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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 05:39 PM
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Hello everyone!

I'm going to be pulling out the motor on my 2001 C5 base model soon. I'm planning to replace the rear main seal (damm oil leak), replace the harmonic balancer, check the spark plugs and fuel injectors, check for any other leaks, and clean the engine.

Is there anything else I should replace/check while the motor is out? Thinking about adding long tube headers.

Have a great rest of your day!
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 08:10 PM
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Front seal, water pump and the idler pulleys. .
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 09:05 PM
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If the engine is out, I'd probably spend the extra 20-30$ and 30 minutes for new intake gaskets.
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 09:11 PM
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The oil pressure sending unit is a part that frequently fails. Replace it and consider relocating it which is common.
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 09:21 PM
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Remove the A.I.R system. All the hoses and gear will always be in your way.

It would also be an ideal time to swap in a cam.

How many miles on the engine?
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 09:23 PM
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Look at the "refined" rear main seal.

https://www.corvettepartscenter.com/...rear-main-seal
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 09:31 PM
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Originally Posted by vette4fl
Remove the A.I.R system. All the hoses and gear will always be in your way.
I second that. It's amazing how much this opens up the engine bay.
And if you really want to make hay, put a newer valley cover (2004 - ls6) on it and you can get rid of couple feet of PCV piping.
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 11:56 PM
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Originally Posted by vette4fl
Remove the A.I.R system. All the hoses and gear will always be in your way.

It would also be an ideal time to swap in a cam.

How many miles on the engine?
I've got 112,000 miles on the engine. I was thinking about a cam, but I want to keep the great gas mileage the autos have. The only reason I would do a cam would be for the sound, not the power.
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Old Mar 13, 2026 | 12:33 AM
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Originally Posted by KyleDrivesC5
I've got 112,000 miles on the engine. I was thinking about a cam, but I want to keep the great gas mileage the autos have. The only reason I would do a cam would be for the sound, not the power.
Well to get a choppy sound, you would lose gas mileage. So there goes the cam and also any gear change or stall convertor, lol. Maybe a nice double din radio setup 👍
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Old Mar 13, 2026 | 03:22 AM
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Supercharger.

Your wife will never know.
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Old Mar 13, 2026 | 03:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Tusc
Supercharger.

Your wife will never know.
My wallet will however. (Also I'm 19 and happily single )
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Old Mar 13, 2026 | 06:26 AM
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How about changing the spark plugs instead of just "checking". Pretty cheap an easy and then you know they are new.
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Old Mar 13, 2026 | 06:29 AM
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If the intake is off replace the knock sensors
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Old Mar 13, 2026 | 07:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Tusc
Supercharger.

Your wife will never know.
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Old Mar 13, 2026 | 12:13 PM
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Originally Posted by FinnishFireball
How about changing the spark plugs instead of just "checking". Pretty cheap an easy and then you know they are new.
for sure the plan
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Old Mar 13, 2026 | 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by KyleDrivesC5
My wallet will however. (Also I'm 19 and happily single )
By all means enjoy stacking the body count then. But know that I didn't find out until 46 that life doesn't begin until you're a dad. Just make sure you don't waste too much time on girls who are not the one.

Solid choice on a C5 as a starting point!
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Old Mar 13, 2026 | 12:31 PM
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Kudos for taking on a rather large project. When I was 19 I had the energy but not the experience. Often times I ended up "fixing" something and making it worse. That however was just me.Good luck with your project.
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Old Mar 16, 2026 | 04:01 AM
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I had the clutch replaced, 2nd gear lockout removed and the torque tube rebuilt when the main seal was done. If you're concerned about heat (at the track?), you might want to put some insulation somewhere around/up under the torque tube I think it was I read. checked rear differential

Last edited by FLYINBY; Mar 16, 2026 at 04:11 AM.
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Old Mar 16, 2026 | 09:55 AM
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Originally Posted by vette4fl
Remove the A.I.R system. All the hoses and gear will always be in your way.

It would also be an ideal time to swap in a cam.

How many miles on the engine?
If I remove the A.I.R. System. Does this have to be plugged on the exhaust manifold?


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Old Mar 17, 2026 | 11:34 PM
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Moved to C5 Tech.
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