L-36 rebuild ready to install -Tips pls.....

[Keith B.]

Fellow Members:

After a few months at the machinist/mechanic and some nervous thoughts of my # 's block out of my sight, the L-36 is back ( pad untouched -perfect) and ready to install. Having never done this before a few questions: I have the the Rad/Shroud/bracket out, engine bay detailed, frame painted lots of room and M-21 still attached, bell housing off.

- Have a engine hoist, attach the bell housing, torque and mate the two units. Any best advice, tips here...

- New LIC engine mounts, is it easier to attach them to the frame first and try and line up 3 bolts on each to the block OR attach the mounts to the block first and then attach mounts/block to frame upon install ???

Any other tips or advice is sincerely appreciated......getting ready for another Flight judging this Aug at the NW NCRS in Leaverworth, WA.

Cheers/

[Stephen L.]

Re: L-36 rebuild ready to install -Tips pls.....

I'd install transmission on the bellhousing and engine and install as a package. I personally find that easier than attempting to align the transmission in the car and attach together.

Install motor mounts on engine before installing engine in car. Easy alignment on the single bolt. Remember, one bolt goes forward while the other goes toward rear.

Use a transmission shaft cover to seal the rear during installation.
Tilt engine at a rear heavy attitude until you get it into the car and then raise tailshaft

[Joe R.]

Re: L-36 rebuild ready to install -Tips pls.....

Keith,

Can you provide photos of your empty engine bay? Any tips on how to detail the engine bay? My engine is also out of the car right now.

Thanks,
Joe

[James G.]

Re: L-36 rebuild ready to install -Tips pls.....

I'd install transmission on the bellhousing and engine and install as a package. I personally find that easier than attempting to align the transmission in the car and attach together.

Install motor mounts on engine before installing engine in car. Easy alignment on the single bolt. Remember, one bolt goes forward while the other goes toward rear.

Use a transmission shaft cover to seal the rear during installation.
Tilt engine at a rear heavy attitude until you get it into the car and then raise tailshaft

Exactly how I used to do it Steve. And Keith, get two guys to help you. YOU.....and ONLY YOU, will have to operate the engine hoist in lowering. This way if anything on the body gets dinged, it is your fault and not any of your friends.

I used a floor jack under the transmission to jack up the tail shaft once the unit is in.

With a little effort you can have the engine installed in 20 minutes, and running within an hour.

[Stephen L.]

Re: L-36 rebuild ready to install -Tips pls.....

Joe,

Keith,

Can you provide photos of your empty engine bay? Any tips on how to detail the engine bay? My engine is also out of the car right now.

Thanks,
Joe

A photo of my empty engine bay.....

Remove the wiring harnesses and place baggies on anything you don't want to get wet/painted.
Tape off your painted surfaces (fenders etc.) and clean engine bay with a degreaser.
While out, beadblast the contacts on the wiring harnesses. Amazing how that improves such things as headlight brightness....

Firewall paint could be John Deere Blitz Black.
Frame is Chassis Black

Good time to replace the heater core.... easy access.
Restore/pressure check repaint radiator and core support.
Restore/repaint horns
Restore headlight motors...replace gears or at least turn them 180 degrees

Look for job number in crayon on passenger floorboard area.

[Michael H.]

Re: L-36 rebuild ready to install -Tips pls.....

Any other tips or advice is sincerely appreciated......getting ready for another Flight judging this Aug at the NW NCRS in Leaverworth, WA.

Cheers/

One more item to check BEFORE everything is bolted together, ESPECIALLY if you've replaced the clutch and T.O. bearing etc. As soon as the engine/transmission is sitting comfortably in it's mounts, and before you start adding other parts under the hood, install all of the clutch linkage and check to make sure you can get the proper adjustment.
There are several reasons why this often becomes a problem and it's a lot easier to deal with it now than later if you have to change some component of the clutch.

[Keith B.]

Re: L-36 rebuild ready to install -Tips pls.....

Thanks to all for install advice, will follow percisely.

Joe: Cleaning tips for engine bay. Time=Patience.

- Once 427 was out and labeled, every nut/bolt/part. I covered items with plastic bags, sprayed engine bay with Simple Green engine degreaser, then used hot water thru my pressure washer and cleaned frame and bay twice.

-Once clean, I spent allot of time sitting inside on the frame crossmember and scraped dealer installed tar undercoating off firewall. Then lacquered the rest off, red oxided primered it, then SEM Trim Blk paint on firewall and inner fender wall as per NCRS guide.

-Removed all firewall parts, 4 A-Arms, springs, front bumper supports, brake shields and fine sand blasted them clean, re-painted correct sheens of correct colors, All new rubber bushings on A-arms ( Wow, send them out to replace the bushings, too much time if you have not done this before) from Bairs Corvette-perfect OEM size/fit. Re-re zinc and chromated brake shields and every nut/bolt and/or black phosphated it. The rod thru the shock hole as per Restorer Magazine work very well for Re-Re of Springs as these things are loaded full of energy - be careful.

- Nylon cleaned the frame from front to firewall, as the ORG-Factory paint was almost gone but Rust free frame is rock solid, ( Thanks Jim Gessner-found car) and then fellow BC NCRS Chapter member/friend Grant Wong lent me some old GM Chassis paint and I air -sprayed it on. Looks great, that flat-asphalt look.

- Hand cleaned with lacquer every wire, hose, removed wiper motor and cleaned 43 yrs of dirt away and polished it back to new. Re-installed. Have lots of time and energy here. Those 4 lousy firewall screws are a son of a ^&%$ to get back in correctly.

- While waiting for items back from plating, I worked on stripped Rad, shroud and bracket and repainted them. Re-built 284 water pump with new part kit from LIC, stripped and repainted everything that is supposed to be Chevy Orange with High Heat VHT paint. New engine mounts (LIC)

A very long ardious time consuming task but now it is almost done and awaiting another Top Flight Judging event and break in that new motor internals. If you need more info pls ask and would be pleased to help..keith.

[Joe R.]

Re: L-36 rebuild ready to install -Tips pls.....

Keith,

Very impressive, that sounds like a lot of hard work. Good luck with judging! I may look you up when I get ready to do mine.

Joe

[Scott S.]

Re: L-36 rebuild ready to install -Tips pls.....

- Hand cleaned with lacquer every wire, hose, removed wiper motor and cleaned 43 yrs of dirt away and polished it back to new. Re-installed. Have lots of time and energy here. Those 4 lousy firewall screws are a son of a ^&%$ to get back in correctly.

Keith,

I'm working on a '67, but the four screws (two upper, two lower, with two different part numbers) for the wiper motor appear to be the same in the 1963-1967 AIMs (1ASM-D3, or p. 75 in some 1966 manuals). There is an error in the '67 AIM where the upper screw is shown in the drawing as Item 6 (same as the '66 AIM), but then there is a second Item 6 for the washer jar cap on the same page, and only the washer jar cap part number is listed at the top of the page. The Item 6 screw part number is omitted in the '67 AIM.

The "Upper Motor Attachment" Screws (Item 6, 9418727 in 1963-66) are also used for the wiper transmissions (3 screws per transmission) and are labeled "SCREW", not "Screw Asm.". The LOWER wiper motor attachment screws are Item 14, and labeled Screw ASM. (GM 9418469).

I have two screws that are #10-24 x 1", and two that are #10-24 x 3/4". All four are indented hex, all four have attached regular (or conical?) flat washers (all four are "assemblies"). The long screws are "EL" and "ELH" headmark, shorter screws are "Anchor" (x1) and the other is blank. I'm guessing the longer screws are the Upper Motor attachment screws, and the 3/4" screws are the Lower Motor attachment screws.

Did you write down the differences between the two Upper Wiper Motor screws and the two Lower Wiper Motor screws when you had yours apart? I'm trying to figure out if what I have is correct or not.

Thank you,

Scott