FB I notice you have 1.5 and 1.6 rr's did you have to change push rods on both? What cam did you go with? Is it the cam and the extra lift or the rr's that makes the need for the PR change? Thanks

I tried checking the position of the new roller rockers I have on the top of the valve by marking it with magic marker. The roller moves from about the center of the valve at no lift going almost to the edge of the valve stem at full lift. I obviously need new push rods but how do I know what length? It seems that they would need to be shorter because shorter would move the roller rocker back toward the intake right? Thanks for help on this.
93 LT1 with hot cam and 1.6 roller rockers.

I need to order a tune, but hopefully I can start it this weekend, we'll see. I need to learn how to submit photos, I'll try to work on that too.

I went with a new Lunati unit, the Cloyes are 6+weeks out and not to be found anywhere.

I must be slower than a turtle, slower than a snail haha! Well I got the pan off, and the new gasket on and reinstalled the pan - ABSOLUTELY the hardest thing I have done to this car, I can only hope and pray it doesn't leak.

Got the seal for the water pump drive shaft in using the "highlighter" method, it works but just barely, almost messed the seal up the second time.

The opti is on and the hub. Adjusted the lifter preload, went with 1/2 turn after 0 lash. The Scorpion roller rockers make the process much easier, there is no doubt about 0 lash.

Next I want to paint the intake the same color as the LT4, anyone know what color that is besides "red" (I already know that)? Got the intake all cleaned up and ready to paint. And I need to install the WP soon too.

Thanks a bunch! The lack of a key on the crank hub is another one of many mysterious things about the LT1. Actually the first method I tried using the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves was pretty close (although this could be different with different cams, duration and overlap).

Don, if you could post a video that would be great. There just isn't anyway to get a TDC tool in the plug hole on #1 with the headers I have w/o removing them. The wire I used had the insulation on it so it wouldn't scratch anything.

Ok, I'll answer my own question because I just found it. Stick a piece of heavy wire in the no.1 cyl spark plug hole, bend the end of it down so it will touch the top of the piston. Rotate the crank until the #1 intake valve opens and then closes, hold the wire in the cyl until it starts to move up, when it starts to go down you have just passed TDC, pretty close, probably close enough to reinstall the balancer which I messed up when I moved the crank after removing it (and carefully marking TDC on the timing cover - oops big goof up).

If I turn the crankshaft until the #1 cyl intake valve opens then closes and mark that spot on the CS then keep turning until the #1 cyl exhaust valve begins to open and mark that spot on the CS then divide the distance in 1/2 will that get me close enough to TDC to reinstall the balancer hub? thanks

Just in case some want more detail, here are some very good pictures showing the sharpie method.
http://www.impalasuperstore.com/naiss ... /topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=30984

This forum is great, thanks!!

It looks like he sold out already!! Why didn't Chevy just put a chamfer on the end of that shaft. It looks like the highlighter will work, guess I'll try that, thanks.

I already destroyed one, how can I do this w/o paying the big bucks for the Kent Moore tool? Is it possible to get just the seal somewhere? Thanks
93 LT1 water pump drive shaft seal in timing cover.

Bogus, thanks man! Putting the forward weight up would be the same as TDC for the #1 cyl or is it just the opposite? It's just the opposite isn't it.

Got the hot cam in today, what a bear!!! I could not get the motor up high enough to get the cam out. I lacked about 1/16" and the motor simply would not go up any higher. Finally used two jacks, one under each motor mount bolt with a block of wood and raised the motor that way. Now I can't get the pan down because I can't get the oil filter adapter assy. off. I have a question on the forum, hopefully someone will chime in.
My car has never leaked a drop of oil, hopefully it still won't after I put on the new pan gasket.

Ok I took out the two allen head bolts out and the thing won't budge, what am I missing. FSM says nothing about how to remove this so I can get the oil pan down. Need help.
PS; Will I need the motor raised to get the pan off/on, the FSM says nothing about raising the motor.
Thanks

There are lots of different opinions but it is a pretty significant gain, at least 40 HP. Nathan Plenms, who used to be on another forum made 335 rwhp with the hot cam, 1.6 rr's, and LT headers on an otherwise stock motor, if you figure a 15% drive line loss that's an increase of more than 50hp to the rear wheels with stock heads, that's pretty good for about a $700. investment (if you can do the work your self).
I am ready to pull the old cam out and put the hot cam in, may be today.

Got the intake off, rad. removed with condenser and fan/rad shroud (I work really slow). The intake gaskets were saturated with oil all the way to the top of the intake ports. The intake was loose the moment I took the intake bolts out, no whack with a mallet to loosen it, the seal around the intake ports must of been very poor. The intake ports are black with oil soot. Has anyone else seen this?? What intake gaskets do other people use on a stock motor, intake port design? I have fel-pro MS95580 any one use these - good luck with them?
I would love to port match the heads to the intake. Why in the world did Chevy make such a total miss match between them when it would of been so easy to do this at the factory??? How much hp gain would this be good for? Is it enough to make a difference you can feel? Myself I doubt it but don't really know. The LT1 head intake port is 1/8" narrower at the top than the bottom!

I thought one of the reasons for the mobil 1 oil being required in the LT1 was the high engine temps, the high temps were not there for performance gains or long engine life but for emissions? Is that right? Few other engines are allowed to run so "hot". Especially race cars are allowed to "cool down" after a race because heat soaks into the intake and reduces performance?? (reduces performance a little but still when you are racing it might mean the diff. between a win or loss)
The purpose of the t-stat is to keep the engine "warm" but if you had a 240 deg. t-stat then even going down the hwy your motor would never run below 240 deg.

Be sure and post some vids, pix at least of you car going down the track! Looks nice.

Thats one of the things I want to get changed when I get a new tune, lower the temp at which the fans come on, 225 seems kinda high, 195 seems more like it.

Won't a cooler t-stat open sooner (at lower temp) when the car is running down the road and the fans are not required thus letting the engine actually run cooler some of the time, just not when the fans are required?

rkless,
Thanks a bunch for telling me, I read the FSM and don't remember the oil pump stuff, must of missed it. When I looked at the new cam I could pretty well tell it wasn't just going to "slide in". This forum is great.
And yes I will have to remove the intake, rats! Anyway I noticed that the back of the intake is leaking oil pretty bad, there is oil all down the bell housing, back of the block. I guess I will have to remove the starter to get the pan off too right?

Hot cam came in the mail today! Yippie
Anyone know how does the oil pump gear mesh when you slide the cam in, is it easy, just slide right in or is there something that must be removed, loosened first?
PS; We need to pray for the people of Japan, how terrible, it could of been us.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/det ... +right+stuff+gasket+maker
someone talked about "the right stuff gasket maker" is this it?

"I have a LT4 HotCam chip that I'd sell cheap. It's out of a 93 TransAm, auto trans and would need to be programed and checked out (I've never run it)." (BillH)
What is a "LT4 Hot Cam chip" (sorry to be so dumb)? I might be interested.

I do want to replace the timing set (chain and 2 sprockets) just want to go with the stock replacement. Thanks a ton for the photos and the RA good price $19 less than summit!
You know the thing I dread the most about all this is draining the radiator/block! Last summer when I had to replace the opti/WP when I pulled the WP even after draining rad and block antifreeze ran all over the garage floor, frame etc because some nasty antifreeze was hiding out there in the WP. I HATE antifreeze,it's nastier than oil, grease or dirt.

Quote:
Flyboy I was hoping you would chime in, I saw your use of the magnets in another thread, could you give me a little more detail on how it works? Is there any danger of the lifters rotating once they are lifted up to the head (it looks like you lifted them up to the head right?) Do you just lay the magnet retrievers down flat once you pick up the lifter,is that what holds the lifter up while you remove/install the cam? What are the ties for?

Thanks for all the great info. This is a pretty intimidating job to undertake but I am thinking I will be able to do it. I definitely want to use the stock timing chain, I put a new opti on last year and can't afford to replace it now, I will have the rev limiter set to below 6 g's which is a good idea with stock pistons and a motor with older rod bearings.

"I don't know if the Hotcam requires stiffer springs or not. If you do replace the springs the heads will have to be removed, which the intake will be off at that point. There is a way with compressed air to change the springs, but I would just remove the head(s)."
A couple of months ago I replaced the springs with springs recommended for the hot cam when I did the 1.6 rr's, I was able to do it with the heads on using my air compressor and a simple valve spring tool which worked great. I really noticed a nice sotp power increase from the headers and the 1.6's.

Quote:
I suppose it is but with all the stuff that has to come off to get to the cam on the LT1 it would be nice to not have to remove the intake, plus just one more thing to not have to worry about messing up if you don't need to remove it?! I don't think I'll do lifters now, tight budget. Thanks for all the good posts and especially the gasket numbers.

I am thinking of upgrading to the LT4 hot cam in my 93 6 spd, 1.6rr's, LT4 springs, EM LT's and have some questions.
1.Anyone tried this (http://www.andersonfordmotorsport.com ... n=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1)would it work on the LT1 engine.
2.I have done quite a bit of research on this especially here; http://www.hashmarks.com/techtips/hot_cam.htm any other info, that others who have done a cam swap that you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
3. I plan to replace the pan gasket, I know some use RTV at some points on the gasket, where and why?
4.Does it take a puller to remove the crank timing gear?
5.What about reinstalling the timing cover and the seals for the w/p drive & opti I know some use a cover to protect the seal when going back on, is this right, where do yo find it?
4.I have new Bosch 3 injectors will they be ok?
5.What about a tune and who do you recommend?
Thanks!

The caliper when it is new is perfectly aligned so that both of the sides are parallel where the pads sit, maybe it's possible for that to wear strangely when the rotor is not perfectly perpendicular since the bearing is allowing the rotor to move in at the top relative to the mounting of the caliper to the suspension, make sense? Just a guess, I can't imagine what else it could be. I am going to borrow a mike from a friend and check the two surfaces to see if the are parallel.

This is funny, I have the exact same wear pattern on my 93 after I replaced the rear pads and rotors. The inside of the rotor is fine but the outside is just like yours, contacting on the top 1/2 only. I can even look at the pad next to the rotor and see a gap at the bottom of the pad. I was thinking my calipers are shot. Maybe the bearings (mine were shot on both sides) allowed the rotor to tilt in at the top and so the inside of the caliper where the pads sit is showing some resulting strange wear? Now that everything is new except the caliper, it is showing the bad wear pattern in the caliper. My car has 100,000+ mi. I also painted my calipers and got some paint on the inside where the pads sit but I took them back apart and scraped that area with a file and it changed nothing.

By stock do you mean the stock resonator and everything else on back? That is what I am going to end up with on my 93 - EM long tubes, no cats and otherwise stock and I hope it's not too loud!! I welded the 2 3/4" to 2 1/2" then cut the 2 1/2" pipe in half and butted the ends together with a clamp "easy seal" # E25ST. It looks like it will seal much better than the rest of the clamps I have seen. Made in USA to boot. Waiting for my tune before I start it up and a few other things.

http://www.autobahnpower.com/main.asp ... gory=Corbeau+Racing+Seats
I know the guy who owns this store in Wichita, Ks,, have purchased many things from him, not the cheapest but a good reputable business, ask for Bob. Never bought the Corbeau seats just too expensive for me and I know they are a very tight fit in the vett. This guy runs them in his ZR1.

Mike, what did you run last time you were at the track? Must of been pretty good since you said it was one of the best yet.

IT'S FIXED!!! Finally got it all back together after cross threading that bolt behind the PS pulley for the water pump so I had to buy a thread chaser and chase the threads. Man my vett runs better that it has all summer. The miss is gone, no more intermittent spark flashes on 6 & 8!! And the car runs great at 900 - 1200rpm, used to run terrible thru that range. I never got a code on this but it must of been the opti, glad I went with the MSD, the venting hopefully will eliminate the moisture which killed the GM unit I installed last year. Thanks guys for the support, it's good to know your not alone on things like this

How do you get the "BLM" readings? Do you use a laptop or some kind of code reader. I keep hearing about people being able to read info from the computer but still don't understand how it is done, can you clue me in, thanks.

Ok, thanks I'll leave the WP as is. Today I got the new opti on, sure looks good, hate to cover it up with the WP . Auto parts store doesn't have the WP gaskets, should be here tomorrow, hope to start it soon.
I gotta tell you how nice the MSD unit is. It's really well built, comes with the vent tube and new wire that runs up to the connector at the manifold, it does away with the dumb reverse torx screws plus it's not much more than the GM unit. I just hope it runs as good as it looks.

I replaced my water pump with the opti last year with a new GM unit, it still looks good so I think I will reuse it. I have heard of people putting a hose on the weep hole, what exactly is the weep hole there for? If my water pump was leaking (I really don't think it is) where would I look for a leak?
Last year I put in a new crank seal, it was leaking pretty bad, nice to see it looking dry down there now
My new opti is supposed to be here tomorrow!

Thanks for all the advice about the balancer, I simply forgot the PB blaster, stuff is good. Anyway it's finally off, it was VERY tight all the way off. I sanded the inside of the balancer and it slides on and off with ease now!!!You would not believe all the rust on that thing.
Now to the opti, it is full of rust and crud. The terminals on the cap are covered with oxidation (I guess that's the right term) and a bunch of the oxidation has come off something and the opti is full of it, little chunks of it everywhere. I decided to to ahead and get a new MSD vented unit for my 93 and hopefully that will keep the moisture down. The opti that is on there now I got off fleabay for $150, supposed to of been NOS GM, it even had the GM label on it so must of been true but it was in a plastic bag which made me wonder if it was really new. Anyway hope this is my fix, never know with these cars, have to keep my fingers crossed.

I wish you guys were right about the balancer but I have had it off before, it won't come with simply tapping! Last time I hammered until the piece of wood split in to splinters, the balancer didn't move, this time I tried it again and it's not moving, hard to believe but true. When I get it off I am going to sand the press fit part where it "slides" over the hub and hopefully open it up a tiny bit, believe me on my car it's a very tight press fit, it does not slide on or off.
Thanks for the idea about WD40 on the hose. I tried sliding a screwdriver under the hose and still a chunk of it stuck to the water pump.
By the way I know the hub doesn't have to come off, its the balancer that needs to come off, I am talking about the BALANCER, I never said anything about the hub :-)!!

Well I still don't have the balancer off. I covered it with antisieze but it's stuck like glue. Got it moved a "little" with my puller but now I remember that I have to move the steering rack to get it all the way off. Tomorrow I am going to see if I can make the arms on my puller a little shorter so I don't have to move the rack, its slow goin.
By the way anyone know how to keep hoses from sticking? The ones I took off are new as of last year yet they absolutely would not budge. Would a little antisieze work or would that make it leak?
Teebee I hope the problem you had is mine at least then I will know what it is. Did you find out what made all the tracking inside the cap, was it the fault of the GM cap, did you run a high perf. coil? I have seen lots of guys have problems with the MSD unit too, glad yours is working good. If my opti is crap, I thing I will go with the MSD though. Seems like since spring my vett has been on jack stands 90% of the time!***!!?? bummmer

O man fortunately the last time I had the opti crap off I covered that balancer with anti antisieze, hopefully now I reap the benefit and the thing will fall off by itself, haha! Jake interesting comment about the exhaust leak, how did you ever find that tiny hole? I have stock manifolds so I don't think that is it, also I am pretty sure I have opti problems with the 5,7,6,8 spark issues, may have something else too, never know for sure with these cars. I can tell you if these cars didn't look so good, it would be long gone. Going out this morning to see what more damage I can do.

Who designed this piece of CRAP the LT1?? Almost have the water pump off, drained the block & the radiator still a quart of antifreeze runs all over the floor, motor, shoes when I remove the lower heater hose, then the thing has 6 bolts (no not metric but SAE, haha) when 4 would easily do. Plus one bolt is behind the power steering pump pulley another behind the idler pulley, just a few more hours I'll have the **** thing off and can start on the opti crap. Wish me luck.

Been on vacation! This week hope to remove the opti and open it up and look at the cap. Just took it out for a drive yesterday, miss worse than ever pretty much the whole car shakes after its fully warmed up, but still only at Idle, WOT it runs really hard, spins the 315s easy?! I'll get back and thanks for the comments.

Ok a little more info. I ohmed all the new wires, including the coil, all check out good - 0 ohms. Then i hooked up the timing light again from the start. No miss at the beginning but after about 2-3 min, miss starts. Cylinders 1,3,2,4 nice steady even fire of the plug. But Cyls 6,8 very erratic spark its almost a constant firing, no even fire then rest then fire again but very sporadic bunches of fires then nothing. Cyls 5,7 nice even spark then miss, then some more even sparks and two or three misses, then back to normal, then more misses. The hotter the motor gets the worse it is, finally the whole car is shaking. Does that narrow the search down? Could it be the ICM? Is it the OPti, still no codes. Thanks for the help

Tomorrow I'll go back and do the timing light test on all cylinders again and from the time the motor starts. I only tried it after it was hot, that is when the miss is really evident. I would say that when it is cold the miss is not there but it still does idle rough, of course it's always done that.

Man thanks for all the replys! Ok first 108,000 mi. all stock motor, 6 spd. And yes it has always had a rough idle but the last 6 months there is a distinct miss that makes the whole car shake. At first it was only at idle (really hard to tell for sure at speeds above 1500rpm) but now the miss is worse and getting worse, it is now there from idle to 1500 rpm then it seems to go away and WOT it runs great.
Second I replaced the 02s about a month ago with new GM delphi units, made no difference.
And 3rd no I did not replace the cable from the opti that runs along the side of the intake, I never knew that was where that connector went, though it must be obvious. Where can I get one?
Any thoughts about the fact that plugs on the dr. side look lean and the pass side looks rich? I have thought it might be something going on with the computer?

Here are the things I have done so far. 1)ohm the plug wires, found one bad, read 10000, replaced wires with taylor wires. 2)Checked plugs, found one (NKG platnum) with cracked insulator, replaced all with regular autolite factory rated plugs. 3)Checked fuel pressure, 42 at idle, holds for about an hour before beginning to drop, after motor is started still good pressure. 4)Disconnect each injector (new bosch 111 from FIC) check to see if RPM drops, all cylinders drop same amount. 5)Clean throttle body, was very dirty, now very clean.
6)Check all connectors to computer, coil, coil module (also new), found the gray connector at the computer was lose, when you wiggled it the motor would miss, hesitate then die, bent the connectors inside and now that does not happen. 7)Attach timing light to each plug wire and watch for intermittent spark. Found plug wires 6 and 8 both have intermittent spark loss. You can see when the plug doesn't fire you can feel the car miss. Also at other times there is a very erratic spark it looks like several regular spark flashes then no flash then a half dozen flashes all at once.

Here is the question, is this the opti (new GM Delphi installed 1yr ago) or could it be the coil, I installed new MSD coil with new opti?
PS there are no codes. Also the plugs on the drivers side look lean, the ones on the pass side look rich?