Well I am in the middle of a motor swap which my brother and friend were helping me out on. Well some drama happened between them and I may be looking at reinstalling a motor alone.

Is there any tutorial with pictures of just installing an LT1 back into a v8 car?



The motor and trans already out, and I am slowly repairing the wiring harness from the Previous owner. Motor will be dropped in through the top.



Now I am assuming the easiest way is to bolt the trans to the motor outside the car and drop them both in? Should I bolt up the exhaust manifolds or do that after the motor is in?

 

Before you attempt it, I'd suggest finding some new friends because installing a motor alone is pretty difficult for a first-time novice.

 

Are you needing help on how to reattach everything or how to mechanically go about installing it? Or both?

 

You can't bolt the motor and transmission together and "drop in". If you drop the front k-member it can be taken out together but if the motor came out the top it did so by itself. There's two ways of doing a motor swap in these cars. I've always pulled the motor out the top so I'm not familiar with taking it out the bottom

 

Well I just need to know how exactly to bolt the transmission into place so I can then bolt the engine to the motor mounts. Im pretty sure its called a trans crossmember that holds it in place?

Also the motor and trans came out as one unit through the top. Im pretty sure if it can come out like that it can go in as one.


Edit: Or would it be easier mounting the trans first then connecting the engine to the trans in the car?

 

You put the engine in first, then install the trans and bolt it up to the engine (depending on whether its a manual or auromatic, which you haven't told us).

 

Im sorry,

I have a 1994 Firebird formula with the 4l60e automatic trans. Im using stock manifolds, pretty much everything is stock.

 

I was always told that you had too take the motor alone out the top and you could drop the k member too roll the whole drive train out the bottom. Its such a tight fit just pulling the motor I can't imagine how much of a p.I.t.a it would be pulling both out the top

 

Was actually easy when all you want to protect is the trans. We stripped the engine down to block and heads only. Only took 2 hours.

Anyway, might try installing 1 at a time.

 

I've heard of them doing it with a special tool. U have too turn the motor almost to90*. Anyways good luck with the install.

 

I just pulled both out of a 94 with no problems. You just have to sky the front end of the car for the tranny to clear the ground. I find this method much easier than dropping the K member actually. But Im really old school when it comes to this.

 

A chain and a couple bolts are the only special tools I used...and not sure what you mean by turning the motor to almost 90*...

I have dropped both through the top multiple times. It is possible- not really that hard at all. By yourself, its going to be a challenge- its even a challenge for someone who has done it before. You better have a friend or two to help you out to watch all the angles and clearances going in.

The time you would take to mess around attaching the motor to the trans under the car would easily be made up in the extra 5 minutes it would take to guide the motor and trans into the car.

I would just drop in the long block and trans together- the more stuff you put on the motor it will be harder to guide in, but stock manifolds I don't think would interfere that much.

 

Well engine still isnt in yet, but I have made some progress.

Got the accessory bracket off of the LT1 and having a friend machine a spacer for me to use it so I can use the stock iron head damper with it.

I also got 5 out of the 6 flywheel bolts off, soaking the 6th one tonight with wd40 to help it come out.


This doesnt seem so hard, pretty much a bolt this to that thing and your good to go. I do have another friend thats going to help me guide the trans in when we install them so thats a good thing.




Hopefully with my schedule, Ill have a running firebird by the end of the month.

 

Well, the engine is almost in. just got to wiggle it a bit and bolt it to the mounts. Not too difficult other than a smashed finger.....


Went through the top, although has to yank it out and readjust the chain which wasted like 20 minutes.


Work all day today, so Friday when I have off I should be able to bolt it up and then get the trans in.



I assume wiring and making final adjustments will be another day.