# Do you have any engine removal tips?



## bsman (Mar 17, 2009)

Hello everyone, I have recently purchased a 2005 GTO for a weekend project car. It currently has a blown engine, #1 rod through the oil pan.  Anyway, my current line of thinking is to buy a carte engine and swap it out and then take my time and build out a nice engine. I bought several books on LS1/2 engines and read several posts/articles on the internet, but all of them only explain how to remove the engine from a Corvette or a Firebird from the bottom of the car. Is it possible to remove/install just the engine from the top in a GTO or is it easier to go at it from underneath? I will be doing all the work myself in my garage. I have an 2 ton lift. Either way, does anybody have any specific tips for the GTO before I start breaking it all down?


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## bsman (Mar 17, 2009)

I found on another forum of a guy who was able to take the engine out of the top with the transmission. Hopefully, I can break the transmission from the engine and only remove the engine. I already got the most of the supercharger piping off and front facia. I got one decent pic of the damage so far... I will get others once I get further in...


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## B-ville Goat (Oct 5, 2008)

You don't say whether it's an auto or manual trans. If you have an auto, you can let it in place, but manual trans is much easier to take it out with the engine, or take it out first from underneath then take the engine out the top. Not to say it can't be done, but it's a bitch getting that input shaft lined back up on the way back in with the engine.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

If the replacment motor is going to have that super charger bolted back on, I'd consider building a forged and ballanced bottom end rather then going with a crate motor.


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## bsman (Mar 17, 2009)

It is an automatic transmission. I don't plan on putting the blower back on until I build a new engine from ground up. The crate motor is just so I can drive the car until then.


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## B-ville Goat (Oct 5, 2008)

Why spend money twice? Probably wouldn't be too much more money to just do the forged short block now then a crate.


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## KyleGT05usmc (Feb 28, 2009)

as far as tips, i'd recc dropping the tranny out first from below then pull your motor from the top. 

also as said, dont spend the money twice, plus if you take off the blower you'll have to try to find the car's original tune and injectors and etc.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

^^ Good point about the injectors and tune. Maybe he'd be better off just to buy a block and then buy the forged crank, rods and pistons, and then transfer the cam, heads and blower from this motor to the new bottom end. It would be cheaper then a crate motor and another motor for the blower, plus you'd have the blower motor back right now and better then ever. I think this would be the best way to spend money on the car and make it right.


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## bsman (Mar 17, 2009)

Thanks for all the advice so far... Makes sense not to spend money twice and all. Although, I am still not sure if the heads are even usable (Mild ported Z06 heads) and my guess would be the cam is done for. Hopeful I will get to pull the engine this weekend and see what is good and what is bad. I must admit my head is going in circles on all the options, and I still haven't figured out what to do. I am thinking I might just sell the supercharger (ATI D1SC) and take that money and buy a better engine. I can get a crate ls2 for $4300 or a crate LS376/480 for $6500. Any thoughts on the LS3? or maybe it would be better to have someone build me an engine for it for under 8k (and sell the supercharger)? The car will be used primarily for street use, but would like to take it occasionally to the track for some fun.

This is a list of the current mods on the car...

Kooks 1 1/7 Jet hot coated Long tube headers
Kooks mid pipes
Magnaflow SS 2.5 exhaust
Trans shift kit and cooler
SS3200 or SS3600 Stall Converter (not sure which) I do have the stock one also

Thanks.


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## KyleGT05usmc (Feb 28, 2009)

i'd say rip out the engine in there, see whats salvageable and go from there. not really sure how bad it is but if the engine cut off early in the destruction and that busted piston never made it back to the compression chamber the heads might be ok. 

and truthfully, it will be cheaper to keep it closer to what it has already. as i said if you go from FI to NA (i doubt you have the old NA parts?), its going to cost a lot to do that, if you just get a built short block and the heads werent trashed you will save money over buying a whole new crate and tuning it down. basically the further you stray from the setup now the more it will cost you IMO. i would just go all the way w/ the SC unless its just an unaffordable option, but in the long run doing it now will save you money as you wont have to pay to change it later. 

food for thought, pull that busted 1 out and let us know whats going on


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## bsman (Mar 17, 2009)

Well, I finally got it down to the block... the drivers side head is pretty messed up... Both rods #1 and #2 broke, the piston of #1 busted into several pieces, there is a fist sized whole in the block by the oil filter and a rod sized whole on the other side under #2 piston, the cam is chiped in several places. I know you can get heads repaired but I have never done it or known anyone to get it done, so I have no idea if these are repairable, or worth it.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

I'd go to a machine shop and ask for prices of rebuilding those heads, a block, a forged crank and rods, forged pistions, rings and bearings and a gasket set. Then either have them put it together, or assemble it yourself. Be sure everything is thoughly cleaned before assembling.


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## bsman (Mar 17, 2009)

I went ahead and took the heads to a shop that I knew would look at them and fix if possible (SteveSchmidtRacing.com). The guy that normally quotes for the work wasn't there so I will have to wait til tomorrow for a full quote, but from what the guy was saying when he was looking at them looks like it will porbably be between $200 and $300. 

Now if those can get fixed any suggestions on what small block components to get? I have been looking around over at texas-speed and looking at the 402 LS2 Aluminium short block, but the 418 LS3 short block is about the same price, would one be better to get now? Also, I have no idea on what cam to get... I think I need to do some more research...


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## REX (Jan 21, 2009)

bsman said:


> Also, I have no idea on what cam to get... I think I need to do some more research...


I've been looking at this head and cam package from Trick Flow if your heads are no good: Trick Flow Specialties TFS-K306-550-470 - Trick Flow® 550 HP GenX (TM) Top-End Engine Kits for GM LS2


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## bsman (Mar 17, 2009)

The guy from the shop called yesterday and said he was able to reapir the heads and the total was only $170. They need to order 2 new valves but once they get in I should be able to see them and figure out if I really want to use them. 

I did get to pull the engine (through the top without the tranny) this weekend and pretty much everything else is toast. So the block, crank, camshaft, heads, rods, pushrods, and probably the lifters all need to be replaced.

So now I just need to clean up everything and figure out what I want to get...


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