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


Or like this
http://www.z28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116551

[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_Cher...ht20020701ch/1

[RAMKAT2]

Appreciate the link to the "happy hooker" website! 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....