I've been searching around and all i can seem to find are the same three write ups for removing the LT1 through the bottom, or someone saying "do a search". I want to find a write up for removing from the top. I would like leave the tranny in it's place if that's possible. Wouldn't it be easier to pull the intake, heads, and accessories off to get it out of the top? Can you do it without discharging the a/c?

I'm about to begin building a motor on the side, so once I pull the motor out, all i'll have to do is throw on the stuff I pulled off the old one and put it back in.

 

I dunno that there are any write ups on pulling them out. Most people on the board seem to favor the bottom. I've never done it that way and the first time I pulled one it was from the top. I pulled the intake, heads, and crap off the first time also, made it easier, no bent cowl until putting it back in (heads/intake/headers on). The next one I took out from the top I didn't bend the cowl at all. Takes some time to get it in without bending it but it can be done. Even if you do bend it its a matter of bending it back and putting the trim back on.
You can leave the trans in also, just hope you have some Loooong extensions! If you find a write up cool, if not just start unbolting Good luck

 

i just removed mine from up top just took the intake and heads off and it popped right out. they had to be off anyway cuz its gettin rebuilt but i tried forever to get it out completely but no such luck.

 

its a major PITA.....especially with an M6 because its really hard to slide the engine off the input shaft, and if you want to put the engine back in, you have to unbolt the trans and slide it back, then get the engine in place, then slide the tranny forward onto the shaft again.

yes you do have to discharge the AC.


BTW, we pulled it out and put it back in with the heads, intake and accessory bracket still attached!

 

I just pulled mine out the top a couple of weeks ago. I have an automatic and just unbolted the trans and took all the crap off the front of the motor. I also pulled the fans and radiator but not the condensor for the AC. I did mess up the plastic piece a little on the cowl but not too bad. And also, of corse, I pulled off the headers. Overall, it wasn't too bad. I don't know about putting it back yet. That's a different story. I think I will leave the motor mounts off when putting it back in the bay. Now it is just cleaning everything.

Edit: Oh yea, I used the Happy Hooker from TPIS. I left the heads and intake on.

 

I just pulled mine from the top about a month ago and it was no problem.(my first time to pull an LT1)

No, I didn't have to discharge the AC.

LEAVE the trans. attached it makes pulling it out and putting back in a whole lot easier. It gives the motor w/trans. attached the perfect angle to just slide it out (didn't have to do anything with the hood). just take off headers, intake, and everything the front of the motor.

Just be patient and Good Luck.

 

Hey that sounds good. So all the accessories are removed, that's pretty easy. Did you have to remove the balancer hub too? What about the intake manifold?
Once you got the motor and tranny out, how did you remove the tranny from the motor, with it on the cherry picker?

I pulled my motor out about 5 years ago, but not with the tranny attached. I thought that was pretty much impossible.

Thanks a lot,
Ed

 

TPIS sells a engine bracket called the Happy Hooker. It bolts to the top of the LT1 intake manifold and let's you pull the engine out with the intake in place. It works great (done it three times). It allows you to install the intake on the new motor while it's on an engine stand so you can seal it more easily.

 

Were you able to pull the tranny out with it?

 

I pulled mine out the top with the trans attached. Heads and intake were off, all accessories and brackets unbolted. I just unbolted the A/C compressor from it's bracket and left it so I wouldn't have to discharge the A/C. Opti was off, Balancer was off, etc. Basically anything I could unbolt, I did. Then I took a couple of hours and disconnected the harness, then pulled the motor. Took two of us, one to operate the hoist, and I positioned the motor.

 

I didn't have any trouble pulling the motor from the top, though I did it a little differently since I was doing it by myself.

-Since I was removing the accessory bracket, I simply secured the a/c compressor to the studs on the strut tower, using two metal straps attached to the compressor's front and rear mounting bolts. Didn't have to discharge the system this way, as the compressor doesn't move much at all.

-Tranny/bellhousing came out the bottom. I did this once before with a clutch install, so I didn't hesitate to do it again -- not too difficult, just a little time consuming.

-When I pulled the engine, pretty much everything was removed. Intake, heads/valvecovers, air pump, headers/y-pipe, waterpump/opti/hub, and radiator were removed (-along with the accessory bracket, alternator and power steering pump). Hood was already pulled from the start of teardown, which made it really simple. I never even so much as touched the cowl while pulling the motor.


Not a whole lot to explain -- fairly self-explanatory. Just a matter of making sure everything is disconnected, and then just muscle it out of there. A load leveller on the engine hoist really helps...

 

I'm not OBE1, but was there during all the removals/installs. We prefer to pull the trans first, but did assist another buddy once and left the M6 attached. You have to get it at a very radical angle to do that. Unbolting the trans isn't that big a deal.

 

Brian you/your car is in issue#5 ,05 Camaro Performers isnt it? Very cool man

BTW the "F1" is what jarred my memory wierd... but not really. Congrats
(end hijack)

T.

 

I bought the TPIS "Happy Hooker" that bolts to the LT1 intake and did mine from the top. IMO, that is for sure the way to go. You will probably need to pull the radiator to do it right, but even with my T56, it was cake to leave the tranny attached. With a 6 speed, being able to align the clutch and get the whole setup right when you can get at everything is a major plus. I was amazed at how easily the whole giant setup slid in and out from the top.

Let me put it this way. By myself with nobody else around, I dropped the motor in place and bolted up the engine and tranny mounts in about 30 minutes. Past that, it's just bolting the accessories back on and filling the coolant.

A cherry picker and the Happy Hooker is the way to go, IMO.

 

I pulled my 3.4 out the top last summer, and man was that a PITA. You'd think smaller engine, more room, but no. Not having put the LT1 in yet, I have to do it again, and I think I'm going with the bottom method. On that note, when you lift the car off the engine to go out the bottom, do you have to put the back on ramps or just leave the rear wheels on the ground? And what can you put a chain on to lift the front up? I have access to a 2 ton ceiling hoist, so I think this way would be easier. If you dont have access to a ceiling hoist, maybe the top is the way to go.