So my built engine will be here next week, I decided to take a few pics of the progress and start slowly pulling the car apart. A lot of you know the stock engine pretty well blew on me and spewed coolant and oil everywhere out of the valve cover which I had VTA at the time since my MPx catch can would not work with my ZZP turbo kit at the time(I figured out a different way to run it and just filter the output on the catch can). I ordered new fuel pipes and a lot of gaskets. I am sure I will need more gaskets that I am forgetting but I will just order them as I go. I never had any issues with my VVT or the solenoids but we will find out if the coolant in the oil affected them. If so, I will order the solenoids as well as the actuators. I ordered the ZZP Engine with the forged bottom end, neutral balance shafts, ati underdrive balancer, ported head/cams combo with the upgraded fuel lobe....pretty well the works. Only thing I did not do is have ZZP assemble my top end which I assumed would take a bit longer so I just told them to send it to me with the bottom end assembled and I would put the engine in time it as I already had a new timing chain and etc. from where I had planned on ordering their ported head/cams in the past.

NEW GASKETS, INJECTOR SEALS, FUEL LINES, THERMOSTAT, AND ETC.


FRONT END DISASSEMBLED FOR THE MOST PART AND INTAKE MANIFOLD/FUELING SYSTEM REMOVED


PARTS WITH EXTERIORS CLEANED WITH BRAKE CLEANER AND ROUGHLY ORGANIZED IN A PLASTIC PAN


TREADSTONE MBC (So I can adjust the boost a lot easier)

 

how hard is it to replace the head on this motor?

 

sub'd

 

Not hard. A whole lot easier when the engine is out of the car as you have easy access to the timing cover.

 

how bout when its not out of the car? i may have to change my head, depends whats ticking in there, havent looked yet

i guess id need all new gaskets and those 2 fuel lines if i change it eh

 

My Ni.gga! Looks like 2012 is shaping up to be a good year. What turbo are you using?

 

Click

 

s256et

 

looks like a pretty good build

l8r,
PD

 

It's not bad. You can probably get the head off in a couple hours. If you support the motor and take the passenger side motor mount off it makes it easier. It's probably a lifter your hearing. Take the valve cover off and investigate. Take the cam bolts out to take the chain off. Then just pull off the gears. It's the easiest way because you have to have the gears off to put the chain back on.

 

Dont use that mobil one filter. Stick with stock.

 

Yeah, I was gonna order the big pack of filters from CED but I ended up ordering from GMPartsEast. I can never get the factory filter at the local parts stores and have used the Mobil1 in the past with no issues, but I'll try to grab one. I'm guessing you are saying that due to the filter density for better oil flow.

 

sounds scary, never done anything inside a motor before, im guessing u have to mark the gears and the cam so they are in the same position when u put them back on?

 

From what I understand from 40rty's pics, you put the blue timing chain link up top, mark the position, then mark the cam pulley positions. The cam gears only fit on one way, so that'll give you the proper cam position.

 

This is neat. Thanks for sharing

 

Or if you are installing a new timing chain, you can match up the colored links on the chain with the odd colored link on the intake cam mark.

 

Now THIS is the kind of info we need. Anybody got any pics of the tensioner on the car? I want to see where it is when installed. I've seen the broken pics of them when they're out of the car.

 

just be sure the chain is tight when you pull the head off so it dont fall off the crank

 

If I were you, I'd inspect your rockers, replace all your lash adjusters, and maybe replace/inspect your timing chain tensioner as well. You wouldn't need any new gaskets and I bet one of those is your ticking issue.

 

ya ill be atempting that soon. will check everything out i can, if i cant see anything ill probably take it to a guy

 

I am sure alot of people use them with no issues, but there was talk going around of the nipple part of the filter breaking off and causing issues.

 

what would be awesome if someout did a whole taking off the head, and even replacing pistons and rods writeup with picks and post it. that would be awesome. but ya thanks guys for the info will help tons

 

If I need any extra gaskets I'll order some filters. Odd that I never heard of this issue. If I don't need anything else I'll just get a K&N, Fram, or try looking again for the AC Delco factory filter

 

i think i have pics from my build as well i had a machine shop assemble my bottom end though
and its easier to just match the links to the color and markings on the actuators
i followed the diagram i found on the site and went from there

 

FasterIsBetter - I'm stoked!! Just like what 40rty stated - 2012 looks like a good year for you, me and everybody else!!

I had a customer 3 weeks ago, who had the Mobile1 oil filter and the "nipple" broke off, he was lucky too, I found the nipple in oil filter "cup".. We stopped ordering them, we now use either AC/Delco or K&N..