I need a couple of people willing to help out here... - Page 2 - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

//<86TA>\\ · 03-18-2012, 05:30 PM

you doing this in a garage or outside in the driveway?

Mike · 03-18-2012, 05:57 PM

it should be enough weight... you could also strap the car down and jack the body up

The Fixer · 03-18-2012, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L695speed

Ok all sarcasm about robbing banks to finish the car aside....

I do have the original L69 block under the bench. Has the cam still in it and a few other items. What if I took said block, bolted a couple motor mounts on it, and dropped it in place (NOT bolted) into the car? Would that be enough weight without the heads and rotating assembly? Ofc I could have someone sit on top of that etc etc. Not many people around here might be willing to play that game though. One person might. Another way is I could try the pry bar and jack trick again. Using the A arm bolts as the pivot. I got close the first time I tried that and stopped because the car was on one or two jack stands on the back drivers side and about to fall off. First time I didn't have spindles or struts. Now that I do I might be able to pull that trick off. Just frustrating because people build bare chassis with no bodies on or motors on them and they somehow get them in.

A bare SBC is not very heavy - probably around 100 lbs. IIRC the crank and cast-iron heads probably weigh more together than a bare block. I've moved a few empty 305s and 350s by myself and I'm not a large guy by any stretch of the imagination LOL.

IMO, you'd be much better off finding a few large friends to sit in the engine bay across the strut towers and K-member, and using the lower A-arm to compress the springs in place.

L695speed · 03-18-2012, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by //<86TA>\\

you doing this in a garage or outside in the driveway?

A lil of both. Car is in a standard 2 car garage, I could work on it outside but I'm not sure if due to the extreme low clearance of the Trans that I can get the car back in. There is a lip at the opening of the garage for the door. But I could maneuver a crane around in the garage if I move the car back a lil. I had the spring compressed at least two inches before I ran out of room due to the cross member. I have one buddy who is on the heavier side, everyone else is 140-175 I think. None of us are big enough to really weigh it down unless there is a host of us in there. Figure the motor plus the big friend will work.

L695speed · 03-18-2012, 07:03 PM

TPI Monte, the block weighs more than that. A T56 weighs 120? I can barely pick that up to move it, the block weighs more than the T56 by alot. A friend of mine picked up the block a couple inches before he had to put it down in fear of hurting himself. I'd put it at closer to 200 if not more than that.

L695speed · 03-18-2012, 07:27 PM

As far as compressing springs, this might work too.

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/su...-work-day.html
Post two has his pics with the compressor.
look at his pics in the thread with the compressor he has a set of three solely with the compressor on the spring. I used that style of compressor to get the original ones out, with them in place on the A arm during disassembly. If it worked on the taller springs, it should work on the shorter pro kit ones. Maybe tomorrow I will return the four hook varient (which is a pain to get started compressing anyway) and try the claw one.

The Fixer · 03-18-2012, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L695speed

TPI Monte, the block weighs more than that. A T56 weighs 120? I can barely pick that up to move it, the block weighs more than the T56 by alot. A friend of mine picked up the block a couple inches before he had to put it down in fear of hurting himself. I'd put it at closer to 200 if not more than that.

Damn. Based on what you posted, I did a quick Google search, and came up with 181 lbs. for a bare block. Definitely heavier than what I thought! I did the same thing - picked it up a few inches to put it on a creeper, then lifted the other side on so I could move it out for junk. A few years ago me and one of my students carried a 350 out of my Jeep and into the school so I could hide it in my classroom until I was ready to build it LOL.

Either way, a bare block is about the same as one friend, and a friend is much easier to have climb into the engine bay.

I'd have one friend sit on one strut tower, and another on the other side - that would spread the weight out evenly and make life easier.

L695speed · 03-18-2012, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TPI Monte SS

Damn. Based on what you posted, I did a quick Google search, and came up with 181 lbs. for a bare block. Definitely heavier than what I thought! I did the same thing - picked it up a few inches to put it on a creeper, then lifted the other side on so I could move it out for junk. A few years ago me and one of my students carried a 350 out of my Jeep and into the school so I could hide it in my classroom until I was ready to build it LOL.

Either way, a bare block is about the same as one friend, and a friend is much easier to have climb into the engine bay.

I'd have one friend sit on one strut tower, and another on the other side - that would spread the weight out evenly and make life easier.

Yeah, I'll probably do that if this last ditch attempt at using a compressor fails. I doubt it will if I was able to get the original ones out with the car assembled using that particular compressor.

L695speed · 03-19-2012, 01:02 PM

Well its official, I'm giving up with a compressor alone and no motor in the car. It can't be done. How the hell do the fox body guys do it? If anyone on here would like to come up and play in the engine bay to weigh it down I'm game for setting up a day to get these #(%#)$* springs in. Finishing the brakes alone is not enough. I will work on that though. And I'm hunting on craigslist for a 350 or 383 bottom end. I am considering getting a 350 that is a decent running motor as long as its a one piece rms and vortec heads. I would like to be able to ditch the FI system for a carb setup if I found one. Drive it with the 350 then stroke it over one winter or something.

greenformula92 · 03-22-2012, 08:04 AM

that might be just enough wieght, but it also might not be...I say get a few people and have then sit in the engine bay. the heavier the better

L695speed · 05-18-2012, 08:03 PM

I finally got them in. No engine in the car, no people helping really either. It can be done. For those with 3rd gens who can't get the springs in or having a hell of a time of it keep reading.

I found this thread on TGO.
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/su...ml#post5268528

I then proceeded using his exact method. The only change I made was to use a 4.5 inch pipe to accommodate the one to one and a half inch drop of the Pro Kit springs. Took me about 2 hours of messing around and working on it, some disassembly and reassembly, jack work etc. This bird is seeing sunlight this weekend.