1st LT5 engine pull, looking for tips and tricks

Well, the saga continues with the rebuild and no available piston rings for stock builds fit correctly. I have been fortunate that a fellow member has take off pistons, liners, rods, rings, etc. from a 95 crate motor and came to the rescue. In the meanwhile waiting to complete the motor the differential was dropped and local buddy is helping me build to rebuild the posi as soon as the clutch pack comes in and a local shop will do the 4:10 gears. Installed a drain plug and buying a tap to put in the rear cap ARP studs. I decided all rear bushings are being replaced with poly as well as getting cleaned up and polishing all the aluminim parts while I'm at it. The batwing is going to be the challenge and probably just clean up and coat to protect.




I decided to use my Thanksgiving AM to finishing detailing the chassis since I don't want to put a nice, fresh motor into the oily, grimey engine bay. I love POR-15 and had already done the cleaning and prep work. For simplicity and not being a show car, I used a foam brush and it came out pretty good considering with their chassis black.



Took off and cleaned the K braces and coated those inside and out too.

Will also clean up under the differential area and POR-15 the frame areas while back there. As depressing as it gets sometimes with the struggles for certain things with the ZR-1/LT5, I know I will be very pleased in the end and all the heartache will be worth it. Well, gotta get ready to head over to the parents for turkey.

[tomtom72]

Great (?) minds think alike, I spent turkey day AM putting another coat of wax on my Z!

Craig, to quote those guys from speed channel....."it's shiny in the right places and not so shiny in the right places."
I think it looks like a pro restoration!

Originally Posted by tomtom72

Great (?) minds think alike, I spent turkey day AM putting another coat of wax on my Z!

Craig, to quote those guys from speed channel....."it's shiny in the right places and not so shiny in the right places."
I think it looks like a pro restoration!

Tom,

Thanks for always having good, positive things to say. Working on the Z is therapy for my mind and I get lost in another world. I'm sure you felt the same when putting on that coat of wax. I'm still full from last night's turkey, prime rib and all the other goodies. I'll see what else I can get done on this long weekend.

[tomtom72]

Craig!

I hear you about the quiet solitude of a garage/shop with just the car & you & your thoughts. It always gives me a lift.......anyone who is not a gear head would never understand!

For me wax is all I can get away with at my space, unless I want to start work after midnite & be done before 4AM....or work in my parking lot in daylight!

Hey man, enjoy the leftovers!

Well, not quite related to the LT5 pull, but while doing the differential I could not help but clean up the 20 year old suspension and replace bushings while at it with Energy Suspension polyurethane.



Used POR-15 chassis black after using marine clean and metal prep. I am still thinkin of how to make the ugly body underneath look nicer and insulate for sound and heat while at it; have not come up with a solution as of yet. Found a new rear shock, but need one more and will replace those at the same time.



After removing the bushings from the sway bar end and modifying the end links for poly bushings it was also cleaned up and POR-15. Batwing was cleaned up with small wire brush to prep for POR-15 Stirling Silver; still have to marine clean and metal prep. Bolt heads for differential painted black with POR-15 too.



The bushings were easier to remove than I thought it would be. The adjustment brackets will be cleaned up and painted with POR-15 Stirling Silver to match the differential housing and batwing.



Test fitted the polyurethane bushings before going any further.



Started some polishing with Blue Magic and these clean up quite nicely after only a few minutes of rubbing.

More to follow...............................

[flyin ryan]

Going to town, hey Craig . Looks good .

Originally Posted by flyin ryan

Going to town, hey Craig . Looks good .

Thanks Ryan........where does it all end?

Looking good Craig. It's amazing what you decide to do "while you are in there".

I've gotten caught up in some of that as well.

[tomtom72]

Yo Craig........WOW, nice detail job! That car is going to be the tits when you are dunn!





fwiw, I would do the same thing if I were doing that job. It's just as Jeff said....the old rule of "while we're here"....and the punch list just keeps growing and before you know it you have dunn a frame on restoration!

Craig, you are the MAN! That car is going to look so "right"!

[A26B]

Great job Craig. I have a lot of the same work to do. Your results inspire me.