We're halfway into the process...
We're halfway into the process of pulling the drivetrain out of this C5 Corvette, so let's keep moving to get to the V-8 engine.
This is the second installment of a two-part article on removing the engine from your C5 Corvette. This process is required if you want to perform engine modifications to your C5 Corvette beyond installing a different air box or adding a cat-back exhaust system. As was discussed in the first article, pulling the engine on the C5 is a little different than what most enthusiasts are used to doing. This is because the most thorough way to do it is to drop the engine, torque tube, transmission, front and rear suspension, and other components that make up the "spine" of the C5 Corvette out from under the body structure as one unit. In fact, the body is lifted off the drivetrain system to access the engine.
While the idea of doing this to your "baby" might sound more daunting than "just" pulling the engine, removing the entire drivetrain is actually quite straightforward once you have seen it done. Which is where this story comes in: you will see most of the steps required to complete this process in photos. Let's finish the job we started last month!
More Info
If you want to know more about the incredible LS1/LS6/LS2/LS7 engine family, check out How to Build High-Performance Chevy LS1/LS6 V-8s by Will Handzel. You can order the book through www.cartechbooks.com or by calling (800) 551-4754.
| DIFFICULTY INDEX ::: NNNN |
| ANYONE'S PROJECT | no tools required | N |
| BEGINNER | basic tools | NN |
| EXPERIENCED | special tools | NNN |
| ACCOMPLISHED | special tools and outside help | NNNN |
| PROFESSIONALS ONLY | send this work out | NNNNN |
Continue disassembling the...
Continue disassembling the rear suspension by removing the 10mm bolt that holds the brake line on the framerail. Then remove the two 21mm bolts that hold the caliper and bracket to the knuckle and zip tie it to the lower control arm. Slightly support the spindle upright so you can remove the 24mm nut/bolt combo holding the shock absorber on the lower control arm. Loosen the 18mm nut on the upper ball joint and rattle the tapered ball-joint shaft out of the upright. Once that is removed, use the massive 151/416-inch socket to loosen the halfshaft nut in the upright.
With everything loosened on...
With everything loosened on the suspension corner, carefully lower the suspension system while pushing the halfshaft inward to expose the two 15mm bolts for the parking-brake bracket. Remove these and unhook the cable from the lever. You'll also need to remove the harness retainers that hold the ABS (anti-lock braking) wiring to the parking-brake cable.
Steps 2 thru 4 should then...
Steps 2 thru 4 should then be repeated on the next three suspension corners (the fronts won't have a driveshaft to remove or parking-brake cables, but everything else is common).
Back at the rear of the vehicle,...
Back at the rear of the vehicle, use a pneumatic air hammer to rattle the half-shaft axle that is still in the upright drive hub. Once loose, slide the half-shaft toward the center section of the vehicle to get it out of the upright. Then remove the half-shaft from the center section and mark it (Drvr or Pass) to make sure it gets reinstalled properly.
Back under the front of vehicle,...
Back under the front of vehicle, remove the four 13mm front sway-bar bolts holding the sway bar on the front cradle. Swing the bar down out of the way.
Under the hood, remove the...
Under the hood, remove the hard line brake lines from the ABS control module with a flare nut wrench. They are clearly labeled MC1 and MC2 and are both 13 mm.
On the driver-side framerail...
On the driver-side framerail at the rear of the vehicle, remove the 10mm nut holding multiple ground wires.
While still at the rear of...
While still at the rear of the vehicle, disconnect the main wiring connector that runs the lighting and other electrical components.
Under the front end again,...
Under the front end again, undo the steering shaft knuckle fastener so when the vehicle drivetrain is lowered out of the vehicle, the intermediate shaft stays with the body. As a tip, set the steering wheel straight ahead and lock with the key to increase the chances of getting the steering reassembled "in phase."
Now is the time to disconnect...
Now is the time to disconnect the main underhood wiring. This Powertrain Control Module (PCM) for the Corvette is located inside the passenger fender, so you need to get into that area. Instead of removing the entire fender, you just need to remove the lower fasteners to tilt the fender up. This is accomplished by removing the seven 7mm bolts and one plastic pushpin holding the splash panel on the passenger-side front fender. Then, remove the two 7mm bolts at the bottom edge of the fender.
Before tilting the fender...
Before tilting the fender up to get to the PCM (which has already been removed from its bracket), you will need to remove a hidden 7mm bolt (arrow points to bracket). Many folks try to tilt the fender up to get to the PCM with this bolt still in place and damage the fender. To access it, slightly tilt the fender up just enough to access the bolt and then remove it with a socket/ratchet combo.
Remove the PCM wiring by unbolting...
Remove the PCM wiring by unbolting the nested 7mm bolts on both of the connectors.
With the splash panel removed,...
With the splash panel removed, you will be able to access the A/C compressor in the engine bay and remove the four 15mm bolts holding the compressor onto the engine. Swing the compressor, with the hoses still connected to it, over to the framerail and hang it off one of the framerail holes with a sturdy wire or zip tie.
In the engine bay, remove...
In the engine bay, remove the alternator and all the hoses and wiring connecting the engine to the body (coil wiring, ground wires, and so on).
Remove the battery (you already...
Remove the battery (you already had it disconnected, right?) and battery tray after loosening the four 13mm bolts (arrows) in the middle of the plastic tray.
With battery and tray out,...
With battery and tray out, start the process to pull the fuse panel off by removing two 10mm nuts (bracket for one on top shown by arrow and the other is hidden near the bottom of the panel). Then, remove the 13mm nut locking the 13mm positive cable ends on the stud to allow removal of the panel.
Pull up on the plastic rivets...
Pull up on the plastic rivets (left) to release the engine bay closeout panel and pull the panel out of the engine bay. Unplug the vacuum lines and six connectors behind the passenger-side wheelhouse to release the engine harness from the vehicle body.
Pile the wiring harness on...
Pile the wiring harness on top of the engine in prep for lowering the entire drivetrain out of the vehicle body. Also, disconnect any remaining hoses or wires in the engine bay that connect to the body, like this AIR tube that runs from the exhaust manifolds to the air pump. Also, disconnect the brake booster hose.
Prepare to set the drivetrain...
Prepare to set the drivetrain down onto the ground with blocks of wood or construct a custom stand that captures the four factory points on the drivetrain (similar to this one). Once the drivetrain is resting on the ground or stand, remove the four 21mm nuts at the front and rear of the vehicle (eight total) to free the drivetrain from the vehicle.
Carefully raise the body off...
Carefully raise the body off the drivetrain with usage of a two-post vehicle lift-watching for wires, hoses, and other components that are still attached to the body. Remove these to avoid damage to critical components. Unbolt the engine from the drivetrain and perform your modifications before reinstalling everything into the vehicle in reverse order to complete the job.