Have a question for ya.....

I'm getting ready to take out my 327 and replace it with a fresh 350 this weekend. My plan of attack is to go ahead and take off the front clip, because I want to paint the engine compartment and I'm replacing the inner fenders. I'm also swapping out the tranny at the same time. Is that completely insane or not? Does anyone have any tips/suggestions/hints/mistakes they did that they would hate someone else to do??

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!

Removing the front clip would make things pretty easy. Also, pull the engine and trans out together. That will save a lot of time. just rip it ALL out! Recomend redoing any wiring that needs be done and topping it off with a nice rewrap on the harness.
definately don't rush things, youll wish you had taken the time to get the hard to reach places when youre detailing the eng. comp.

Bubba

good luck Marci

Yea, i removed the front clip on a 71 and here are a few things: Becareful when putting the stupid nuts back on that hold the fender extension and don't strip the threads (a stupid design! The nuts are stamped out of steel and the threads are spaced so it is really easy to ruin them!), be ready to replace more if you have never done this before! I started out by just wanting to remove the inner fender on drivers side. I saw that the battery acid had rusted through so i got a new one and started looking at the other side and it was rusted too so i got one of those. Then i figured i might as well replace the bushings since i was in there. It's like the freakin domino effect!!! But yea. remove the trans and engine together!! And triple check that ALL lines are REMOVED!!!! LOL, i know people who have removed engines for years but every once in a while they'll forget to remove something stupid like the speedo cable!! Then when you see your dash collapse, you'll remember!!! LOL, jk! Good Luck!

Sounds like your plan is pretty good already. Removing the sheet metal will for sure give you lots more room. Yes, pull the engine/tranny together....and here's a little safety hint, from one who just did this a couple days ago. Make sure the legs on the engine lift are fully extended. Mine was in storage, and I forgot to pull them all the way back out. The engine was only about 18" up, thank god....but the back end came up, and I found out you cant stop 750# of big block from hitting the garage floor. So now I have a dent in my new oil pan, and a huge black and blue on the inside of my left knee! Battle wounds I call them. Anyhow, take your time, and clean everything good while it's apart. You'll do fine Im sure. :thumbsup: John

Take TONS of pictures, if this is your first time.

Especially any fasteners that you've never seen before.

It will help to make note of how many and what thickness shims you take out for the fenders. Even with replacements, it will give you a ballpark of what you need to re-align them.

When you buy new fenders or inner wheelwells, check the E-coat,or check the painting instructions in the box for prep work. It would be a good idea to epoxy prime them and even get them painted to the final color. You don't have to paint the exterior of the fender to color, but its easier to get the inside painted now. Easier to tape off for final paint, down the road.

Tape your edges when re-installing them, so you don't mar the paint when aligning.

If you intend to do master cylinder work, or replace brake lines, now woud be the time, so spilled brake fluid doesn't eat your paint!

Thanks for the help guys! I just tracked my engine and it's arriving TODAY! I'm so excited I want to call in sick to work! LOL

my advice...be prepared to be working on it for at least a month before it's ready to run again :). those 'weekend' jobs never take just one weekend.

Take pictures like a madman, anything and everything that bolts, clips, or screws together, take a picture of how it was BEFORE you tore into it.

This is where a digital camera comes in handy, instant quick reference of YOUR car.

Are you pulling an automatic trans? I remember the first time I took the motor and trans (turbo 350) out of my first car, a 70 elco. I got the motor/trans combo up only a few feet and was continuing to jack on the engine hoist when I noticed this pretty red fluid creeping out on the floor from under my car. Lost about 10 qts.of transmission fluid, what a mess! Now I keep an old drive shaft yoke in my tool box and put it in the tailshaft housing when pulling motor/trans, saves alot of clean up. I think you can buy a universal trans plug from a parts store.

my advice...be prepared to be working on it for at least a month before it's ready to run again :). those 'weekend' jobs never take just one weekend.

69boo307,
It can actually be a real quick job depending upon who you are working with. I had a friend help me a few years ago pull the small block out of my 77 Camaro and replace it in one night. I started at 4 PM and had it ready to pull when he came over at 5 and it was running by midnight. We even stopped for pizza and beer :beers: . Honestly though, it was the third time we did an engine swap in that particular car. All this in a small one car garage. Man, I miss those days....

Marci,
Good luck, and do take pictures. Take yout time and truly detail the engie compartment. You will be happy with it when you are done.
Frank

Echo many comments from above that it takes on a domino effect. Didn't pull the engine, but was "simply" going replace the front ball joints/tie rods this past winter...just freshen up the 30+ year old steering. Well five months later (lucky it was a long winter) replaced the entire front end supension, front and rear springs, all shocks, all steering parts including all control arm bushings, ball joints, lots of sand blasting small parts...detailed the entire engine compartment, rewrapped the entire wire harness, new plug wires, valve covers, hoses, battery cables....new gas tank, new sending unit, brake lines, prop valve, rear upper control arms, boxed lower CA's, complete exhaust system, hangers, .....and hand sanded/scrapped the entire bottom of the car and repainted while lying on my back.

Sooooo....be prepared if you want to do it right.....it just goes on and on.

Oh yah, was going to simply replace the carpet this weekend. Here I go again, replaced the carpet, but had to put in new tar padding, all new weather stripping around the doors, sanded and repainted the door jams, refitted the console.

....cant' wait to "simply" rebuild my clock in the dash over the winter.

one thing I can recommend if you've never pulled a motor is zip lock baggies! bag and tag everything, digital photos are great but it seems 75% of the bolts are 3/8 coarse on these old chevies but the photos wont show you the length or if its self aligning for sheet metal etc. take some measurements on how far apart your fenders are for a reference, mark your hood hinges,to the hood and fenders, you wouldn't believe how much work it is to get the body lines to line up after you pull the front clip. do a search in the body section theres a good post on where to start and how to proceed. since your pulling the harness or moving it around, check the insulation, you'd be surprised how brittle it can get, good luck on the swap, once your in there youll see it's not all that difficult, the hardest part is pulling the first bolt on a perfectly good running car, and if you have any questions theres enough helpful people here to see you through it, Jim

If you have access to a engine leveler they sometimes make it a lot easier, and don't use wd-40, that is if you're going to be painting in that area, pbblaster should be okay.

Rob