98 5.7 350 Vortec Removal

[Dillon]

I recently bought me a 350 vortec crate motor that I plan on dropping into my 98 k1500 but I have never done it before and was wandering if there was any guides available on how to remove the motor first. I've googled everything and can't seem to find a guide available online for the vortec specifically.

 

[Wheeler]

Get yourself some swivels to unbolt the tranny. You will NEED those for sure. Other than that, pretty basic from my memory....

 

[Schurkey]

Get yourself some swivels to unbolt the tranny. You will NEED those for sure. Other than that, pretty basic from my memory....

FIRST thing you do...disconnect the battery. You don't want to be arc-welding your tools when you take the alternator or the starter off, for example.

3/8 drive impact swivel sockets--I think you'll need two for the bellhousing bolts. At least on my TBI 5.7L, there's one for the nut, and one (deeper) for the actual bolt. I'm thinking the nut takes a 1/2" socket, while the bolt takes 9/16 socket. The fastener is double-sided. There's the main bolt that goes thru the bellhousing into the engine. That bolt has a smaller stud that gets a nut; the nut tightens down on various brackets--dipstick tube, a bracket that holds the fuel hoses, etc. I think five of the six bolts have a nut and some sort of bracket. Vortec might be different.

I also use a LONG 1/2" impact extension/adapter. Connects to a 1/2" impact wrench at the female end, but adapts down to a 3/8 male square drive that powers the 3/8 impact swivel sockets mentioned above.

SK makes a couple of nice ones. Beefy, Made In USA. I use this one more than the shorter one.
https://www.harryepstein.com/sockets-1-2-accessories-27792.html

Get some zip-lock bags and a magic marker. Any fasteners or small brackets that come off, go into a bag that GETS LABELED as to where they came from.

Use some GOOD QUALITY masking tape, (NOT the cheap crap) and tag any hoses or electrical connectors you take apart. Sometimes it's as easy as tagging both sides of the electrical harness with masking tape, and labelling both sides with "1", or "2" or whatever. Time comes to put it back together, you connect 1 to 1, 2 to 2, etc.

When it comes time to actually lift the thing out, I bolt a chain from the front of one head to the rear of the other head--diagonal across the engine. Leave enough slack in the chain so that you can run a long bolt, washers, and nut through the links--bolt the chain around the lifting hook. That way, the lifting hook can't slide forward or backward on the chain, causing uncontrollable tilt of the engine. MARK THE LINKS so you can reinstall the chain the same way when you put the engine back in--that way the tilt is correct and everything should line up nicely.

Poor photo, but same concept--the chain is bolted around the lifting hook so the hook can't slide down the chain.

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[Dillon]

Thank you for the help!

 

[alpinecrick]

When I decided I deserved air tools, I couldn't afford to go out and buy a bunch of USA made 3/8 and 1/2 socket sets Although most of my hand drive stuff is USA, I bought Sunex impact stuff and have been very happy with them. At least they're made in Taiwan and not in CoronavirusLand......

Another tip. The entire drive line is anchored at three points--the two engine mounts and the trans mount. The trans will have to be supported.

Jack the trans/transfer case up and remove the trans mount, and then lay a 1x4 or 2x4 flat where the mount was and lower the trans back down on the board. This lowers the trans down enough to expose the upper bellhousing bolts and makes it easier to access the wiring connectors and everything else connected to the bellhousing stud bolts. If you have the push button 4wd, the entire trans/transfer wiring harness is about as extensive as the engine bay harnesses. Plus the four O2 sensors.

Also, a LONG extension for your wrench/impact is handy.......

 

[Erik the Awful]

Schurkey likes diagonal chains, I like using a leveller. If you choose a leveller, you will need to remove the front wheels and drop the nose of the truck down to get enough lift.

 

[haroldwca]

Don't forget to unbolt the torque converter, if it's an automatic. The bolts attach the torque converter to the flexplate, and are accessed by removing the inspection cover from the bottom of the bell housing portion of the transmission case (not the transmission pan). The starter will probably have to come out at that point too.