My 350 swap beings....
08-23-2003, 07:43 PM
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: New Jersey
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My 350 swap beings....
I started tearing that junk 305 out today....put about 10 hours in ( I was stripping my wheels/polishing to).
Man, those transmission bellhousing bolts are a PITA! Jesus, could it be ANY tighter? The bottom 4 were bad enough, but those top 2, man, two guys, with swivel head on the rachet and like 6 extensions....what a PITA.
What about the fact that the Smog line from the pump to the Cat runs under the starter (which is huge) so as I finally unbolted the starter I can't get it out, I'm going to have to drop the Y pipe (aka cut it and reweld later, did all the stock exhaust come with a 3 way weld where the exhaust connects from the manifolds?)
Also I love how the front subframe sits under the motor mounts....like...no engineering was done when our cars were made....nothing to make anything easy...whatever, the 305 is completely unhooked minus a couple fuel lines and such. Tomorrow we go get the cherry picker back from where it was lent and pull that thing out. I can't wait....it's FINALLY happening.
Man, those transmission bellhousing bolts are a PITA! Jesus, could it be ANY tighter? The bottom 4 were bad enough, but those top 2, man, two guys, with swivel head on the rachet and like 6 extensions....what a PITA.
What about the fact that the Smog line from the pump to the Cat runs under the starter (which is huge) so as I finally unbolted the starter I can't get it out, I'm going to have to drop the Y pipe (aka cut it and reweld later, did all the stock exhaust come with a 3 way weld where the exhaust connects from the manifolds?)
Also I love how the front subframe sits under the motor mounts....like...no engineering was done when our cars were made....nothing to make anything easy...whatever, the 305 is completely unhooked minus a couple fuel lines and such. Tomorrow we go get the cherry picker back from where it was lent and pull that thing out. I can't wait....it's FINALLY happening.
08-23-2003, 08:07 PM
#2
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 584
Re: My 350 swap beings....
Originally posted by StealthElephant
I started tearing that junk 305 out today....put about 10 hours in ( I was stripping my wheels/polishing to).
Man, those transmission bellhousing bolts are a PITA! Jesus, could it be ANY tighter? The bottom 4 were bad enough, but those top 2, man, two guys, with swivel head on the rachet and like 6 extensions....what a PITA.
What about the fact that the Smog line from the pump to the Cat runs under the starter (which is huge) so as I finally unbolted the starter I can't get it out, I'm going to have to drop the Y pipe (aka cut it and reweld later, did all the stock exhaust come with a 3 way weld where the exhaust connects from the manifolds?)
Also I love how the front subframe sits under the motor mounts....like...no engineering was done when our cars were made....nothing to make anything easy...whatever, the 305 is completely unhooked minus a couple fuel lines and such. Tomorrow we go get the cherry picker back from where it was lent and pull that thing out. I can't wait....it's FINALLY happening.
I started tearing that junk 305 out today....put about 10 hours in ( I was stripping my wheels/polishing to).
Man, those transmission bellhousing bolts are a PITA! Jesus, could it be ANY tighter? The bottom 4 were bad enough, but those top 2, man, two guys, with swivel head on the rachet and like 6 extensions....what a PITA.
What about the fact that the Smog line from the pump to the Cat runs under the starter (which is huge) so as I finally unbolted the starter I can't get it out, I'm going to have to drop the Y pipe (aka cut it and reweld later, did all the stock exhaust come with a 3 way weld where the exhaust connects from the manifolds?)
Also I love how the front subframe sits under the motor mounts....like...no engineering was done when our cars were made....nothing to make anything easy...whatever, the 305 is completely unhooked minus a couple fuel lines and such. Tomorrow we go get the cherry picker back from where it was lent and pull that thing out. I can't wait....it's FINALLY happening.
08-23-2003, 08:19 PM
#3
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Join Date: Sep 2002
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Should I do that? I wasn't going to if I pulled the 305 the current ones looked ok...they're cheap as hell tho so if I need to I will....it's not just me bitching right....cause the guy whos helping me do the swap has been working on cars for liek 20 years....we did a cam swap to my a car a while back...then and now, we both agree...my camaro is the worst car he's ever seen design wise to work on...
08-23-2003, 09:52 PM
#4
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Originally posted by StealthElephant
we both agree...my camaro is the worst car he's ever seen design wise to work on...
we both agree...my camaro is the worst car he's ever seen design wise to work on...
He must have never tried changing plugs and wires on an LT1 car.
I personally would go ahead and change the motor mounts now. If they're stock they're probably pretty deteriorated and won't last long to the extra twist of the bigger engine (that is, if they aren't already shot.) It's also very easy to do with the engine out of the car......
08-23-2003, 10:22 PM
#5
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Location: Markham, ON
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yeah ive never worked on an lt1 but half of the engine being buried under the dash isnt all that appealing to me. I have a hard enough time with my l98 and really as an engine its not bad the worst part about the motor is the smog pump
08-24-2003, 12:02 AM
#6
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my smog pump = trash
no visual test for inspection...sniffer only...im cleaning house....that damn smog line to the CAT is going tomorrow morning
ill prob pick up some new motor mounts.....im more worried about dropping the gas tank
no visual test for inspection...sniffer only...im cleaning house....that damn smog line to the CAT is going tomorrow morning
ill prob pick up some new motor mounts.....im more worried about dropping the gas tank
08-24-2003, 12:16 AM
#7
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Location: Markham, ON
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yeah i only have the sniffer too and im eventually going to get rid of the smog its just the "smog police" that scare me ive heard of people getting up to a grand in fines and im 16 dont have that kind of coin....stupid pain in the *** laws id pass a sniffer np without it so i dont see why i do need it.
08-24-2003, 03:50 PM
#9
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Location: Phila., PA
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Future reference: Tip on getting top 2 bellhousing bolts out: Use a 9/16" box wrench on them from ABOVE- kneeling on top of the engine. You won't get any leverage with a single wrench so lock the 12 point end of an 11/16" wrench around the open end part of the 9/16 sticking up. Gives you a nice lever arm about 1-1/2 feet long. If you're not familiar ith how to lock wrenches together like this ask someone who works on cars a lot- they'll show you how to do it. Just make sure they're lined up well when you start to press or you'll bust a knuckle on something for sure.
08-25-2003, 03:59 AM
#11
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 750
Originally posted by StealthElephant
I'm good with locking wrenches (I wouldn't have been able to get half the bolts out of the engine bay if I didn't) but whats a boxed wrench?
thnx for the tip
I'm good with locking wrenches (I wouldn't have been able to get half the bolts out of the engine bay if I didn't) but whats a boxed wrench?
thnx for the tip
I think.
08-25-2003, 02:17 PM
#12
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Join Date: Dec 1998
Location: Albion, Nebraska, USA
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Just gank engine and tranny at the same time is easier. That or go buy a three foot extension and 9/16" impact swivel socket, those two bolts come out easy as can be. I have been working on cars for 10 years and think 3rd gen Camaros are one of the easier cars I have worked on, not quite a '73 - '87 Chevy truck, but close. Try working on a Lumina with a 3.4 DOHC.
Martin
Martin
08-25-2003, 10:41 PM
#13
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We just finished pulling the motor out, and the wiring harness is out, we took a digital picture of it strangling me...I gotta get it...that thing is huge....like a hundred feet of wire in there....my engine bay looks MUCH cleaner with 100 less wire looms in it.
I gotta figure out which pin leads to my headlights....gonna make a custom wiring harness to operate my stuff.....this way in the future for any other engines that go in or any changes my headlights/starter/etc will have their own independent setup.
I gotta figure out which pin leads to my headlights....gonna make a custom wiring harness to operate my stuff.....this way in the future for any other engines that go in or any changes my headlights/starter/etc will have their own independent setup.
08-26-2003, 10:31 AM
#14
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Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 62
I am also workin on my engine right now.. just took out the 305 and the 350 is in and almost complete. We used a 3 ft extension with a 9/16th swivel for the 6 tranny bolts.. for the top two we dropped the crossmember about 4-5 inches to make them easier.. to get back in.. they were ok to get out without doing that though. You should also have a good amount of fun with the grounds on the back of the heads.. don't forget to unhook these when yankin the engine out.
I would definitly replace the motor mounts.. they are a lot cheaper at gmpartsdirect.com than a dealership. They are definitly a PITA to get a socket on from the bottom to take them off and put back on.. but we managed.
There is also a heater hose that comes from the firewall down to a pipe that is behind the engine and its a good time to replace it because you won't want to with an engine in there.. its a $10 part.. Comes out and curves down, looks like a question mark...
The fun part is trying to hook up the check valve on the A.I.R when my headers move it about 4-5 inches forward. I get to mess with that today.
I would definitly replace the motor mounts.. they are a lot cheaper at gmpartsdirect.com than a dealership. They are definitly a PITA to get a socket on from the bottom to take them off and put back on.. but we managed.
There is also a heater hose that comes from the firewall down to a pipe that is behind the engine and its a good time to replace it because you won't want to with an engine in there.. its a $10 part.. Comes out and curves down, looks like a question mark...
The fun part is trying to hook up the check valve on the A.I.R when my headers move it about 4-5 inches forward. I get to mess with that today.
08-26-2003, 10:53 AM
#15
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That ? shaped heater line was razored bladed off, we're going to make a cleaner setup....just redo it the way GM SHOULD have done it.
I'm not putting any smog stuff back, non-air headers, no smog pump, all the lines are coming out. NJ has sniffer no visual so I'm not worried about that.
I'm not putting any smog stuff back, non-air headers, no smog pump, all the lines are coming out. NJ has sniffer no visual so I'm not worried about that.