Engine Removal? (and other ?'s)

[bigjimmy82]

Ok, hears the deal...brother has a blazer that has a fresh four bolt main 355ci motor in it, less then 1,000 miles, my parents are selling the truck due to his trouble in school. I can have the motor if I want it but I am not sure how difficult it would be to swap into my truck (82 jimmy). I would be hopefully leaving transmissions in both vehicles alone just unbolt motor and remove/install. How difficult is removing the engine without tranny? I figure I will have to remove the hood to get the motor out? Any recommended procedures for doing so? I am gonna try and find a barn or large garage to use for clearance issues.

Sorry I have rebuilt mine from the frame down, but have never touched the engine/trans/transfer case, and am a little green in that area. The long term plan is healthy small block(i was thinking ls1 but this came along), TH400(in already), and 203/205 doubled. So this fits the plans, just a little early, I was gonna do the shotgun approach and just replace rebuild everything because the stock 350 is tired and the 208 sucks, etc...

Sorry for the long post just looking for advice, and I am hours away from my truck so cannot picture how tight everything is around the tranny/engine(have yet to daydream that while under the truck, haha), also how bad would running a stock TBI and computer on the 355 be? It has truck heads and an rv cam so nothing crazy but it runs out good.

Still thinking out loud...
Is it possible to get an alternator/ps pump with the same outlets/connections but serp drive? Should I pick up the ord engine crossmember and DIY motor mounts? Keep the edelbrock manifold or swap my holley street dominator one?


Lets give the engine removal a level 1-10?

 

[toomany]

I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

It's real straight forward to get the motor out. Remove the hood. Unbolt the exhaust, either from the heads or the manifold/pipe junction. Undoing from the heads won't give you as much room though. I like to unbolt the power steering pump from the motor and swing it out of the way, same with the AC compressor if you have one. Taking the radiator out frees up some room, less chance of swinging the motor into that way too. The alternator I usually take off, along with the starter. However they can be left on if you like. Bellhousing bolts are fairly easy to get at. The top two can be a little cramped. A body lift helps here. If you take the distributor out (which is a good idea anyway, cap can crack if it hits the firewall) you will have more room to work. While you are down there, take off the inspection cover and remove the torque converter bolts. The fuel pump and electrical conections are easy to forget about. After that stuff is done the motor mount bolts can come out. When you start lifting the motor, keep an eye out for things you might have missed. Sometimes there is a ground strap to the back of one of the heads.

They usually come out easier than they go in. Going in is basicly the reverse of removal. Hardest part is getting the trans lined up.

 

[BIG*RED]

Pulling a motor is as easy as tieing your shoes.

Remove hood, then I prefer to leave everything attached to the motor (accessories like starter, ac compressor, alt etc). I also leave in the radiator. Just unbolt exhaust, tranny, engine mounts, disconnect all lines and hoses. And up and out.

Last time I did it, I had the motor out and bolted to a engine stand in 33 min.
And as stated above installing is just the reverse.

I found it to be easiest for me, to let all air out of front tires, but keep air in rear tires. This way the front noses down and makes it easier to clear core support...

 

[82355]

Difficulty of pulling an engine out of a K series Chevrolet on a level of 1 - 10?

1.

If you've never done it before, maybe 2.

Martin

 

[Burbdood 74]

One thing I've always done when I removed an engine was to remove the front grill, radiator and core support. That way you don't have to go to far up with the hoist. It's a little extra work, but you don't want to rush that kind of job if you don't have to.

 

[80' 427]

I am swapping a 383 into my k10 right now. I have maybe a hour of work and that was work drink a beer, look at it move ahead. Its simple as long as you know about all the bolts etc. 6 bolts bell housing to engine, 3 conveter to flexplate, 2 motor mount bolts, you can see the exhaust to pipe bolts. I pulled the rad and p/s pump but left the brackets so I can remember how they stack on the drivers side. What edelbrock intake is it?

 

[70jimmy]

Not that tough. A couple little tricks is to put the fasteners in ziplock baggies and label and throw in a box, if you need to make a diagram of what length bolts go where do it. If you need to label wires as you take them off of the engine that way if you get confused you can go back to your brothers truck to refresh your memory.

A few steps I do:
1. Remove hood mark where hinges are on hood to ease in replacement, helps to have a buddy around for this one.

2. Drain Radiator by opening petcock on radiator, then disconnect bottom radiator hose and drain at radiator, remove both radiator hoses and put aside, remove heater hoses from engine.

3. take fan shroud loose from radiator, disconnect tranny lines at radiator if dealing with auto trans.

4. disconnect battery cables at battery, if you want tie them to engine with zipties if you plan on re-using.

5. Remove radiator.

6. Remove shroud if you can, you might have to take fan off to do this. I always take off fan and belts and puleys for more room.

7. Remove either power steering pump from engine or disconnect lines if you will pull it with engine.

8. Disconnect exhaust, I take the exhaust off a the exhaust manifolds as it seems to give more room than pulling the manifolds off the engine leaving them connected to exhaust.

9. Take torque converter cover off auto trans if you have one.

10. Put jack under trans to keep it supported and take out torque converter or flywheel bolts.

11. Take bell housing bolts out keeping track of which ones go where if different lengths.

12. Get cherry picker, come along or whatever you will use to hoist engine out and set up chains or pulling plate. They make an engine balance tool so you can change how the engine hangs by twisting a bolt, I have never used one but some people like them. Before hooking it up disconnect wiring at alternator, starter, dizzy, oil pressure gauge etc. Disconnect throttle cable/linkage and TV/kickdown cable at back of carb. Disconnect any vacuum lines, labeling helps here also.

13. Start pulling motor keeping an eye out for any unconnected wires hoses etc.

14. As you lift make sure you are not lifting vehicle, make sure you have tires chocked so vehicle doesn't roll. If you need extra height you can always deflate tires or even take rims off and put on jack stands provided you have enough room to roll cherry picker out with engine. Usually easier to lift engine then unchock tires and roll backward if you have clearance.

******15. Very important maybe should be #1. Before you start think about how you are going to pull 2 motors and move the trucks or motors around to get the right motor with the right truck. I know DUH but I have seen it done and the person is stuck with an engine in the air and having a difficult time getting the engine to the other truck or the other truck to the engine.

Any manual also gives helpful tips. If you are dealing with a auto trans as you seperate the engine from the trans make sure not to drop the torque converter and when you reassemble make sure the torque converter is seated all the way in the other trans.

All that comes to mind right now.

*****Oops forgot to mention motor mount bolts********

 

[bigjimmy82]

What edelbrock intake is it?

I would have to look, I think it is the performer rpm?

Thanks for all the replies guys! The part that worrys me most is messing with the torque converters, I am gonna have to do some more reading about that. Right now I plan on keeping his ps pump but my alt because the wiring is differant(his is an '85), neither truck has a/c. I will have a two week break around christmas to do all of this, so I need to get planning!

 

[80' 427]

Keep his. The converter deal is cake. Just leave it in the transmission.