C5 engine removal

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Dec 17, 2004 | 02:42 PM

DSKRALL

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C5 engine removal

I just received a copy of Will Handzel's book How to Build High Performance LS1/LS6 V-8s. Handzel shows the entire drivetrain being removed when serious engine work needs to be done. Excuse my ignorance, but is there any other way to remove the engine? Is there any way to remove the entire drivetrain without using a huge lift? I'm not contemplating the job, but I am curious about it.

Dec 17, 2004 | 02:44 PM

Jackal

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From: Sacramento CA

You can do it without a lift, but it would be MUCH easier with one.

Dec 17, 2004 | 08:00 PM

Tree

Racer

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From: Southbury CT

There's no problem removing the engine from the top with an engine hoist (long legs and boom advised) with the car on jack stands. I assume the book instructs you to put the car on a lift and remove it from the bottom, the way Chevrolet recommends.

Dec 17, 2004 | 11:01 PM

0Kaley@DragonRace

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From: Loveland CO

You would be surprized how easy it is to remove the entire drivetrain. Thats probably why Chevrolet recommends doing it that way. Of course you can pull the motor from the top but I think it takes much less time to drop it out from the bottom. I have not tried taking it out through the top so I am not posotive on that. Kaley

Dec 18, 2004 | 09:22 AM

runamuk

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From: Slave to the evil empire

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St. Jude Donor '04

I read that book also and when I got to the part about removing the whole drivetrain I just

IMHO you are creating a HUGE amount of extra work by removeing the entire drivetrain.

The engine will unbolt from the torque tube very easily and from there you can either remove it from the bottom or the top depending on how your shop is equipped.

Dec 18, 2004 | 09:26 AM

DSKRALL

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Thanks for the good replies. Handzel's book appears to be very good, but it's too bad he didn't demonstrate the different ways that the engine can be removed.

Dec 18, 2004 | 10:02 AM

Mike Mercury

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From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member

Quote:

but it's too bad he didn't demonstrate the different ways that the engine can be removed.

some people can only do things like instructed to. Others that can go beyond "the book"- don't - simply because lawyers get involved with the publishing process.

Thank god there are people on the forum that can go beyond "the book".

Dec 19, 2004 | 11:11 PM

C66 Racing

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From: King George VA

I've had my motor out through the top using jack stands several times now. Takes three jacks (one under the front of the diff, one under the rear of the front cradle, and one under the front of the front cradle), but it can be done. Last time we swapped a motor, which was at the Runoffs in Sept after I lost the harmonic balancer (another story altogether), we swapped the motor out in 18 hours out the top, which is just about what Chevy lists for a motor swap. We had the added complexity of the oil cooler lines and having to flush them and the whole intake out as well.