at home engine replacement

[kf7grq]

I have done more than my share of engine rebuilds and replacements. Do not forget to analyze the cost of the high miler and engine. Include the cost of new belts, fluids, and grease. If it is a short block, consider the cost of your running gear such as starter, alternator, power steering pump and hoses, etc. Those are the things that ate my lunch during an overhaul on a Ford F250.

You have a lot of resources now with the media. For safety sake, bring in a friend that can be a safety spotter for you.

Finally, have a lot of fun doing it. Wife hated the oil and grease mess in the garage, but noticed I had a big smile after it was all done.

Respectfully

Michael

 

[swathdiver]

...with every screw in it's original location.

My kids roll their eyes as I also do this. Like the parts of a pistol and rifle I used to know my engines this well and am slowly becoming more familiar with this LS engine.

 

[Squirrelsmith]

If you go with a crate motor that matches your vehicle this is not a very difficult task, you just pull the old motor and pressure wash it; then set it down next to the new crate motor and swap over all the stuff that is not included on the new engine.

You can buy an adequate cherry picker from harbor freight for about a hundred bucks or borrow one.

The torque specs for various components like exhaust manifolds and flywheel are readily available online, as is the specific tips for each step if you have questions.

The best general tip I can offer you is to use labeled sandwich bags for all the bolts as you disassemble the truck, like "air cleaner" "radiator" "AC" "hood" and so forth; this makes going back together MUCH easier.

I frequently pull things apart months before reassembly so this trick is major time saver, also label the wires and hoses as you pull them loose with masking tape marking both the disconnected item AND where it was pulled from; if your a stone rookie take some pics as you go for future reference.

Everyone I have helped do these projects is amazed at how simple it all seems after it's done, they say "this used to look so complicated under the hood but now it seems pretty simple!"

You will spill some fluids likely so be ready with some kitty litter and a broom, you will scrape some knuckles as well

This is very doable for a beginner if your plan is a crate engine, if you were rebuilding the old motor I would caution you more since there is much to mess up internally but a crate swap is pretty straightforward.

Just make sure you have all the fluids topped off before you start the new engine

I would also pull the transmission and have a tranny shop rebuild it and supply you with a new torque converter, they can be doing this while you are working on the motor swap so it's all ready to go together at once. But if it shifts good when you buy it you can skip this step until later, it is not that much extra work to drop the transmission later.

Good luck!

This is what i am thinking. It really can't be that hard, i figure i could probably even re build one if i really wanted to. Where does a shop take a engine when it's beyond what they can fix? A machinist right? I could bore and sleeve a cyliner no problem, so i ought to be able to figure out the easier stuff. At least thats what i will tell myself

 

[swathdiver]

I could bore and sleeve a cyliner no problem

At home? You can work a Bridgeport milling machine? Always wanted to learn to do that and work a lathe.

 

[Squirrelsmith]

At home? You can work a Bridgeport milling machine? Always wanted to learn to do that and work a lathe.

I have access to cnc and conventional mill / lathe. I'm a journeyman machinist

 

[bigfootchiro]

Well ****, I just put the top end of the Tahoe back together last weekend, and now I want to tear it back down and rebuild the bottom end after reading this entire thread! Wanna help @randeez and @swathdiver ??? Hahaha jk

 

[randeez]

 

[iamdub]

Dat front-wheel-drive conversion, yo.

 

[randeez]

The engine for the back wheels is easier to work on

 

[iamdub]

The engine for the back wheels is easier to work on

I was thinking the same thing. Lol

I'm reminded of my sport compact days reading in a magazine of a twin engine and turbo'ed Hyundai Tiburon. Dude would put the front trans in reverse and the rear in 1 (automatic) and do wicked burnouts. The aerial pics in the magazine looked like a Spirograph.

Found a vid: