My son purchased a 1993 Z28 with LT1/700R4. It has a rod knocking and the transmission needs rebuilt. I am going to help him with his project as he has never done the R & R on any engine. Unfortunately, I have never done it on a Camaro but have enough experience on my blown 96 Impala and other cars to know the basics but want to make sure I am using my time most efficiently since the car is about 75 miles away and when we do this we don't waste any time. I have a direction on the engine and trans which will be a 388 CI NA Stoker LT1 and will build trans to suit. I just have these questions:

1. We don't have access to a lift so will have to take the motor out through the top. Is it better to remove motor and trans as a unit through the top or remove one or the other first. If true, which one first would be easiest first.

2. Due to the tight spaces, it appears that the intake will have to come off before removal, is this correct?

3. The A/C lines appear to go directly into the radiator. Is it best to disconnect the A/C lines to radiator or is there some trick to this so we don't have to lose the precious ozone depleting substance.

4. Are there any tips that anyone can think of that would be of great or nominal importance to help me with this?

5. Are there any special tools needed other than basic tools that are usually needed for engine/trans removal/install.

6. This is my son's first performance car and we are both excited about getting it done but we are on a budget. We are looking for parts such as LT4 roller rockers or compstars, studs, locknuts, 58 MM throttle body, girddle for two bolt mains, gasket set, unused 2.02 and 1.6 stainless undercut valves, Etc. I already have the 3.8 crank, 5.7 rods, roller lifters, and cam. I know of the parts for sale forum but if there is anyone who has these parts and hasn't listed them let me know. We are interested. Thanks in advance.

 

You can pull the motor from the top after unhooking the trans, and removing the intake. I also remove the waterpump and of course the radiator etc...You don't have to remove the hood. Some people use a j-hook but I never needed one. At the beginning of the pull, the front of the motor needs to come up slightly more than the rear, and then you turn it sideways and remove it. I go in from the driver's side at a slight angle. You don't need any special tools, only a chain.

 

we leave the trans on...but its allways a t-56 so it may be a little easer to get out...but it will come out the top with the engine and trans in one unit..only takes a few hours

 

you can take both eng and trans out thru the top. you just need a good hoist and a good load leveler to adjust the position of the eng/trans on the way out. Other than that its not too bad. I've dont it several times out the top like that.

 

I just dropped mine out through the bottom with no lift. First, I jacked up the rear and supported the rear end on jack stands. Then I jacked up the front and supported it on jack stands. After disconnecting everything, we pulled the 6 bolts that hold the K-member on. Then my "helper" accidentally knocked everything off of the floor jack. So I have straight brake line that hadn't been removed yet. Anyway, I jacked up the front end until I could extend my jack stands fully. It still wasn't quite enough to roll the sucker out. So I put my floor jack on a couple of 4X4's at the front jack pad on the driver's side and jacked it up to the max. It was just enough to clear and I grabbed the tire and rolled the entire assembly out from underneath. Then I made sure to lower the jack immediately for safety reasons.

In my case, the intake was about the same height as the tires, so it wasn't a factor.

Unfortunately I couldn't figure this one out and asked for help on this forum. The general consensus was that it would be so difficult to remove the engine with the A/C intact that you might as well just disconnect it.

Whatever you do, make sure you don't have a helper who doesn't want to be there. The only 2 things that went wrong with my project were due to having a friend come over to help and he really didn't want to be there. So he got in a hurry, thus the damaged brake line and my car port being completely covered in transmission fluid.

Being that I am not a mechanic and severely lacking in mechanical skills, it seems like every time I completed one task, I had to run to the parts store or home store for something else. The only "specialty" tool that I can remember is the fuel line removal tool. I first bought the ones that come with about 8 of them made of plastic, each size a different color. But I had some trouble getting them to work. So I went back to the Auto Zone and got the metal one that is kind of an "X" shape. I was successful with it. The "X" shape scissors into the round shape on the end for insertion into the line. But it's easier to get the leverage to disconnect the line with the metal than the plastic which is much more flexible and gives you nothing to grip to apply additional pressure.

Can't help you there. Usually there is somebody selling a 58mm TB on here. I ended up getting mine from AS&M direct. They are having their "Fall Sale" at the moment and have the most affordable prices I've ever seen for a brand spankin' new TB! Plus, when I called they were very helpful about answering my question and actually talking me down from a MonoBlade. They also stocked the TPS and IAC which they sold to me for a good price and even installed them on the TB before shipping it to me. However, even at their super sale price, they're still more expensive than everybody else. But it has been the word on these forums that AS&M is the absolute best in TB's.

 

ill just ad in my 2 cents as far as removing the engine and trans from the bottom. like the guy befor me said, get the car up off the ground, i would use rhino ramps in the rear rather than jack stands, just safer i think. im not sure if it is easyer to take the wireing harness out with everything or leave the harness in the car. the first time i did it, i took off the harness, and this time i left it in the car. as far as the A/C goes, dont waste your time trying to figure out how to take the engine out with the A/C intact, just disconnect it. its easy to refill it, or just take it off, who uses A/C on a hot rod any way. if you have acces to an engine hoist, use that to jack up the car in the front. i used a ratchet strap and tied it around the radiator support and hooked it from there. that is where it is safer to put the car on rhino ramps in the rear. if you can get your hands on 2 floor jacks, use them to support the k, member. make sure to have the wheels facing the direction which you intend to push the engine out from under the car. while you are lowering the engine and trans from under the car, support the trans tailshaft with a jack stand, or if you can get your hands on a skate bord, that works perfectly. once you get everything lowered to the ground, jack the car up with the engine hoist, and roll everything out. ive done it 3 times, once on my buddies car and i just did it for a 2nd time on my car about a week ago. i think its the easyest way to do it, this past time it took me and my buddy 1hour and 45 minutes, to get everything disconnected and have the engine and trans down and out of the car without breaking anything. its shadetree work, but it works great.

 

I was scared of bending the radiator support, that's why I did it differently. I agree about the Rhino Ramps. When I did my final jacking, it actually lifted one side off of the jack stand. That would not have happened if it was on ramps instead.

I also agree about a jackstand under the tailshaft. I didn't think of it and immediately commenced to leaking the transmission fluid on the car port. And when my "helper" got impatient, he crushed the pan I had under there and we ended up with ALL of the fluid on the ground.

 

One more for saying that it can be done (dropped out of the bottom) without a lift and would be the best idea.

 

Just for clarifications...

Unless your son's car doesn't have the factory transmission, it is a 4L60E, not a 700R4.

AFAIK they are very similar, but not the same.

 

I would take the engine and trans out of the bottom personally. Like mentioned, all you need is 2 decent sized floor jacks and a couple of decent jackstands. The A/C lines do not need to be disconnected either, just needs some patience working the compressor out.

I love taking it out of the bottom, because you can install the trans,headers if you have them (huge plus for taking it out of the bottom) starter and wiring harness outside of the car, and just roll it under and bolt up

 

It's not a 4L60E. If anything, it is a 4L60, which is virtually the same thing as a 700R4. They didn't use the electronic transmission in 93.