Oil pumps do wear out. Consider this: Any trash/swarf in the oil goes through the pump first before the oil is filtered = hard on a pump. Remove the cover from your old oil pump you will find the cover is scored deeply with wear marks from the pump gears + the inside is probably scored from the gears contacting the top of the housing = loss of volume.

Suggest using the 6 mo old pump. Insure it is clean & oil it well before install. A dry pump may not prime.

 

Okay, thanks John.

The pickup is brazed on, but that's the newest pump. It's a little complicated: I have the stock pump, a M55HV I installed to fix low oil pressure, and a M55HV that came on the new engine. The M55HV that was already on my engine has the proper height pickup for my oil pan.

Hmm, thanks.



Since it looks like the consensus is the old pump is too old, I'll go with the newer HV pump. Unless of course you guys think it would be worth $40 and the hassle to get a new standard volume pump. I've never really been able to find a definitive answer on how much extra power it takes to drive a HV pump. The flow difference is about 25% (~5 gpm) at 6000 RPM, so I don't expect it would be much at all.

 

Wow, just took off my (new) old oil pump from my old engine and it is COVERED in metal dust. Not "shiny flecks in the oil"; grey metal dust paste sitting on it. I'm taking it apart and cleaning it VERY thoroughly, and I will clean the oil pan and any other internal parts off my old engine similarly. Fortunately the internals don't look worn and there's no play in the shaft at all.

I'm thinking the metal is from the cam bearings. Maybe I'll tear apart the engine this summer and figure it out. Sure hope it's not from something I did wrong replacing the main and rod bearings.

Edit:
You know the baffle in the oil pan that hangs from studs on the main cap bolts by the oil pump? I'm guessing its purpose is to prevent oil pump starvation in high-G turns. Anyway, because of the studs I can't get a socket (even a deep socket) on it, and even using a neat trick I learned to link two box wrenches together I couldn't get that sucker off. Will I be fine without that baffle in my new engine? I may be doing a few autocrosses, but as a rule I'll just be driving around town so I don't think it's necessary. Plus I can't get a torque wrench on those studs, so I wouldn't be able to torque them exactly to spec.

Also, I'm hoping to start it tomorrow (The wait is killing me. Haven't heard it running well or even driven it in months.) Any recommendations for oil (planning on just using 10w-30 synthetic) or any special startup/preparation procedure? I know with flat tappets you gotta hold a certain RPM to squirt oil on the cam lobes, so I'm not sure if anything like that applies for me. I think one of you may have listed a few things a while back, so I'll read back through the thread to see if I can find anything.

 

"The wait is killing me. Haven't heard it running well or even driven it in months"

Patience young Jedi patience. 90% of the results are achieved in the last 10% of the job.

Main cap stud socket: Use a socket that does not have an internal shoulder (nut stop)
Whiz wheel it in half across the diameter, use a length of black iron pipe or 1/8 wall tube, weld the pieces together, make it long as you like.

The 2 wrench "trick" to provide extra leverage is a PITA + it is an unsafe practice.
I know many mechanics, most of us keep a length of pipe or tubing handy that will slide over wrenches to provide extra leverage.

 

You can do this before or after you drop in the engine. Leave the distributor out of the engine. Leave the valve covers off or take them off. Get a oil pump priming tool.

http://www.autozone.com/test-scan-an...mString=search

or

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...p+priming+tool

Other auto parts stores should have them...perhaps to borrow or rent.

You put the tool into a drill (I use my 1/2" electric) and slide it down the distributor hole and mate up with the oil pump shaft. Turn on the drill and let it spin as fast as the drill will go. This will prime the oil thru the whole engine. Watch for oil at all the rockers. This way all the bearings are oiled, cam is oiled, lifters pumped up and oiled and the rockers all have oil. Well worth the time and expense. When your sure you have oil to all the rockers you can remove the tool and drop in the distributor.

I would leave the distributor out when you drop the engine back into the car, give you a little more room so your not hitting the firewall with the distributor. You won't damage the distributor putting the engine back in either.

John

 

Priming the engine = good point, be sure to do it.

Speaking of distributors: What color is your camshaft? The blank between the lobes & bearings?
If it is black a stock distributor gear can be used.
If it is gold you need a special distributor gear.

 

Hmm... Although I technically can weld, I'm pretty lousy at it. Is that baffle really necessary?

Yeah, I had the wrench spin sideways in my hand doing it last night and it smarted a bit. I try not to yank too hard when I'm using two wrenches. Keeping some pipe handy like that would be the way to go.

Already got one from Autozone
Their rent-a-tool program is great.

Okay, I'll do that, thanks for the advice.

I believe it's a dark grey (I guess black). The cam gear if I remember correctly is melonite. I called Lunati when I bought it and they said it is compatible with my current distributor gear.

 

Yea cutting gaskets to match the port is OK as long as the cut dosent fray - u need a clean cut. But the world wont stop turning if a little undersized. I know u dong have the resources in time and $$$ now to find a larger intake gasket but each mfr sell several for the sbc. Yes on cutting open the coolant holes - that is a must for flow.

Ya know i learned to circle the coolant holes with a thin bead of RTV/sealer. And since that leaves the gasket surface uneven i continue the bead all the way accross to each end - just a thin bead though. U want the gasket to lay even and if u leave sealer only on the coolant holes it aint even. But again just a thin bead.

Dont know how u can miss a pilot bushing? Its at least 1" dia and made of bronze/brass and sits inside the center hole in the crank flange. This bushing guides the input shaft of the trans and has to be square so that shaft tip doesnt rub. Usually it goes in square by the nature of the fit-up - but sometimes not. But its not possible to check this with trans still in car so u need to observe for this on engine install and start-up.

Dont reuse a 160k mi oil pump. Why cant u bend the pick up tube of the newest pump? Too much of a bend?? Even with propane heat? Its just that i continually read of problems with the HV and Hi-Press pumps in a sbc. The stock pump is good for at least 500hp. I know it will take time but u could resource a used pick up at the boneyard or even look over Craigslist for a basket case sbc engine and try to make a deal. But a stock replacement is only $9 at summit: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/me...make/chevrolet. BTW i braze mine in place also (check clearance first with clay in pan).

That oil baffle is what saves your brgs in a high speed turn from oil starvation. I use a flare nut wrench to grab the lands on the stud and yes piece of pipe makes a good cheater bar if needed.

Problem with most pre-oiler tools is they dont have the bushing to block the oil galley as the stock distributor does and u dont get oil up both cyl banks. Best pre-oiler tool is stock dist housing with all the ign parts gutted out and the top of shaft ground down to fit a good 1/2" portable drill - back to the boneyard again.

Hope this helps.