95 Firebird engine/trans removal procedures

[RAMKAT2]

I need the R&R procedures for pulling the LT-1 engine & manual transmission out of a 95 Firebird. I have worked on alot of 1st & 2nd generation F-bodies in my time, but never a 4th generation Bird. This is a rebuild project for my daughter, not a junkyard salvage effort, so please, no "tie a 100ft cable to the front bumper and get a 20mph head start" suggestions.
Wrenches will be spinning this Sunday afternoon, so any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Randy

[icebird84]

lift body of it

red neck way :bicycle:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Or like this
http://www.z28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116551
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[RAMKAT2]

So I basically unbolt everything in the front that doesn't look like a body part and drop the driveline out the bottom. Now I just need some 5 foot tall jackstands and a couple of fork lifts. Thank you GM engineering...

Thanks for the heads up. My plans for sunday may have to change.

[icebird84]

keep us posted

[Justintt]

Do an internet search for "happy hooker". You may get some strange results, but there is a tool out there that bolts to the intake manifold into the fuel rail bolt holes, that allows you to pull the engine from the top. You need to pull the radiator and everything in front, pull the hood, and also drop the manifolds, but I used one of these back in 1996 to pull my LT1 out and it worked fine. Probably safer than some of the others that didn't have a lift. I may even still have mine tucked away in a box that I could look for, but that isn't going to help you for this weekend. Maybe you can make one. Hole point of the tool is to allow you to get around the extended cowl panel to the top of the engine.

[gearheads78]

If you want to pay the freight and a decent sized deposit I will send you my HAPPY HOOKER. One thing to keep in mind though is a lot of engine hoists don't reach and you might have to pull the bumper cover to get close enough.

[RAMKAT2]

I appreciate the "happy hooker" offers, but it looks like something we could make in our shop at work. The picture is worth a thousand words, and if we come up through the top (my choice), I will fab one up. I think my hoist will be able to lift it high enough to get it out. It has a long lifting arm too, so the reach should be fine.
The bird in the instruction link had headers and no exhaust attached. What do I have to look forward to as far as unhooking the stock 95 exhaust system? Any other differences between the LT1 and the LS1 versions that I should be aware of?
Let me know, and thanks again for the help. Randy

[Justintt]

You know what, I am now now sure that I pulled the stock manifolds to get it out from the top...it was 13 years ago. If you had headers on the LT1 I would say you would need to pull them (from the bottom as all LT1 headers go in/out), but stock you may be fine. Just need to unhook the Y-pipe from the bottom which is not too bad of a job. I remember

[icebird84]

http://www.automedia.com/Camaro_Cherry-Picking/pht20020701ch/1

[RAMKAT2]

Appreciate the link to the "happy hooker" website! :smoke: LOL
I think I can make one of those without any problem. The bird has the stock exhaust manifolds on it, so I think I can just unbolt the Y pipe and get on with it. Thanks Guys! Randy

[RAMKAT2]

Just an update on our progress. My daughters boyfriend is helping on this project, and after giving it alot of deliberation, we dove into it this afternoon. Where the car is located pretty much limits us to hand tools, so we were a little slower getting it apart than some of you guys with more experience and a shop full of air tools. We managed to get the car up on stands and strip the front of the motor apart (A/C, alternator, smog pump, radiator, etc). Their was a lot of "on the job" training involved for my daughters boyfriend too. One thing we should have done was power wash the engine BEFORE we started. Oh well...live and learn. The car couldn't move under it's own power anymore, so getting it to the car wash would have been difficult at best. I just hope she hasn't trashed the LT1 so bad that I have to buy a completely new motor.
As a side note, I still think GM engineers need to spend at least a year as an apprentice on the line at a large dealership getting their hands dirty repairing cars before they are allowed to design a single part on a car. You can bet they would build them different if they had to get into all those little nooks and crannies to get to the last bolt that holds a part in place. One of the reasons I got out of the mechanic business back in the 70's was because it was getting to the point you had to have the hands of a Japanese camera repairman to get to all the bolts when you took a car apart.
Maybe that's why I like my 67 Riviera so much. One thing it has is plenty of room to work on the car, even with a big block in it.
Later, Randy

[RAMKAT2]

I need some more info from you guys that have used the "Happy Hooker" engine lift plate with an LT1. My daughters Firebird has a 5 speed, and I was wondering if you can lift the motor out with the clutch assembly and bellhousing attached, especially since the story in the link above indicated the motor has to be rotated 90 degrees to get it up and out of the engine compartment. Also, did you have to remove any of the steering components when lifting the motor out from the top? Is there enough room to pull the engine and trans assembly out together? Any tips you could pass along to make this job any easier? Thanks, Randy

[Justintt]

When pulling from the top you need to unhook the trans at a minimum and I suspect that the bellhousing needs to be taken off too. The instructions are correct in that you need to be able to rotate the engine 90 degrees once you have it up and off the motor mounts.

[Justintt]

Forgot to mention...reason people like to drop the engine out the bottom is that you can do it as an entire assembly.

[RAMKAT2]

Thanks. I really have no way to get the body up high enough (and keep it there safely) to let me drop it out the bottom. Do you have to remove the exhaust manifolds to get the motor to rotate 90 degrees inside the engine compartment? And do you have to remove the motor mounts and the "pads" that the motor mounts bolt to on the front crossmember? I am sure that if I leave the transmission in there, it will be a real pain getting it all lined up with the clutch and the transmission when I drop the motor back in. I suspect that the car has a clutch problem as well as a crankshaft problem. Mileage on the car is 150K, so who knows how much will have to be replaced before we are through. If the repairs start to reach the $1500-$2000 level, I am going to start looking for another Firebird.
Later, Randy

[RAMKAT2]

Just a few more questions. Do any of you know how much the 5-speed transmission weighs? Also, if I unbolt the front of the torque arm that runs forward from the rearend assembly to the rear of the transmission, is it going to want to rotate up or down? The rear wheels are currently on the ground supporting the back of the car.
It looks like are going to have to slide the transmission/bellhousing out from below in order to get the pressure plate/clutch assembly off of the back of the motor so there will be room enough to rotate the engine 90 degrees as we lift it out the front.
Thanks for your help, Randy

[Justintt]

Couple things. If this is an LT1, the trans is a 6-speed. Those T56's aren't light, but aren't too bad to handle. I would just try dropping the driveshaft, which will allow you to slide the trans/bellhousing rearward across the top of the trans crossmember. You will need to remove the shifter from the top and unbolt the trans mount, but if you support the front of the trans with a jack, you should be able to slide it back far enough to get the PP off.

As for the torque arm, it will want to rotate up towards the tunnel when you remove it. If you can, I would recommend getting the pressure off the rear tires before trying to unbolt it. Do you have some extra jack stands that you can put under the rear frame rails of the car?

[RAMKAT2]

It may well be a 6 speed, as I have never driven the car, or even sat in it for that matter. I was pissed when she bought it knowing full well that something major was wrong with it, and I am not too happy about having to fix it for her now. But what can you do?
I can get the rearend up in the air and onto a set of jackstands. The front half is already up on stands now.
Thanks for the info, Randy

[icebird84]

any picture for us :)

[RAMKAT2]

Of the Firebird or my daughter? I might have one of her and my 6 year old grandson around here somewhere....

[icebird84]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

both if they are no more then 6 month old picture :)

[RAMKAT2]

Sorry, her mother ended up with all the baby pictures!

[Justintt]

That's just funny.

[RAMKAT2]

New problem. Things are moving slow on this project anyway, but we had a setback today. I tried to pull the harmonic balancer and the sleeve/hub it rides on with a puller I have. Center bolt had been removed, longer bolts added to hold the puller in place, standard procedures for everything else I have worked on. The balancer/hub refused to move. Added some penetrating oil, lubed the center bolt on the puller, added a breakover bar, and it still wouldn't move. Got out the hammer and tapped on the hub where I could reach it, then added some muscle to the bar. Ended up with a bent center bolt with the threads locked up inside the puller, which is now trashed. This wasn't a cheapo puller either, it was forged steel.
I have never seen one this tight before. Am I missing something here? I really don't want to get out the hot wrench, as the motor is covered in grease and as much as I would like to set it on fire, I really don't want all this effort to end like that.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Randy

Also, how do I get the fuel lines disconnected from the back of the plenum? Is there a special fitting or a clip or something that has to be removed? Should I wait until we move the motor up and forward to get to the connection?

One last thing. Can a 98 LT-1 engine be used to replace a 95 LT-1, or must it be a 93-97 LT-1 motor for everything to hook up the same way as the 95? Just in case this engine is toast, I have located another one, but it is a 98 unit.

[Justintt]

Sorry to here your troubles. Sounds like most projects though, always running into something that you didn't expect. On the LT1's, there is a balancer bolted (three or four bolts) to a hub that slips over the end of the crank that is held onto the crank with a single center bolt. I suspect what you did is remove that bolt and put the puller center shaft with the tapered end into the center of the hub and attached and puller "finger" bolts into the outside of the hub. Issue is that the center of the hub has an internal shoulder and the hole in the middle is only big enough for the factory bolt to go through. So unlike a traditional engine where the end of the crank sticks through, the LT1's crank is covered by the hub. You broke your puller because you were pulling against itself. Take a look at the attached picture of an aftermarket LT1 hub from Jegs and you will see what I mean. You need to get the puller center bolt into the hole. If the hole is too small, partially reinstall the factory center bolt and place the puller center against the head of it and you should get the hub to come off. Also may want to mark the position of the hub vs crank before pulling it all the way off. The LT1's have a keyway in the crank, but don't use one in the hub so locating the balancer isn't like others. Shouldn't matter I guess since they are interally balanced, but thought I would mention it.

Hope this helps.

[Justintt]

Fuel lines take a small fuel line tool to get them disconnected. Pick one up for GM at the local parts store.

As for the Engines, as long as you are just using the short block and heads from the donor and using everything else from your 95 you should be fine. 93's were speed density engines, 94's were mass flow with OBDI, 95-97 were mass flow with OBDII if I recall. So sensors and computers aren't all the same even though they are all LT1's. Also, thought that 98's were LS1's and not LT1's. May want to confirm.

[RAMKAT2]

Thanks for the info. I would have never looked for there to be a flange inside there. Live and learn I guess. I will pick up a new balancer puller and a fuel line tool and see if that gets the job done. We are really close to being ready to slide out the trans/bellhousing and removing the clutch assembly. Once we get the fuel lines off and the balancer/hub pulled we should be ready to start lifting out the motor. Hopefully we can get it all out of there on Sunday.
I will call the guy with the 98 LT-1 and see if it is really an LS-1. I am not sure if he knows what it really is, but a few pictures should clear that up, since they look completely different.
Once again, I really appreciate all the help. I will keep you posted on our progress. Randy

[RAMKAT2]

We bit the bullet and bought a 97 LT1 from a camaro with 70K on it for $550 (On the 95 motor, the bearings were so far gone that you could move the harmonic balancer 1/8" up and down or forward and back). They were a little rough getting the 97 motor out, but it was nearly complete including the starter, alternator, A/C compressor, and all the fuel injection components. The only thing missing was the crankshaft hub/balancer assembly, and I can use the one from the 95 motor now that I have been educated as to the proper way to remove it. We should have the original motor out on Sunday afternoon. I am going to wash off the 97 motor and put it on the stand so we can pull the pan and check a couple of rod and main bearings, just to be safe. Then, if everthing checks out, we will reseal the outside of the motor (pan, timing cover, water pump, rear main seal, etc) and put it back together to the point where we can drop it back into the car.

[RAMKAT2]

Finally got the driveline out of the Firebird today. What a PITA! The motor part was a breeze compared to getting the transmission and bellhousing assembly off the back of the motor. Two of the bolts on the bellhousing had almost no clearance at the firewall, and I lost some blood and skin before we got it unhooked and lowered (no surprize there). The transmission jack I rented was made for use with an automatic trans, and the tilt adjustment knob hit the bottom of the trans before it settled into the cradle, which caused all kinds of problems on the way down. We finally just shoved it off the front of the jack and dragged it out. There will definately be some bolt clearance added at the firewall with a BFH before it all goes back together. I honestly believe we could bolt the trans and motor together and tilt it enough to drop it all in as one assembly, but I don't think those 4 skinny little bolts that hold the lift hook/plate on top of the intake plenum would hold the weight. A failure there could be catastrophic. Has anybody here attemped such an install?
The clutch and pressure plate were worn, but not trashed. The back of the crank moves up and down just like the front, which tells me the crank is probably broken in at least 2 pieces. We are going to strip the exhaust manifolds and whatever else we can salvage off the 95 motor and start getting the 97 motor cleaned up and checked out later this week.
Does anyone have a fix for the leaky oil filler cap/tube on these things? The 97 motor looks nice and clean on one side, but the oil filler side is a mess. Let me know, Randy

[RAMKAT2]

This is beginning to sound like a never-ending story. We managed to break two exhaust manifold bolts off in the new motor, both on the same head. One only has about 1/8" sticking out of the head, the other has about 3/4" sticking out. I tried some creep solvent and a pair of visegrips on the longer one, but so far it won't turn. I am sure a drill and an easy-out is the only way to go on the short bolt. Would heating up the head around the bolts help to loosen things up (propane torch) or just make it worse? Anyone have a better way to get these out without destroying the threads in the cylinder head? Let me know, Randy

[RAMKAT2]

Well, an update is probably due, so here goes. The exhaust bolts on the new motor required a drill and an easy out on one, and a carbide bit on a Dremel, a drill, and a helicoil on the other. No joy there. We got the tin cleaned up and checked the bearings in the bottom end, and they looked good enough to use, although they had some wear. We put in new seals in the timing cover, and replaced the timing chain and gears. We are going to run a compression check on the motor tomorrow, as well as installing the new rear main seal and the oil pan. I think we are going to have to re-seal the intake manifold too. Should have that done tomorrow as well. Unfortunately the progress is currently being slowed down by a lack of funding, so this one is going to take awhile to finish. I hope it is done before the snow starts flying.
We found out the Opti-spark ignition on the new motor has some problems (noise like a dry bearing when you turn it), and will probably have to use the one from the 95 motor. Is there anything I should know about this unit before I take it apart, other than where to find a socket to fit those tiny little screws? Let me know, Randy

[RAMKAT2]

Hi Guys. The engine is back together and installed in the car. We are currently putting all the wiring and engine accessories back on. One problem we ran into was we "lost" 2 of the bolts for the pressure plate/clutch assembly. I ended up buying 6 new grade 8 bolts, lock washers, and SAE flat washers to replace them since I couldn't find a parts store open that had the correct bolts. I tightened them down and went ahead and installed the bellhousing, and right before we finished up for the day I found the 2 missing bolts for the pressure plate.
So here is my question. Should I take the grade 8 bolts back out and install the original bolts, or will the grade 8 bolts be strong enough to handle a stock replacement clutch assembly? I did apply threadlock to the bolts to keep them from coming loose just to be safe, but I don't know if the original bolts are grade 8 or some special type of steel for use with a clutch.
Can anybody help me here? All we have left is installing the trans & driveshaft, hooking up the exhaust, putting on the plastic intake plumbing, the fan belt, and the radiator. I would like to get this thing running before the snow flies. Thanks, Randy

[RAMKAT2]

Well, we finished the car several weeks ago just before the snow started flying, and except for a wire on the alternator that didn't get tightened properly, the engine has been running great.
Thanks again for all the help guys, Randy