Thread: Grand Prix Tear Down Has Begun

It might be the last thing I do, but I guess I'll pull that sucker off. I hate to have to do it, but I can definitely see where the cherry picker would have problems.

I think Jeep had a great idea, at least on my wifes Jeep. On that you can put the hood support in one of three locations, the last of which is near vertical. Though I much prefer the hood struts than messing with a hood support rod, it would be nice if you could open that sucker up more.

Would it be possible to take off the hood struts and push the hood over further, rest it on the windshield or something like that.

I didnt think of that, perhaps uses some type of support or something?

Scotty, just pull one bolt and see if there is a definite area where you can see where the bolt goes. IMO you run a great risk of denting it if you try to just tip it up. What if you have it resting up and someone bumps it and it over centers and it falls on your windshield and kinks your hood? If nothing else try to pull the engine with the hood on the car, if it doesn't work pull the hood then.

Thats an interesting idea with the drill bit.

If I pull the hood, what is a good way to store it to keep it from getting messed up?

I would get some big Styrofoam blocks and stick the two rear corners of the hood into them and set it on them and then cover it up with a heavy blanket. Just and idea.

I always pull my hoods when I pull a motor from these cars.


^right when it got installed after the build


After the test drive, and yup...rolled around with no hood for a few days till my F1 got done.


I will set the hood on some scrap pieces of carpet, with the back side, the "pointie ends" resting on the carpet. Thats how I have three hoods being stored in my garage now, one for example:


~F~

Thank you Farns. I guess since its one of those things I have never done, Im a little hesitant, but if it has to be done, it has to be done and so it will be.

Update 04.17.2008

Well I just about got it ready to pull everything out.

-Have to disconnect the power steering lines
-Have to pull the rear manifold
-Have to unbolt the compressor
-Have to pull the starter
-have to unbolt the torque converter

Not much really just kinda tedious. I have the whole engine bay wiring harness out now. That one thing may take the longest as Im not putting it back in the way it came out if I can at all avoid it. Ive got some ideas and I need to sketch out a few things and I think I'll have a plan. I just need to decide how Im going to handle adding in the necessary wiring to extend everything to route it like I want it.

So with that, here are some pictures as it stands now.









I liked this picture, it kinda looked like a cobra snake reared up getting ready to strike









Here is the complete engine bay harness. ALL of it feeds back to the fuse box in the engine bay which really kinda simplifies things. I bet GM could save about $1000 per car if they would cut back on all the electrical tape.




Ive got to get things organized before I do anymore. Its starting to drive me a little nuts having parts strewn about and not in some type of orderly fashion. I got a ton of stuff I would love nothing more than to send to Farns to have hard chromed and powder coated, I just dont know if I can afford it all.

So I'll get everything cleaned up and organized and get started on it again.

Originally Posted by GR8racingfool

I will set the hood on some scrap pieces of carpet, with the back side, the "pointie ends" resting on the carpet. Thats how I have three hoods being stored in my garage now, one for example:


~F~

Not to hijack, but.....

Still very interested in afore mentioned hood. Did it ever go bye bye?

I know you are, this Sunday or next according to the message I got yesterday on it. He was just waiting for the weather and roads to turn nice and get better so the replacement hood doesn't get all messed up.

Doubtful he will back out, but if he does, your for sure will be getting a call.

~F~

04.25.2008

Well its finally done. Everything is ready to come out. Everything is unbolted, disconnected or otherwise pulled from the motor. I think I may have to head down to Tulsa tomorrow and visit harbor freight and see about getting a couple engine stands. That will just leave me having to find a cherry picker I can borrow for a day, maybe two or renting one.

Once I get everything out I'll start by disassembling the transmission so I can see if there are any other hard parts that will need to be replaced. I know the ring gear needs to be changed, but if nothing else needs it, then I will have to find something to do with the spare tranny I have. Perhaps do a basic rebuild on it and sell it and recoupe some expenses.

Here are the final pics of the engine and tranny in the bay. Next pics will be either the process of pulling it out or it all sitting on engine stands.








Look at all that space. What fun it would be if that were the way it was with everything put together










Oh yeah, we cannot forget about the bonzi tree




I had intended to taking my income tax return and putting it towards this project and the wife agreed to just get it all done the way I wanted and be done with it so that we could use the car again. But we are WAY too close to being debt free and instead I decided the money better spent moving us even closer to that goal.

So the Grand Prix will be a pay as you go project, and I think it will be better that way since it will afford me time to research things and make sure parts work together well and upgrades work together and so on. Its also a good excuse to buy tools, LOL.

Well there ya go, hopefully the next update will show everything coming out and on stands ready for tear down and finally getting on with the rebuild.

04.26.2008

Well I got 'em. The engine stands that is. The tax money ended up going for other things so I was unable to go wild with all the parts I wanted to get and will have to get them as money is available. All I need now is just a cherry picker. Everything is ready to come out.





I think once I get the engine and tranny out and on the stands Im going to organize the garage again and then jump to the inside of the car and pull out the interior 'cause I got a few plans for stuff to go in there. I'll also jack up the rear end and put it on stands and start assembling the stuff I need to to the ss fuel lines and try and do a write up on that and on replacing the heater core.

Stay tuned, more to come.

Maybe a dumb question, but why two stands?

One for the engine, one for the transmission.

Originally Posted by SyntheticShield

04.26.2008
All I need now is just a cherry picker. Everything is ready to come out.

Or a couple people to lift the motor untill we get the bolts in

No thanks. I helped dead lift a 3800 last weekend and I wont be doing that again.

Deadlift a 3800? Eck! I've got my old 3100 sitting outside that I sold to a guy and I was prepping it for him to pick up (getting the cherry picker situated, disconnecting transmission) and I was just trying to wiggle the thing around and it was a pain. I know the 3800 we dropped in weighed considerably more, especially by how the front of my car sat lower afterwards.

BTW, you can take the engine and tranny out as an assembly like I did. It will make it harder to attach to the engine stand (you'll need to find a place to set them down to disconnect). However, it will make getting to that one hidden bolt that holds them together in the rear a piece of cake.