underhood working on the 93 up Camaro/Firebird - Page 2

Rich Biebel · 10-14-2008, 03:53 PM

For engine install on a stock LT-1......I made a spreader bar and attached 4 chains to it and bolted them to the 4 corner exhaust holes on the heads. Attached the bar to my engine hoist as tight as possible to the top of manifold. Nothing on the front of the engine and radiator/shroud out. No water pump, distributer or balancer Engine just squeezes in and I did not remove the hood.....just remove the strut clips and stand the hood up with a broom handle. Sparkplug access was pretty bad on #5 and I made a wrench to fit. It was easier to get it out from underneath with Hedman stepped headers. I removed steering box mounting bolts on drivers side to get header on easier and not scratch up the coating. I replaced valve springs on the car. Front half of engine is easy, rear half is a little tougher. An old style spring compressor works mint for the back cylinders and a lever type works fine on the front ones. The old one I think was a K-D item and is a clamp type with legs that hook the bottom of the spring. It has a wheel and screw arrangement that you use to compress the spring. Works good for small diameter stock type springs. Under the hood is not that bad..... interior work and under the dash is torture. Jacking it up is a chore also with the long nose.......Nice cars that work well and are fun to drive. If I had a lift available for working on mine it would have made working on it a lot easier and I might have kept it........

Michigan Skip · 10-14-2008, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel

Nice cars that work well and are fun to drive. If I had a lift available for working on mine it would have made working on it a lot easier and I might have kept it........

Rich, that is why I got one of these.
http://kwiklift.com/

Solved a LOT of problems for me.

Dyno · 10-15-2008, 02:31 PM

I changed the LT1 in my stocker with the "happy hooker". Works great, uses the bolts that hold the fuel rails down, looks scary because of the small bolts, but I never dropped one. If you use a swivel off of the engine picker, it is easier to turn the engine around to get it in. To change a LS1 engine, it was more difficult because of the composite (plastic) intake, the intake would have to be bolted on after the engine was installed. Myron Cottrell from the Horsepower Farm in Chaska, MN makes and sells them. Check out the web site www.tpis.com or call Bob at 952-448-5330. Sells for $40.00. Dyno

TOSTO RACING · 10-15-2008, 06:35 PM

I just use the regular old engine hoist on the ls cars and it comes right out of the top. They aren't really that bad to work on once you get all the crap out of the way that you don't need.

10-14-2008, 03:53 PM	#11
Rich Biebel VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern New Jersey suburbs Posts: 2,315 Likes: 25 Liked 544 Times in 213 Posts	Re: underhood working on the 93 up Camaro/Firebird For engine install on a stock LT-1......I made a spreader bar and attached 4 chains to it and bolted them to the 4 corner exhaust holes on the heads. Attached the bar to my engine hoist as tight as possible to the top of manifold. Nothing on the front of the engine and radiator/shroud out. No water pump, distributer or balancer Engine just squeezes in and I did not remove the hood.....just remove the strut clips and stand the hood up with a broom handle. Sparkplug access was pretty bad on #5 and I made a wrench to fit. It was easier to get it out from underneath with Hedman stepped headers. I removed steering box mounting bolts on drivers side to get header on easier and not scratch up the coating. I replaced valve springs on the car. Front half of engine is easy, rear half is a little tougher. An old style spring compressor works mint for the back cylinders and a lever type works fine on the front ones. The old one I think was a K-D item and is a clamp type with legs that hook the bottom of the spring. It has a wheel and screw arrangement that you use to compress the spring. Works good for small diameter stock type springs. Under the hood is not that bad..... interior work and under the dash is torture. Jacking it up is a chore also with the long nose.......Nice cars that work well and are fun to drive. If I had a lift available for working on mine it would have made working on it a lot easier and I might have kept it........ __________________ Rich Biebel S/C 1479 Stock 147R

10-15-2008, 02:31 PM	#13
Dyno Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 919 Likes: 1,143 Liked 693 Times in 205 Posts	Re: underhood working on the 93 up Camaro/Firebird I changed the LT1 in my stocker with the "happy hooker". Works great, uses the bolts that hold the fuel rails down, looks scary because of the small bolts, but I never dropped one. If you use a swivel off of the engine picker, it is easier to turn the engine around to get it in. To change a LS1 engine, it was more difficult because of the composite (plastic) intake, the intake would have to be bolted on after the engine was installed. Myron Cottrell from the Horsepower Farm in Chaska, MN makes and sells them. Check out the web site www.tpis.com or call Bob at 952-448-5330. Sells for $40.00. Dyno

10-15-2008, 06:35 PM	#14
TOSTO RACING Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: DRAGSTRIP Posts: 891 Likes: 886 Liked 653 Times in 185 Posts	Re: underhood working on the 93 up Camaro/Firebird I just use the regular old engine hoist on the ls cars and it comes right out of the top. They aren't really that bad to work on once you get all the crap out of the way that you don't need. __________________ 5664 GHI/SA 1985 CAMARO RED H/SA 1985 CAMARO BLUE I/SA