Knee deep into my Head / Cam install...
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 25,889
Likes: 7
From: Virginia Beach
CI 3-5-6-7-8 Veteran
^ There you go... it sucks but you'll have to pull the rack, the radiator, the water pump, and the crank pulley, then remove the timing cover to get at it.
Or you might could remove the oil pan from below... drop it down and get at the o-ring.
Or you might could remove the oil pan from below... drop it down and get at the o-ring.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 559
Likes: 1
From: Lenexa Kansas
Oh wouldn't that just be a freaking dream come true!!!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 25,889
Likes: 7
From: Virginia Beach
CI 3-5-6-7-8 Veteran
Hmmm go over to www.corvettemechanic.com and ask C4C5Specialist if you can drop the pan down enough. You may be able to get the pan loose, drop it enough to get at the o-ring.
However my buddy Joe just ripped back into it... having done it once it didn't take him long at all to get back in it.
However my buddy Joe just ripped back into it... having done it once it didn't take him long at all to get back in it.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 559
Likes: 1
From: Lenexa Kansas
Hmmm go over to www.corvettemechanic.com and ask C4C5Specialist if you can drop the pan down enough. You may be able to get the pan loose, drop it enough to get at the o-ring.
However my buddy Joe just ripped back into it... having done it once it didn't take him long at all to get back in it.
However my buddy Joe just ripped back into it... having done it once it didn't take him long at all to get back in it.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 559
Likes: 1
From: Lenexa Kansas
A significant chunk of the time came from running to Napa for tools/parts, and as you know, I had plenty of "oopses". I really took my time though, and I did a lot of it in three hour chunks, which isn't as efficient as bigger spans of time (cleanup takes a little time). I would guess that if you are a green mechanic, you can use the long end of LS1howto.com's time estimates to get an idea of how long each part will take. But if you really take your time and read the instructions several times, it can stretch beyond those numbers. Obviously my install did. Having done this once, however, I would think I could do it again well within the time estimates on howto.com. I'm going to be tearing back into the front end again tonight. I'll let you know how much time I knock off from experience. I won't be rushing, but I'm sure it won't take as long... Don't let this project scare you; other than your time/money, there's nothing that complicated about it.
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 559
Likes: 1
From: Lenexa Kansas
Did you see my video? If not, it's several posts back, and you can hear it start up for the very first time, and idle for about a minute. I left it idling for 2 or 3 more minutes after that, and I was absolutely amazed at how clean it idled. I'm not going to go out and beat on it without a tune, but it would defnitely be driveable without a tune. I really expected it to lope off of the jack stands, but it idled great.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 994
Likes: 0
Did you see my video? If not, it's several posts back, and you can hear it start up for the very first time, and idle for about a minute. I left it idling for 2 or 3 more minutes after that, and I was absolutely amazed at how clean it idled. I'm not going to go out and beat on it without a tune, but it would defnitely be driveable without a tune. I really expected it to lope off of the jack stands, but it idled great.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 559
Likes: 1
From: Lenexa Kansas
Looks like the O-ring
Well, I got her apart, and didn't have to take out the radiator. I opened up the timing cover, and lo and behold, the O-ring was fried. As you can see, the O-ring is actually missing a nice chunk, which makes me wonder how worried I should be about it floating through my system... I suppose it could have been torn into several tiny peices, or there could be one big chunk. Is there anything I should do to mitigate it? I also have included a shot of the new O-ring as it sat just before I tightened the pick up tube. It went in smoothly while sitting on the snout this time. Does it look straight to you guys?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 559
Likes: 1
From: Lenexa Kansas
That picture shows all the farther the pickup tube wanted to go by hand. Should it have gone farther up? I bolted it in from where it sat in the picture while trying to keep it as level as possible...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,088
Likes: 2
From: tampa florida
What i see as important is you are overcoming the roadblocks and obstacles and staying with it. A lot of people would have given up but you have not, I admire your determination.
Looking forward to your completion.
Best of luck to you.
Brad
Looking forward to your completion.
Best of luck to you.
Brad
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,561
Likes: 448
From: Atlanta metro Ga.
