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mock up engine
So I got a little creative today and got past my fear of making that huge V-8 fit. I just could not envision all of that actually working out, so I made a fake engine block out of plywood so I could maneuver it into place without fear of life and limb. I priced mock up blocks and they didn't exactly fit my budget I wanted to spend. As I said, spend smartly. That's my new motto!
Pics don't do it justice but what I did was hold cardboard against the bellhousing end, hit around the perimeter with a rubber mallet to trace the outline. I then transferred that to plywood and got to work on the rest.
I wound up with a block (without oil pan), removable heads (including enough height to include the coils), a fake round crank pulley shape of the correct depth and diameter (cardboard and packing tape) and it was light enough to set in place and move around with temporary props to hold it in place. Seems simple enough but kinda a pain to build.
The result of a few hours work is beyond cool and very much a relief! I believe the engine will fit without nearly as much cutting as some folks suggest so long as I can find a front crank pulley for either a Corvette, CTS-V, or a G8. Anyone have something laying around their shop they will part with?
I did find out the son of a guy I buy electrical parts from has an oil pan that may work they need to unload due to job loss. He was going to use it in a 350-Z LS conversion.
I'll see about flushing the cooling passages tomorrow and let you know how that goes.
Talk to you tomorrow!
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