Discourage me.

[spuds]

Well, now that winter is here I wont be driving the T/a till at least february, if I'm lucky. It goes into the body shop soon to have the door replaced, and a bit of pulling made to the front of the car, and a few other small things. Once the car gets back to me, I had planned on taking it to school and pulling the tranny. I was going to either Replace or rebuild it, which I still plan on doing. I figured since I had the tranny out, I'd replace the rear main seal, which is leaking bad, and have the drive shaft rebalanced since it needs it Then I started thinking of other small shit that needs to be done, I need a new oil pan, every other seal on the car short of head gaskets and exhaust manifold gaskets leaks, so why not just replace them all?

What I was thinking of doing is over winter is dropping the motor out of the bottom of the car, with the K-member/suspension still on it, and tearing it down a bit, replacing all the gaskets/seals, do a compression test on it, and clean it up a bit.

While that's out I could take the time and por15 the underside of the car, as it has some coating on it now that's flaking and looks like hell... I know its weird, but every time I put the car on a lift and have other people looking at it I get embarrassed by how nasty the car is, but shes got a lotta miles on her.

I have some bigger plans for the car, eventually want to finish up a few small bs bolt on's, I have a cam picked out, and eventually some go-juice.. I figure this would be a learning experience as well as take care of a car that's been neglected and prepare it for ( or alert me of bigger issues ) I'd also rather do this than have it sitting in storage all alone all winter haha, not to mention it would keep me busy and out of trouble * and money *

What are your guy's opinion? I have heard " sell and get a ls1 " enough, I don't want to do that, I wanna play this lt1 thing out a little longer and see were it takes me, if you want to bash it that's cool, I'm not going to make any bold statements that make me look like an ass when my car grenades in six months, but I think I can make decent power * plenty for me haha * with good drivability, and reliability in the forgotten lt1

[tricky]

You can pull the motor and tranny out the top, at least i helped do that in a 96 camaro.

[spuds]

Yea, but I'd rather not do it that way. Supposed to be a lot easier out the bottom, plus, the more stuff I get off the car, the more room I have to work with on the clean up haha If you'd ever seen the underside of my car you'd understand, I should take pictures.

[Sukkoi19]

Do it! Make it look nice. Like you said, if anything, it will be a learning experience.


Go For It!!!
Jesse

[Sukkoi19]

It is way easier to go down with the motor rather than up.

Jesse

[dyers98]

sell it and get an LS1.

[spuds]

Maybe I can get a cool a4 that shats iteslf everyday? <3 ya josh

[MeanYellowZ]

drop it from the bottom.....then replace with an LS1 and voila!

[Sukkoi19]

Ask yourself if you are really up to the time challange and money that will required. Things sound much easier in conversation than they are in actuality.

[spuds]

I've taken that into consideration, and I have access to funds, so thats not really a problem. The time is though, it would be me, and two of my friends working about six hours a week on it, so I know it would take a long ass time, but then again, its gonna be in storage if its not in the shop, and some of these things really need adressed, why not do it when I cant drive the car, and have access to all the tools and lifts?.... IDK, i still have to think about it.

[Sukkoi19]

Most likely it will sit taken apart for years because you lost interest and or time/money. Just my opinion based on millions of projects I have witnessed. In any case I hope you have access to some nice funds. Anytime you do something like that it always cost triple what you projected. I would say if it runs now just do what you can to make it continue running decently and wait until you are done with school. This advice is probably the best you are going to get especially coming from somebody that has done major projects while in school.

[spuds]

I'm not trying to sound like I know anything at all, b/c I don't, but, I don't think you understand. The cam and other performance mods aren't getting done this winter, all i want to do this winter is undercoat it, re-balance the drive shaft, replace a few gaskets on the motor, and run a few observatory tests on the motor to see if its still a decent platform. My step father is paying for the tranny for x-mas, and will also help out tremendiously on the other costs, plus my two incomes. What are the problems you are foreseeing, ones that could tripple the cost of the winter project.. I know once you start throwing performance mods at it, shit happens, but Im really not changing anything on the car this winter.

Thanks for keeping it kinda civil everyone, so far.

[Sukkoi19]

Your pulling a motor out of F-body no less. It won't be so easy. But hey I don't understand. If this was Elec or Randy or Dougie asking this question I wouldn't say anything, but you have absolutly no esperience. I just telling you that you should focus on it when you have alot of time to do it. Not when you are going to college.

Why would this thread get uncivil?

[spuds]

Lt1 bashing can occure, and at times it gets ugly...


Im not in college btw nor will I ever be.

I know I dont have any experiance, I just want to gain some, and figured having 3 months of nothing but time, would be a good time to learn, I know it will take till sumer, and I'm cool with that, I can't say that it WILL go smoothly, but I hope it does haha.

[Sukkoi19]

Well you said you were taking it to school. Why aren't you going to college? If you are going to a tech school its the same thing so please don't play a semantics game.

People go fast with LT1s all the time. They just take time and patience and money. The arguement for the LS1 is usually when your playing the bolton game. Although they do exceed the LT1 usually in the all out game as well.

[spuds]

I realize the LS1 is a superior motor, no getting around that, but hte lt1 is no pos that everyone makes it out to be, and I just have a history of sticking with stuff that challanges me untill I figure it out, makes a lt1 sound like its made for me..

Yes, tech school is the post highschool plan, but i wanna take a year off to fuck some shit up first.... I am in my Jr. year of highschool, nothing but time on my hands, and I have a great shop, well furnished, and a very helpfull instructor that has told me I can keep my car in the shop as long as it takes..

[Sukkoi19]

Good luck, I hope your instructor knows 4th Gens well.

[spuds]

He doesn't, but I've been reading up, and researching a lot, and hopefully when the time comes, I can get it done with only a few minor hang ups..

[Thewhitenotch]

Is your instructer Uncle John Engal? If so I think he would say hhmmmmm, Hurt.

[NOTAGT2]

Its and Uncle John Project........ HAHAHAHA dont let him touch that car.... Thats all i need to hear to discourage you to work on that project...

[Jeremy]

These cars are not easy spuds. I have a 94 that i have totally torn down to rebuild the power and drivetrain. EVERYTHING on them is a PITA to get apart, and the engine is no exception. I took my motor to school to tear it apart because I have all the tools I need there (yes i go to scott). Be ready for it to take a little longer than expected. Make sure EVERYONE who is working on it knows what they are doing also.

I can relate to your underside experience. Mine had the infamous rear intake manifold leak and I have spent about a week or so under the car scrubbing the crap off it with purple power and degreaser.

[spuds]

Rear intake leaks suck... I have that one as well..


Engel wont really be helping much on the car, but he has said I can keep the car there as long as I want, and hopes I go through with it..

[dyers98]

Spuds is still in high school Jaime- Actually he is pretty impressive with a wrench considering hie years in the game. Jaime does have good advice though dude. I am sure you have more than enough ability to pull this off but this project would hard enough without school to interfere. Any thought about trying it in steps? Do the tranny first make sure it gets done then work on the motor. Just be careful not to bite off more than you can chew

[ygetv8]

Well, all I can say is sometimes THE best way to learn is just to dive in. Knowing very little about 4th gens (I only owned mine for a few months) I'd say you'll need to be prepared for ANYTHING and a bunch of added expense! EVERY project I've ever done has ended up costing way more than anticipated.

[orange50]

haha i had uncle john engel as my teacher for the last two years and i built my mustang in that class he actually helped out on that project because it was a ford product.....he hates everything else....."everything else" he gets pissy all the time and somehow we were always hurt.....and his kids mustang is the baddest ass and fastest mustang in the world and all of us suck acording to the "Great Uncle John"

[Sukkoi19]

I agree with Jay, dive in! It's just nuts and bolts! And you have plenty of help here.

Jesse

[spuds]

Thanks for the compliments guys..

Engel seems to be cool, granted he still thinks his shit doesn't stink, but he can be fun to joke with, and he always helps me out when I get into trouble, just have to know when to keep your mouth shut around him and you can get a long with him I suppose..

[Lucky]

That is a mighty fine looking building behind your winter beater picture.....

[spuds]

you would say that.

[patriotformula]

...It's completely up to you man, but like the other guys said, it's a TON to bite off. Ask Randy, he had a certain blue Z28 in his garage FOREVER, it wasn't really due to a lack of funds, but one thing leads to another and you have thousands of dollars invested and in the end you still have an LT1. If you have any desire to move up to an LS1, I would say don't waste your time on all of that. If nothing else do it in steps, replace your tranny, then move to the next project etc... Otherwise you'll be chasing your tail forever. BTW dropping the kmember isn't as easy of a task as it seems, putting it back is even harder.