1st LT5 engine pull, looking for tips and tricks

Originally Posted by billybaloneey

I've been tearing into my spare engine which came with a full harness entact...it's a scary thought about not getting everything connected back together...and I have the luxuary of the engine already being out of the car.

Some points I have found helpfull:

1) get a factory service manual (FSM) if you don't already have one
2) label what you can on the electrical connector side...the FSM gives the physical location...and a line drawing of most all of them, and the wire color(s)
3) the majority of connectors are unique (color/pin count/cavity count)
4) all of the fuel injector connectors, if kept in the split loom, will line up the with the appropiate injector when it comes time to reconnect
5) in the back section of the FSM manual it shows line drawings of the connectors, their pin/cavity count and a description of what it connects to
6) make special note of any wires or connectors that were spliced in from repairs in the past...by you our any previous owners...most probably the connector will be correct but the wires...if replaced/extended...will not be the right color(s) and/or guage, (I have found two under the plenum of my spare engine)
7) all of the grounds go to a couple of common points/locations and should be easy to keep bundled together...the FSM is detailed with line drawings
8) for those connectors that are not so obvious, logical deduction will be your guide (wire color(s), wire guage, length to nearby sensors)
9) the wiring schematics will give you the wire color(s) and wire guage
10) take pictures...take lots and lots of pictures (you'll most likely be doing some engine clean-up...those pictures will give you a good before and after feeling, and share them with the forum...I for one can never see enough LT5 pictures)

Best advise is to go over the FSM several times...the engine and electrical portion...then things will begin to make sense, show some logic, and not keep you awake at night wondering, "How will I ever get everything reconnected again?"

Clint,

Thanks for the tips and points well taken. My biggest concern is getting the routing correct, but it seems that there are only a few situations that would be questionable or make say, "darn I should have put the wiring through first" before installing something. For some it is probably second nature after pulling and putting the LT5 back in several times already.