need help!! please

[adrenalinejunkie]

just an afterthought but i could turn it fine by hand when it was just the mains and crank installed it got really hard to do when i put the pistons and rod caps back on. i can turn it but i have to slip a pry into the flywheel teeth and pry it. then it turns relatively easy. like i said i can't find any binding or anything its just all really tight. thoughts?

ps i installed my timing chain and cover and water pump but haven't installed my cylinder heads yet because i wanted your thoughts first

[Smittro]

yes yes yes and yes. i even went as far as to redo it. i took all my main bearing caps off and reinstalled them again. i have checked everything twice. but i still cant turn the crank by hand

just an afterthought but i could turn it fine by hand when it was just the mains and crank installed it got really hard to do when i put the pistons and rod caps back on. i can turn it but i have to slip a pry into the flywheel teeth and pry it. then it turns relatively easy. like i said i can't find any binding or anything its just all really tight. thoughts?

ps i installed my timing chain and cover and water pump but haven't installed my cylinder heads yet because i wanted your thoughts first

Well in that case as long as your heads are strait, I'd say go for it.. Yes, it should take alittle force from your pry bar or breaker bar to turn it. It will definetly be harder to turn by hand cause all your tollerances are tight again and the motor has never turned under it's own power.. Can't think of anything else off the top of my head. So I'd go over it all one more time and start the head bolt sequence. Just take your time and she'll be ready to bark back to life..

[Smittro]

Oh and if you have'nt already make sure you change the O-ring on the oil pump drive. It leaks there it will make a huge mess and quick. It's that top hat looking thing that goe's in the old 2.8L distributer hole.. It's a notorious spot for oil leaks..

[adrenalinejunkie]

Oh and if you have'nt already make sure you change the O-ring on the oil pump drive. It leaks there it will make a huge mess and quick. It's that top hat looking thing that goe's in the old 2.8L distributer hole.. It's a notorious spot for oil leaks..

is there any way you could give me a step by step for that. im definately still a newb with v6 engines and don't wanna screw this up

thanks again for all your help. i hope everything goes good here in a weeek or two when i turn the key

[Smittro]

is there any way you could give me a step by step for that. im definately still a newb with v6 engines and don't wanna screw this up

thanks again for all your help. i hope everything goes good here in a weeek or two when i turn the key

It's easy just remove the keeper bolt on the oil pump drive. Pull it up out and replace the o-ring. Then put it back down into the hole and tighten up the keeper..

[adrenalinejunkie]

It's easy just remove the keeper bolt on the oil pump drive. Pull it up out and replace the o-ring. Then put it back down into the hole and tighten up the keeper..

o ok lol i think i actually saw that when i was cleaning my oil pump. lol wish i woulda just thought to replace that when i was there. it sounds simple i'll prolly replace it today when im putting my heads back on. who knows maybe i'll even get my fuel injection system bolted back on.

[Smittro]

o ok lol i think i actually saw that when i was cleaning my oil pump. lol wish i woulda just thought to replace that when i was there. it sounds simple i'll prolly replace it today when im putting my heads back on. who knows maybe i'll even get my fuel injection system bolted back on.

Yeah like I was saying it goes into what was the hole for the distributor on the old motors. Since the block is still the old 2.8L casting. Just to be sure we're on the same page, it has the gear on it so the cam can drive the oil pump. The O-ring is up under the cap (top hat). The oil that enters that area of the motor is under presure so you can see if there is a leak there how quickly it can make a mess of things. With our motors sitting back as far as they do (even farther than the ls1 cars), you can see how much of a bish it would be to have to get to it if it leaks.. When the leak developes on the TDC it really makes a mess, due to the fact that the TDC uses a high pressure pump from the factory. They run 80psi+ over 3-4000 rpm and up.

[adrenalinejunkie]

Yeah like I was saying it goes into what was the hole for the distributor on the old motors. Since the block is still the old 2.8L casting. Just to be sure we're on the same page, it has the gear on it so the cam can drive the oil pump. The O-ring is up under the cap (top hat). The oil that enters that area of the motor is under presure so you can see if there is a leak there how quickly it can make a mess of things. With our motors sitting back as far as they do (even farther than the ls1 cars), you can see how much of a bish it would be to have to get to it if it leaks.. When the leak developes on the TDC it really makes a mess, due to the fact that the TDC uses a high pressure pump from the factory. They run 80psi+ over 3-4000 rpm and up.

wait.. so is it inside the oil pump?

[adrenalinejunkie]

o and thanks for the explanation. i bet the TDC can make a quick mess if that o ring deteriorates

[Smittro]

wait.. so is it inside the oil pump?

No no, it sits in the old distributor hole..LOL it has the drive gear attached to it.. Here is what it looks like on the TDC and it's exaclty the same on your motor too.. (see pics I posted of your motor).

[adrenalinejunkie]

No no, it sits in the old distributor hole..LOL it has the drive gear attached to it.. Here is what it looks like on the TDC and it's pretty much the same on your motor too..

O LOL!!!! i was on a completely different page!!!! lol thanks.

[adrenalinejunkie]

and all i gotta do is undo that bolt lift up the keeper, replace the ring, and drop it back in? do i have to worry about priming or messing anything up while im doing this?

[Smittro]

and all i gotta do is undo that bolt lift up the keeper, replace the ring, and drop it back in? do i have to worry about priming or messing anything up while im doing this?

Haha inb4 my edit.

Yepper, you wont mess anything up. You just may need to wiggle and twist it a little to get it to go back in all the way. Not hard and very worth the time..

[adrenalinejunkie]

Haha inb4 my edit.

Yepper, you wont mess anything up. You just may need to wiggle and twist it a little to get it to go back in all the way. Not hard and very worth the time..

alright. that works. i'll do that before i install my heads. hopefully tonight. i have my water pump and stuff back on. im gonna go over my internals one more time like you said then do the headers. but if your supposed to have to pry it a little to get it to move like you said then i should be good. bcuz a pry bar moves it no probs but i just can't turn it by hand. i still gotta order my oil pan and oil level sensor.

[Smittro]

It's like a $2-$3 o-ring that can save a sh!t ton of work down the road. When they get old they get very hard and crack this cause oil to be able to blow by that cap and you'll bust off the keeper bolt before you'll ever get it tight enough to stop leaking once a leak developes there.

Oh and a little heads up. GM knows about the issue and has since produced an O-ring for that made out of a different material. When you go to the auto parts ask for the updated o-ring. You'll know if it's the right one if the new one is a tan color. If they give you a black one it will work but it will do exactly the same thing the old one does over time, LEAK.. I've seen folks tear their engine apart thinking it's a rear main leak. Only to put it all back to gether and still have a leak because of that stupid o-ring.. Be glad it's not a TDC, the head has to come off to fix it on the TDC..

[adrenalinejunkie]

It's like a $2-$3 o-ring that can save a sh!t ton of work down the road. When they get old they get very hard and crack this cause oil to be able to blow by that cap and you'll bust off the keeper bolt before you'll ever get it to stop leaking once a leak developes there.

Oh and a little heads up. GM knows about the issue and has since produced an O-ring for that made out of a different material. When you go to the auto parts ask for the updated o-ring. You'll know if it's the right one if the new one is a tan color. If they give you a black one it will work but it will do exactly the same thing the old one did over time, LEAK..

ooo aight. i'll pick one up when i return my specialty tools i borrowed from oreily's. thank god for their free rental program its saved me so much money and stuff. but yeah i don't wanna skimp on my motor i'll get the updated version of it

[adrenalinejunkie]

1. ok so i undid my keeper for my oil pump driver and tryed to remove it. twists both directions but i couldn't lift it out. any ideas on how to pop it out? i just couldn't get it pulled up and out.

2. went to attach my cylinder heads. turns out the kit i ordered came with a gasket kit. but the kit didnt include cylinder head gaskets. so after school today im calling them and raising some hell. if they don't rectify the situation (bcuz the website eludes to the fact that ALL gaskets are included) i will be posting the name of the company warning everyone here not to order from them as they are not a good company to do business with

[Smittro]

1. ok so i undid my keeper for my oil pump driver and tryed to remove it. twists both directions but i couldn't lift it out. any ideas on how to pop it out? i just couldn't get it pulled up and out.

2. went to attach my cylinder heads. turns out the kit i ordered came with a gasket kit. but the kit didnt include cylinder head gaskets. so after school today im calling them and raising some hell. if they don't rectify the situation (bcuz the website eludes to the fact that ALL gaskets are included) i will be posting the name of the company warning everyone here not to order from them as they are not a good company to do business with

Try turning the crank @ the same time you pull on it. It will come out lol it went in there. there could be some sludge build up holding it back but most likely it's the cam gear. Just needs some persuasion is all.

[adrenalinejunkie]

Try turning the crank @ the same time you pull on it. It will come out lol it went in there. there could be some sludge build up holding it back but most likely it's the cam gear. Just needs some persuasion is all.

o ok. i wasn't turning my crank or anything i was just trying to lift it out. i'll see if i can get it in a lil bit.

[adrenalinejunkie]

hey. the parts company is sending my head gaskets overnight free of charge thank god. maybe i can get this started again after all. lol ok so question. smittro. i was looking through your pics of your TT build. props by the way. and i noticed on you gasket that goes between you intake manifold and your heads that yours has a small metal tab over a little hole blocking it. i received a litttle paper with my gaskets telling me i had to insert that small tab blocking that same hole im assuming. but they were referring to the 2.8L i believe. and im pretty sure i remember you telling me that its the same block casting. so do i need to insert that little tab blocking that hole? and if so wats the purpose of it? like i said found it curious especailly when i saw it was blocked on your motor. hoping to add another drop into my shallow well of motor knowledge. thanks