Father & Son 1st Car Swap Project Chronicled - Page 7 - Engine Swap - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

LT1guy · 06-15-2005, 11:55 AM

Kurt, if you're interested I'll trade you my 87 CC quadrajet, the CC distributor (already has an Accel cap and rotor, fairly low miles), and the 87 Computer for the non-cc distributor you have (HEI I'm assuming?). The CC carb may need some new gaskets (the add-on electric pump on the car flooded it out last time I cranked it), but it ran fine before that. I'm going non-cc on this car, and just need a distributor to do the conversion. I may be able to throw in some misc sensors and whatnot that I won't be resusing, too. Just PM me if you're interested. You're not too far from me, so we could probably arrange a meetup this weekend.

kboehringer · 06-15-2005, 01:06 PM

LT1Guy,
That's a bit of a lop-sided trade in OUR favor. Are you sure there isn't anything else we can give you in exchange? PM Sent.
Sincerely,
Kurt

LT1guy · 06-15-2005, 01:15 PM

Just let me know when you find Fieros in your junkyard searches, particularly any with the Aero package (SEs, GTs, and Indys!)...still looking for several items for mine!

kboehringer · 06-16-2005, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Thank you for your recent order. Part 249 CL12-256-4 is currently out of stock, if you have any questions please call us at 1-800-345-4545 extension 456 and speak with a customer service representative. If we do not hear from you, the back ordered part will ship as soon as it is available.

Jeg’s Customer Care

TGO Guys,
We called Jegs and the wait should be less than two weeks to reach our door. We'll just wait for it to come in rather than try to find somehting different. Five7kid suggested this one and several guys agreed it was a good choice. NO reason to rush it now and buy something stupid. We still have plenty of other stuff to do.
Sincerely,
Kurt

LT1guy · 06-16-2005, 11:00 AM

If you guys don't want to wait that long, I just got off the phone with Chris Little down at Barnett Performance...they have your cam in stock. $212.73/ including tax. Let me know if you need directions!

five7kid · 06-16-2005, 11:13 AM

It'll ship from Summit today at $189.95 + order fee ($9.75, I think).

They're opening up a store in Atlanta, right?

flyitlikustolit · 06-16-2005, 11:15 AM

yessir..... I can't wait

kboehringer · 06-16-2005, 12:38 PM

TGO Friends,
After reading your posts I quickly called Jegs to get a better estimate of delivery. If they had confirmed 2-weeks I would have cancelled and went elsewhere.

The Rep at Jegs called CompCams and the Camshaft was shipped to Jeg's yesterday. They said I should expect delivery in GA on Wednesday.....Thursday at the latest.

My wife is getting the Short-Block tomorrow morning (it's actually ready now). The heads will not be ready until Tuesday so the Camshaft is not really needed yet.

This weekend Derek and I will install the Crank, Rods, Pistons and Rings, Oil Pump, Pan, Knock Sensor, etc. We'll do the Plasti-Guage routine even though the bearings should be perfect from the shop. I'll have to teach him about ring end-gap spacing etc. There will be a lot of TEACHING going on so we should be happy if we get that much done. DEREK WILL INSTALL AT LEAST SEVEN PISTONS/RODS NOT ME!

We have to finish wet sanding the car and some of the parts so we have plenty to do. Especially if all our new suspension bushings, gromets, stops, and links show up!

Question: I'm planning on running the oil pump with a drill and an adapter to get it primed and to get oil flowing prior to any attempted start-up. We shouldn't need to pack the pump should we?

LT1Guy and Five7Kid: Thank you for finding so many alternatives!

Sincerely,
Kurt

LT1guy · 06-16-2005, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by five7kid
It'll ship from Summit today at $189.95 + order fee ($9.75, I think).

They're opening up a store in Atlanta, right?

Yes, just south of Atlanta, in McDonough (Hwy 155 exit from I-75).
Construction has started; Redraif goes by there every day on the way to work!

five7kid · 06-16-2005, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kboehringer
This weekend Derek and I will install the Crank, Rods, Pistons and Rings, Oil Pump, Pan, Knock Sensor, etc. We'll do the Plasti-Guage routine even though the bearings should be perfect from the shop. I'll have to teach him about ring end-gap spacing etc. There will be a lot of TEACHING going on so we should be happy if we get that much done. DEREK WILL INSTALL AT LEAST SEVEN PISTONS/RODS NOT ME!

That's basically what we did when we put our 350 shortblock together. I showed him how the rings were installed on one piston, he did the rest. We had some trouble with the ring compressor, so I ended up being a little more involved with the stabbing part. We used ARP rod bolts and don't have a stretch gage, so had to torque each rod cap three times per ARP's instructions. Took us two sessions to get it all together (getting the #5 piston in the #3 hole didn't help, either - since it had been balanced, we took it out and put it in the proper cylinder).

mw66nova · 06-16-2005, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LT1guy
Yes, just south of Atlanta, in McDonough (Hwy 155 exit from I-75).
Construction has started; Redraif goes by there every day on the way to work!

wow! really? my ex-g/f lives in that area! i go to see her occasionally, gives me a reason to go "visit" more often now!

stenseltizm · 06-16-2005, 09:33 PM

That carb is deffinately yours if you still need it. If you found alternatives, let me know cause I can always find a use for it. I offered it to you first cause I really respect what you're doing with your son. Every time I wanted to learn how to do something with my car it was 'your smart enough, you can figure it out'. That type of trial and error always leads to redoing things after you broke something learning the wrong way.

I'll take some pics of the windshield washer motor to see if it's the style that you're looking for. I don't think I'll need it either, so anything else I might be able to find off my z-28 that may be of use to you, let me know and i'll photo it and offer it as well.

once again congratulations on your bonding experience with your son.

kboehringer · 06-17-2005, 03:57 AM

stenseltizm,

Please keep it for now. LT1 guy has one that should work. He is only 20+/- miles from us. We will be able to get the Carb he offered, without anyone having to pack-up a carb and mail it. That could be a little bit of a PITA, especially if it has gasoline residue in it. The USPS might not care for that.

The wiper motor should not be too much of a problem to find locally, we just have to look a little wider and harder. Derek and I were discussing the wiper problem. It would be a whole lot easier to mount one now, without the engine in the way, especially if we need to change the mounting holes. We really don't NEED one until the car is capable of being a daily driver. That's still a significant amount of time from now.

We've tossed several items we considered "non-serviceable" but we will have left-overs when we are through with this swap. Let us know if there is anything YOU need.

Sincerely,
Kurt

kdrolt · 06-17-2005, 08:28 AM

Apparently, most everyone missed the key quote from your post:

Quote:

Originally posted by kboehringer
TGO Friends,

.....

My wife is getting the Short-Block tomorrow morning ...

wOW. This has to be one of the best lines I've ever read on TGO. The only thing better than that would be to give her a list of things to buy, and then sending her off (with her tools) to the junkyard. You are one lucky guy.

kboehringer · 06-17-2005, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kdrolt
...You are one lucky guy.

Well I think so.... You'd be surprised how much she'll do to help out. I think she sees the Z-28 as an opportunity for Derek to come out of his shell a little.

Long ago and far away... when my wife and I were first married (20+ years ago), I had a '78 t/a that she use to change the oil and plugs in when I was on deployment with the U.S. Navy. She actually blew the U-Joints out of the drive shaft and replaced them HERSELF with very limited help from a friend. I'm sure she's not interested in that kind of involvement with the Z-28!

She actually knows the tools in my box better than DEREK. The other day I wanted the valve spring compressor and sent Derek for it... It wasn't until he asked his mom for help that the tool was actually found! LOL LOL

Sincerely,
Kurt

DAVECS1 · 06-17-2005, 11:49 AM

There is nothing better than a "garage capable" wife, when your on your back holding up a full tank of gas and the axle is in the way and needs to be lowered, or when your wrestling a long block into the engine bay and you cannot work the engine hoist and move the engine around by yourself. Ask me how I know. I would probably be severly injured at this point if it had not been for my significant other. I need to learn if it looks heavy standing up it is twice that hevy once your on your back or bent over

kboehringer · 06-17-2005, 09:10 PM

TGO Friends,

Nancy picked up the short block from the machine shop and everything looks great.... EXCEPT......

Why in the world are our main bearings packaged in two different color packages? There has to be a reason? Anybody have a quick answer?

As soon as we can find some bolts long enough to attach the engine stand we'll be off and running!

Thanks,
Kurt & Derek

kboehringer · 06-17-2005, 09:33 PM

TGO Friends,

The attached photo shows our plan for the tranny cross member.

I cut two 1/4" inch CRS plate to 2" x 5" (just small enough to get into the holes provided at the front of the "frame"). I drilled and tapped holes to align with the centers of the holes of the cross member (to allow some adjustment). I welded tig sticks to the upper side to help with fishing them through the frame (we'll leave them on in case we ever need to remove the cross member again).

Once the tranny is in the vehicle, we can drill the holes in the frame and then fish the brackets down to that location.

Hope it works out as well as we planned.... We'll let you know!

Sincerely,
Kurt & Derek

Lo-tec · 06-18-2005, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kboehringer
Why in the world are our main bearings packaged in two different color packages? There has to be a reason? Anybody have a quick answer?

One color goes in the block, and one color goes in the main caps. The ones with holes go in the block.

five7kid · 06-18-2005, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by stenseltizm
... I really respect what you're doing with your son.

Ditto that!

kboehringer · 06-18-2005, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lo-tec
One color goes in the block, and one color goes in the main caps. The ones with holes go in the block.

Lo-Tec,

Thanks for the response. I've been up too long today, I need some sleep! As soon as I opened the plastic, I saw the difference and realized just how stupid my question was.

DUH!

My Son and I will put the block together tomorrow. All I can do at this point is screw something up.

Thanks again for the response!
Sincerely,
Kurt

Jay · 06-18-2005, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kboehringer
Derek and I were discussing the wiper problem. It would be a whole lot easier to mount one now, without the engine in the way, especially if we need to change the mounting holes.

I'd wait and mount it after the engine is in place. I've done a few swaps on thirdgens and my experience is having the wiper motor out makes things easier.. also cracked and replaced 2 of them ( 2 different cars ) before I came to that conclusion

If you need to change the holes or what not to make it work, do that with an empty engine bay, and the take it back out before the engine goes in.

speedingpenguin · 06-18-2005, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jay
I'd wait and mount it after the engine is in place. I've done a few swaps on thirdgens and my experience is having the wiper motor out makes things easier.. also cracked and replaced 2 of them ( 2 different cars ) before I came to that conclusion
If you need to change the holes or what not to make it work, do that with an empty engine bay, and the take it back out before the engine goes in.

YES! When dropping my engine in, the wiper motor held us back about 10 minutes......Get it in before you put the engine in, but take it out before you start putting the engine in.

kboehringer · 06-19-2005, 12:34 AM

TGO Friends,

We had a great day today with the Z-28/New Engine. . Got a relatively quick start this morning and got the engine taped off and painted. Took a ride over to the J.Yard and LT1Guy's Home (while we waited for the paint to bake in the GA Heat).

The J.Yard provided a WiperMotor that is "Probably" the correct one. I've got to look over my FBody CD yet but I'm guessing the F-Bodies had a minimum of 5 very different wiper motors from '82 - '92! Those who are swapping wires MAY want to grab the wiper motor also when pulling a harness. I can only assume others are cutting and splicing to their current motor. We wanted to avoid that, if at all posible.

In exchange for a Vacuum Advance HEI Distributor.... LT1 Guy (and RedRaif) provided a CC Carb, Computer, and Distributor! Thanks again LT1 and RedRaif!!!!! We really made out on that horse trade...

While Derek and I were at LT1Guy's Home Derek probably spoke all of ten words.... the ride home was another story... "Did you see this"... "did you see that"..... "can we do this".... "can we do that"....Let's just say he (and I) was extremely impressed with RedRaifs Ride.

When we returned home, we installed the crank, rods & pistons.
Tomorrow morning, DEREK will post an overview of what he learned and did today.

TO: Jay & Speedingpenguin,
Thanks for the advice.... We'll make sure it fits (OR MAKE IT FIT

) and then remove it for the install! We've had a heck of a time finding what APPEARS to be the correct unit... would hate to have to do it AGAIN!

Sincerely,
Kurt

mw66nova · 06-19-2005, 01:37 AM

glad to hear that the shortblock came together without issues, hopefully the rest of the build will be just as easily accomplished!

i hope that i get to see this car when it's done. mine will be done at the end of august as well....maybe all of us Georgians need to meet up somewhere...