LS1 lifter replacement
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Jacksonville NC
LS1 lifter replacement
When replacing the lifters on the LS1 is it as simple as pulling the intake off, loosing the rockers, taking the valley pan off, removing the push rods, at theis time can I just pull the old lifters straight out or will I need a special tool or ca I use a magnet retriever. This is my first corvette and first time working on the LS1 engine at all and I just want to make sure before I open her up. Thanks for any help you guys my provide me.
Thanks
Robert Edwards
USMC
Thanks
Robert Edwards
USMC
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Overland Park KS
Maybe you can confirm LS7 lifters are the standard replacement for LS1s?? I've heard it mentioned many times but haven't seen anyone actually post up part number info or what the GM parts dept. said.
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St. Jude Donor '03
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Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Since you'll be taking the heads off, also get new intake manifold seals, exhaust manifold gaskets too. Putting in those new headbolts, you'll need to have a serious breaker bar and a way of measuring the angles as you go through the torque sequence. It will take a lot of strength to do it right and you don't want to do it wrong. The largest issue will be the power steering pump removal depending on the year and whether or not its pulley has holes in it or not. Also, again depending on the year of your car, the EBTCM might be in the way of getting the PS pump out. Be prepared for some work but you can do it. I did it on my '99. Make sure the head surface and block surface are absolutely clean before putting it back together. You'll need to do a couple of immediate oil changes right after re-assembly.
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St. Jude Donor '03
Remove the alternator (easy)
Remove the water pump (easy)
Remove the 4 screws securing the alternator/PS bracket to the head. (not quite as easy, but not difficult).
Push the whole assembly (bracket/reservoir/pump/pulley) out of the way.
The PS pulley doesn't matter and doesn't need to be disturbed, the PS lines do not have to be disconnected either.
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Well, on my '99, there was no choice. I had to remove the PS Pump and to get it out of the way, I had to also remove the EBTCM. Maybe other years this isn't the case, but on the '99, it was.
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St. Jude Donor '03
No need to touch the PS pump or pulley. they move along with the bracket just fine.
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From: Anthony TX
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St. Jude Donor '08
I have to totally agree with Y2Kvert4me
:iagre e:Theres ZERO need to remove the power steering pump from the bracket when removing the heads.
I did a heads/cam/fast 90/90 install and didnt even remove it from the bracket. The bracket comes off the front of the engine with the pump installed.
You can access ALL the bracket bolts and pull the bracket with the pump installed.
BC
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From: Bardstown Kentucky
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The block deck wasn't too hard to get that clean, but I went the extra mile because of all the hype about perfect surface prep when using Cometic gaskets.
What I used was a plastic scraper, then some solvent and scrubbed it with a (non-metallic) scotchbrite pad, then went over it with a flat fine-grit honing stone to insure any burrs or remaining gasket material was gone.
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
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On mine, the bracket is attached to the head and you can't get the one bolt out of that bracket without removing the PS Pulley. My pulley was solid as in no holes in it like the newer ones. I ended up breaking the pulley itself, then having a machine shop removing the leftover piece of it on the hub and of course a new pulley when I was re-assembling. Serious, there was no choice on my engine. They may have changed things just past this... mine was an early '99 manufactured in July '98. Maybe I only thought it was attached to the head at the time and went to all that extra effort for nothing but it sure seemed that it was bolted directly to the head itself. The PS pulley was a real PITA
Last edited by dgrant3830; Apr 5, 2009 at 11:13 AM.
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St. Jude Donor '03
Solid pulley on mine too.
Here's another shot of the first time I removed it. Note the bracket is clearly off the head, yet the pump, (solid) stock pulley and reservoir are still attached to the bracket. The EBTCM is still sitting there untouched too.
Your 99 was no different than this.
I am pretty sure you followed the factory service manual procedure when you did it. If you do that, it will tell you to do all that you did.
I am merely telling you, you don't have to go through all that. And the pics clearly prove that.
Here's another shot of the first time I removed it. Note the bracket is clearly off the head, yet the pump, (solid) stock pulley and reservoir are still attached to the bracket. The EBTCM is still sitting there untouched too.
Your 99 was no different than this.
I am pretty sure you followed the factory service manual procedure when you did it. If you do that, it will tell you to do all that you did.
I am merely telling you, you don't have to go through all that. And the pics clearly prove that.
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St. Jude Donor '03
And FWIW, I've been through the PS pulley fun too. But I only had to because I swapped to a chromed alt bracket.
I just took a hammer to the pulley, it instantly broke in half. Then, with a little heat and a puller, extracted the pulley hub off the PS shaft. Then unbloted the pump and transferred it to the new bracket. And then installed a new aluminum spoked pulley.
But as you can also see in this pic, the PS pulley, even the stock solid one, does not prevent access to the 4 bolts securing the bracket to the head. It only blocks access to the 3 bolts securing the pump to the bracket.
I just took a hammer to the pulley, it instantly broke in half. Then, with a little heat and a puller, extracted the pulley hub off the PS shaft. Then unbloted the pump and transferred it to the new bracket. And then installed a new aluminum spoked pulley.
But as you can also see in this pic, the PS pulley, even the stock solid one, does not prevent access to the 4 bolts securing the bracket to the head. It only blocks access to the 3 bolts securing the pump to the bracket.
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Instructor
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From: Jacksonville NC
LS1 lifters
Thanks for all the good information from all you guys, I've made my mind up to just put a neww create engine in because a have a corvette guy hear tell me it sounds like wrist pins along with a bad lifter and for all that work the chevy dealer here will put a create LS 1 in for 5900, and the LS 2 with 405 HP 6300 so I think that's the route I will take and then just take the stock engine and rebuild it and sell it. I will post a message on here after I complete the project this week. I hope the engine change from the LS 1 5.7 to the LS 2 5.7 will work with out any other mods. Thanks
Robert Edwards
Robert Edwards
Melting Slicks
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From: Cedarburg, WI
Thanks for all the good information from all you guys, I've made my mind up to just put a neww create engine in because a have a corvette guy hear tell me it sounds like wrist pins along with a bad lifter and for all that work the chevy dealer here will put a create LS 1 in for 5900, and the LS 2 with 405 HP 6300 so I think that's the route I will take and then just take the stock engine and rebuild it and sell it. I will post a message on here after I complete the project this week. I hope the engine change from the LS 1 5.7 to the LS 2 5.7 will work with out any other mods. Thanks
Robert Edwards
Robert Edwards
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Sounds like your getting a factory stock LS6 ZO6 engine.. Stock flywheel HP is 405. in the 2002-2004 ZO6's 2001 Z had a 385 HP engine.
As for your friends assessment on whats wrong with the LS1 engine,,,,I have never seen a LS1 engine have a bad wrist pin. Those failures in LS engines are very very rare. If anything is wrong, it would be a rod bearing issue or maybe just a valve train issue.
Good luck on the swap.
BC
So, before you rip the entire engine apart, check the simple things first.
As for your friends assessment on whats wrong with the LS1 engine,,,,I have never seen a LS1 engine have a bad wrist pin. Those failures in LS engines are very very rare. If anything is wrong, it would be a rod bearing issue or maybe just a valve train issue.
Good luck on the swap.
BC
So, before you rip the entire engine apart, check the simple things first.