Hi:
I want to drain the coolant on my 99 Z28. Getting the right rear drain plug out may involve removing the starter. The manual says that one must drop the Y pipe to do this.
Looking at it I can't see why this is required; I must be missing something.
Has anyone had bad experiences in draining the coolant; I like to drain the block every few years. Chevy doesn't draiin the coolant; they run it thru some sort of reprocessor. That worries me.

 

I see no reason why you couldn't just unhook the low oil sensor and pull the 2 starter bolts to swing it out of the way for access to the coolant drain plug.
Make sure that you drain the other side too. The plug for that side is behind the alternator.

 

I don't know bout the LS1 but the LT1 the y-pipe prevents the starter from falling all the way down. AL SS590 is right, you should be able to unbolt it then just swing it out of the way. Just be sure to unhook the battery before unbolting the starter (shorting out the starter sucks)

 

I had to do that last summer. Just unbolt the starter and swing it out of the way and you'll be able to access the bolt. Don't forget to cover the cable post with a rag or something to prevent sparking (if you're not disconnecting the battery).

 

No need to drop the Y-pipe .