(Tuesday 9/25/2012)


I found this engine at a salvage yard. It's a 2003 that had 16,000 miles on it and wrecked in 2005. It's been sitting in the truck since then. The yard was very careful about unplugging everything and giving me all the accessories including an A/C compressor (which I need...mine went out 6 months ago), an alternator, power steering, etc. It even has the radiator hoses and a perfect fuel line. Noit sure I'll need any of that stuff, but very good to have just in case.

I turned the engine over with a breaker bar and it felt good. Good compression. Water pump and all the other stuff spun nicely. The engine has a 100 day warranty and if there are any problems they have two more that will fit my truck, but with higher miles.




Once I got it home, and blew it off with the compressor, I popped a valve cover it it looks very clean.

 

(Wednesday 9/26/2012 - Friday 9/28/2012)

After getting the engine, I was pretty busy at work and didn't get too much time after work to work on anything. Did manage to pick up a few items. Since my old engine is sitting on an engine stand that I borrowed, I decided to just go ahead and buy a stand to put the new engine on. I'd like to have my own stand anyway for other projects.

I got one of these from OReilly....

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...0767&ppt=C1944

At first I thought it would be somewhat flimsy due to thinner materials than I'm used to seeing, but once all together it's actually pretty stout. It actually feels more stable than the engine stand I borrowed, which is an old unit from the 80's and has much thicker construction.

I also picked up...

A new thermostat
Spark plugs (Champion 570's)
New belt
Oil and filter
Magnetic 5/8" spark plug socket (getting tired of my rubber one and having to pull it out of the deep spark plug wells with needle-nose pliers)
Blue and Red Loctite

 

(Saturday 9/29/2012)

Up bright and early to get started. Today's plan was to get the engine cleaned up, inspect it, transfer any components and have it ready to install.

Here it is on the new AC Delco Engine stand. I blew the entire thing off with compressed air. Then some GUNK degreaser and pressure washed it. I have a plug covering the throttle body (which the salvage yard had on it) and took extra care not to pressure wash anywhere near the intake manifold. I was mainly concerned with dirt and whatnot that was on the block and underside.

 

All cleaned up, blew off all the water and brought it back in the garage. I removed the intake manifold and wanted to remove both valve covers and the oil pan to just inspect things.



Underneath one of the valve covers...very clean...



So clean in fact you can see the factory markings on the rocker arms...

 

I pulled the oil pan (sorry no pics) and it was extremely clean as well. I pulled all the spark plugs and squirted a couple squirts of automatic transmission fluid down the spark plug holes and in the intake ports. I cranked the engine over a good 10-15 times and just observed that the pushrods, rockers, valves and everything were working correctly with no excessive play. Also took a look at the crank and rods. All looked excellent.

Gapped and installed the new plugs, installed the new thermostat, then spent some time cleaning up the intake valley and the valve covers themselves.

 

Next I had to decide whether to use my intake manifold or the new one. The new one (which again had been sitting for a good 6-7 years) smelled horribly of old gas so I was hesitant. In the end I decided to use the new one and just clean it up really well. Used Berryman B-12 to clean the intake ports themselves and the bottom side of the injectors. Blew everything out with compressed air.

I decided not to install the intake at this time as I felt it would just make dropping the engine down in the truck a real chore. So I taped off the intake ports to prevent anything from getting in during install.

I also decided to use the flex plate that came on the engine.

Sorry, no pictures of the install...as I got rocking and rolling I just didn't have time. But basically as I said above, I removed the intake, connected chains to the rear ground strap holes on the heads, and then to the large stud up near the A/C mount. I held the engine slightly lower in the rear.

Using this position, the engine went in fairly easily. I put a dab of grease on the dowels and inside the end of the crankshaft. Oh, and dont forget your bell housing spacer plate! I damn near had the engine in when I realized I forgot it, so back out it came.

Anyway, once you're up over the bumper just a matter of lowering it a little, move the hoist back a little, lower a little, move back a little...until you're up over the engine mount cradles. Then drop it... Everything lined up perfect.

I didn't see a torque spec for the flex plate to torque converter bolts but I just went with typical specs for a bolt that size, which should be about 25ft lbs. I also used red loctite on them.

Here it is installed in the truck with everything underneath all hooked up (engine mounts, bell housing bolts, torque converter, exhaust, cross member, starter, knock sensors and wiring).



I also replaced those idler pulleys with the ones from my engine, as well as some other odds and ends just because mine looked better.

That was enough for one day...

 

(Sunday 9/30/2012)

Up bright and early and the goal was to have everything hooked up and finished. I wont bore you with the details...just basically put everything back the way it came off, taking some time to clean everything before it goes back on.

And here we are just after lunch time...

 

The engine didn't fire at first. It cranked over a good 10 times and no spark or anything.

Checked my codes and I had a P0340 which is cam position sensor. Oops! Forgot to plug that in. Plugged it in and then it fired right up.

But it had a horrible ticking sound. Not to mention, my amp meter was showing no voltage. I started the engine again and determined that the ticking was coming from the alternator. So I swapped the alternator and bingo...no ticking, and now we got voltage.

It ran extremely smooth, although threw up smoke for a few minutes while it burned off the ATF.

Other than that, everything went very well. I was very surprised I wasn't fighting more errors than that but I'm not complaining!

Once it was running for a while, I did a coolant system flush and then filled it up with some fresh Zerex G-05

Here it is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDt5z...ature=youtu.be

And after sitting for 3 months and all the greasy fingerprints, it was looking pretty bad, so I gave it a quick wash.

 

That thing was clean! Good job

 

Good job. And a tip on a spark plug removal tool, use the boot of an old spark plug wire. It's flexible and can get in the tight spots. Cut the wire off the end and leave the other end inside the boot. It will snap onto the spark plug and pull it out, you can also start the threads that way. You will never cross thread a spark plug that way.