I'm building my very first LS and was a bit worried about rocker arm install but this video is very easy to follow. Very well explained... Thank you.. gave me confidence again.. lol...
I am building an LS engine and I have quite a bit of vehicle experience but not enough to build an engine confidently, these videos are helping me A LOT with questions I cant anwser myself. HUGEEEE thank you!!
Its easier to just go in the firing order sequence and do both rockers at the same time. You can get them all bolted on in 2 revolutions of the crank...
To make future endeavors easier, on clean bolts, just use a sharpie to put a dot at 12 o clock on the bolt and turn it a quarter turn. You will feel the yield point on the bolt as it approaches.
As I begin my endeavor to rebuild an engine for my truck, I am so glad I found your videos.. so helpful.. thanks so much for posting!! would you do anything different looking back?
Have fun with your project! When I look back, I clearly stated (for my own benefit), that this was a relatively stock build with the exception of the CAM (and related items) swap. The machine shop that I used does build a lot of race engines and therefore offered some upgrades that I chose to take, but probably should not have. Money was not really an option, so I allowed for the upgrades. The 2 that I can think of are Piston Rods and Stainless Valves. This engine is going in a "Streetable" old CJ7 Jeep. I'm looking for badass sound and reliability. The original rods and valves would have accomplished that. Great question!!!!! Cheers and enjoy your build.... Mike
I love your South Texas border town Over here it's minimum wage 8 dollars I've had nothing but 5.3 and I'm learning how to build thank you for the video
Mike........the LS part of the series is pretty impressive. The DIY workarounds and mods you did are smart. The LS engines are pretty bulletproof, but like any engine, they have their flaws, although minor compared to most others. One reason why they are so popular today. I'm putting the same era LS (2000 5.3 truck engine) in my YJ build after I make frame upgrades to it. The rocker arm upgrade to the LS is smart......the stock bearings on the LS rockers were a weak point and prone to failure. Excellent project documentary......
Thank you Bob! I think it will make my ole Jeep a lot more reliable and allow us to take it on longer trips. I have owned it for 34 years and ran out of fingers on the number of times I had some issues. Not complaining.... it's all worth it. Love Jeep rides!!! Cheers to yo Bob! I always enjoy your comments! Mike
@@UCanDoIt2Mike Anytime Mike !.............The LS swaps are a big upgrade for the Jeeps and they add a ton of power and torque, which prompts you to upgrade the drive line accordingly (which you've done). I've researched the stock LS computer and wiring harness (which I have from the donor truck), but instead of modifying it and then having to program it, then maybe having to make changes to the fuel & timing, etc., I've decided to spend the money and go with the Holley Terminator setup. I can tune on the fly and set up econo/sport/performance modes, as well as see real time readouts on the control panel inside the vehicle. It's around a grand for the manual trans one, and comes with it's stand alone management harness........plug & play. I figured by the time I modified the harness and sent the computer out to have the software tailored, then maybe having to do it further, I was better off the other way. The Holley system isn't cheap, but it's way more user friendly.......the initial setup is "grade school" easy
On my way to building a gen 4 5.3L aluminum block with a pair 862 heads from the bone yard. My build will use forced induction, but still only looking for around 600whp at max.
Ive been loving all the parts to this build. you are my guiding light for my ls build I plan on putting in my daily truck. much appreciated for you taking the time to share all your great knowledge!
Thank you Austin. I appreciate that you took the time to share with me your feedback. It was really a fun project and there are so many options out there for these engines. Have fun with your project. Mike
Both of my boys had fun getting their hands dirty and learning how all of this stuff works. We spent many hours between activities talking about how it is all connected and how items are timed and work together. Cool project.
I run stock 1.7 rocker arms on my Lm7 with a texas speed 224r cam .600 lift paired with pac racing beehive valve springs and hardened pushrods. turn the motor 6800 stock bottom end it loves it. went with the same melling oil pump you chose. My Lm7 is actually in a bmw 323ci hooked to a muncie 4speed. msd 6ls controller and a demon 750 feeding it. Just thought id put this comment on for people who are wondering if the stock components are up to the task.
Very cool! That is such a light car! We have a 2000 328i and the thought of a Gen3 in it makes me shiver. Thanks for sharing. There are so many options for these motors....
At the same time its not that hard to VERY accurately turn a wrench 50, 60 or 90 degrees just by eye lol but you guys have made awesome videos of the correct way to rebuild an LS. We all appreciate the time, effort, and teaching put into your videos!
Gracias por sus videos, sin tener conocimiento de mecánica, pude desmontar mis cámaras de una Van express motor vortec 6.0 y montarlas nuevamente por recalentamiento. Calibre los balancines como usted lo realizó en este video y funcionó. Muy agradecido desde Venezuela.
Just a tid bit I thought I would share. If you bring the cylinder to top dead center on the compression stroke you can install both rockers at the same time :) I would also like to say I love the attention to detail. Great video series
Thank you. That makes sense since the valves would need to both be closed at that point. The key would be to know with the heads on, whether you are TDC of each piston and if that was the Compression stroke. Thanks for sharing!!! There appears to be a handful if good ways to accomplish this. Cheers!
Always more than one way of doing things. If you put both rockers on number one. rotate the motor while you hand tighten them. You will get to a point to where the cam is not longer lifting either rocker. that's the compression stoke. torque them, mover 90 degrees rotation and follow your firing order. Either way works though. Not being critical, just throwing it out there
Thank you, makes sense;, just wanted to double check , great video, putting my 08 Avalanche together in the morning spent today cleaning all the parts- thanks again
Thanks for the video. I’ve got roller rockers to install soon on my 5.3 862 heads. My understanding is if you can line up the cam to the base circle it doesn’t matter about following the firing order. Just saying
UCanDoIt2. One question. Why did you guys do the additional 90 degrees double turns? You have a turbo setup application?? Or am I missing something here??
@@theozman38 So it is important to understand that starting with the Gen 3 engines, GM is using Torque-To-Yield bolts on the Heads. They should not be reused! And they require you to torque to minimum amount and then rotate a set amount in two separate passes.
UCanDoIt2. Ok. Thanks. I’m New to ls engines. I’ve seen other videos of doing the same thing but never understood why. Ok. Just learning. Lol. It’s not the turn of torque but the tension. When torque is applied, torque is lost due to friction from turning the bolt in the threads. Thus, applying the two amounts is reassuring good application of what you fastened. Hmm ok. Learning something new today. Thanks guys
You’re video has inspired me to rebuild my 5.3 out of Yukon. It suffered from low oil pressure and has 310k miles so it’s ready for a rebuild. Do you remember what assembly guide you used?
I've been on a binge watching all of your build videos! Very awesome material here, can learn a lot! I like how meticulous you are. Keep up the good work.
I have TIME on my side. Because I am not in a hurry, I find myself spending too much time on it. Not trying to create a show vehicle, but I am very proud as to how it has turned out so far! Thank you!!!!!
On my lc9 5.3 I just tightened the rocker bolts to spec without worrying about rotating the engine. The lifters are self adjusting so no matter what position the rockers are in, the bolt will be at 22ftlbs no matter the position of the valve
That's certainly another way to go if you feel confident with it. You have the possibility to have under-tightened rockers where the Cam lobe was engaged in the Lifter. This would be the case unless you are running weak valve springs in which case you would be OK.
It's all stock springs....but just like any bolt that you torque, you retorque. Run the engine for 2 minutes and then go back and retorque. Gm precisely engineers there bolt length to tighten up all the way so that the lash of the lifter is basically a set point. The torque spec is just a set point as to how tight you should go without the bolt comming lose, or stripping the threads out.
Older engines you'd loosen up the rocker till it taps, then slowly tighten until it stops at zero lash. Then you'd do 3/4 of a turn to set the lash at operation. Try that on a newer ls engine and at 3/4 of turn the bolt bottoms out. They have it basically set to the point where there's no guess work. It's just tighten the bolt and go. Everything engineered perfect for ease
Hi there, love your videos, it's great that you have stated all the important things and great picture BTW (I mean video). Subscribed, will be waiting for some new episodes :) Greetings from Russia! Vadim.
I really appreciate you taking the time to leave me a message! It makes me feel good that sharing this information is being enjoyed by someone and excited that I am reaching Russia. What a wonderful platform to share with the world! Cheers to you my new Russian friend!
I agree with you that just a simple Torque setting or sequence is easier. I assume that once these Torque to Yield bolts start to stretch, that the measurable torque amount doesn't change much, so they have you torque to a minimal/measurable amount then apply the stretch! Cheers... Mike
Thank you Ron! I love projects that require new tools. But only when the tool is something you've been wanting for other projects. The Angle Gauge is not one of them!!!! That little tool cost me nothing. What household doesn't have a few old crappy CDs laying around! Cheers!
I am not sure if you will see this comment, but I just wanted to say I appreciate this whole series, I'm pretty new to rebuilding engines, have been a lube tech for awhile now and want to challenge myself with a project car. Anyways I was always wondering for when you machine the deck surface on your engine block, do you have to get a head gasket the standard factory thickness plus what you have machined off? For example say you machined off .030 of an inch off do you have to get a head gasket .030 thicker, or does it not matter? Thanks again, love your videos!
Heck yea I'm going to see this! That is a very thoughtful question. It depends! You can deck the block to a point and still use the standard thickness gasket which will reduce the cylinderhead displacement increasing your compression ratio. You could also deck the block too much (to remove issues) and then use a thicker gasket to manage the displacement. Cheers... Mike!
I think you need to do a little more research. That was the process for older engines. (1) The Manufacturer Comp Cams, (2) The Manual that I was following, and (3) my Mechanic... specifically mention that you should not soak the lifters. If you soak them, then immediately install and rotate the engine, you can ruin your valves.
No particular reason. LIke your truck, this will be naturally aspirated and as I am putting it in an older Jeep CJ, I really am not looking for mega horsepower or high speed. Like your Truck Cam video, I also went with a 408-11 cam as it appears to match my intended driving style and requirements. Cheers... Mike!
Mikey Jr GM has moved to a bolt that is Torque To Yield (TTY). The idea is to torque to a lessor amount , then Stretch the bolt and achieve an accurate consistent clamping pressure. These are one time use bolts that should be replaced.
That is awesome! Just looked at Part 1 of your 72 Camaro teardown and have marked it. Plan to go through the other parts after this busy weekend. I subbed you back, cause things you will be going through are things that might apply this, Project Rowdy and a future The Mistress (68 Camaro) project. Thanks for the message and looking forward to sharing some information.
I like the homemade degree wheel! A few questions, I understand it's been a long time since. Was the head surfaced? I know the block was, what thickness gasket was used and how did you get pushrod lengths? Did you measure piston to block +/- 0.000"? I'll check if pistons had valve reliefs...guessing they did or were dished. When torquing, try not to use deep well sockets/long extensions. I hate those lifter trays. Did you use new ones? I noticed all the lifters reamined behind old ones. Are those rocker arms needle bearing type?
To be honest, I do not recall if he surfaced the heads. He did not while I was there. With the minimal amount that was removed from the block, I was able to use stock length pushrods. A standard thickness Head Gasket was used. Possibly increasing the compression due to the slightly smaller combustion chamber. I re-used the lifter trays. As far as Deep Sockets and Extensions when torqueing fasteners..... We could have a very long conversation on that topic that would not turn out very fun. Cheers.... Mike
@@UCanDoIt2Mike In this type of application, I wouldn't argue it very much. My background is for high pressure/temp equipment in corrosive environments...I love your process/details.
Thank you for you time and show us . I have. A question can i just seat the engine at the top dead center. And then torque the rocker arms to the torwue spec. ? Thank you
I'm going to say No! TDC and tightening Rocker Arms have nothing to do with each other. The other problem with your suggestion is that you would be tightening some Rockers where the Cam Lobe is raised and that could throw off your Torque measurement. I followed a Guide that had me rotate the engine for each rocker to ensure that the Cam Lobes for that cylinder where not lifting and that they were on the base circle (no Lift).
Hi, do all LS engines require lash caps and if so on which rocker do you install the lash caps on? All the rockers or just the intake side or exhaust side?
my dad taught me a trick with a digital torque wrench on the first degree sequence he would do the degree and check the torque on the digital torque wrench say it was 70 ft pounds on the 50 degree mark he would just torque all the bolts of the same length to 70ft lbs
That could get you into trouble on Torque To Yield (TTY) Bolts as during the last portion of the rotation they are stretching and the torque changes at a slower rate. But you are free to do you!
Very cool vid Mike. I like that degree wheel. I wonder why they just don't spec a torque? I have never worked on the newer style engines. These vids have me very tempted to find me an LS motor for my 81 project, but I already have alot of parts for that car.
You can't beat a free Torque Angle Gauge! I made it while watching TV. Just about to have the engine buttoned up, and then I am going to tackle the wiring harness. It need to be thinned out. Removing all unwanted wires like the ones for the Auto Trans. Thanks!
I am going to anwser this from a logical perspective, not through experience or training. TTY is the new direction of GM, but in the end, the heads need to be secured to the block via an Evenly secured fastener. If ARP has a Head Bolt replacement and can proved a Torque (3 steps) that create the proper compression of the head to teh block.... I believe that would be just as good of a solution. TTY is just GM's new method of obtaining that compression. My Wooden Nickles worth. Cheers!
I've watched all your videos and you've given me the confidence I needed to start my own build.. one quick question can you share a link for the protractor??
UCanDoIt2 I watched a lot of your vids before and during the reassembly of my 5.3. I unfortunately had the dumb DOD lifters stick in my 2007 so I deleted them and put some performance parts in. Thank you again, I really enjoy the videos.
Did you re-use your push rods for the build or did you buy new ones? I am about to change lifters in my truck and Jw if you has stock or bought aftermarket?
I reused the original ones. They were all in good shape and the New Rockers that I installed did not change the ratio that would have caused the need to change the length of the push rods. Cheers!
Can you recommend a book to help me put my motor back together not forgetting a ground of any sort and what bolts go where, Meaning reinstalling into car? I need to put my oil pan, front and rear cover back on and worried about the alignment procedure without having to buy alignment tools thanks.
I believe there are book about LS Swaps that may provide help with getting it back in the car. Check Amazon. I didn't buy any alignment tools. In Part 5 of this series, I show how I aligned my covers. Once tightened down they were perfect. Very Very simple.
UCanDoIt2 Thank you I was just watching that video and showing my wife as a matter of fact of how helpful that video is. I'm very greatful for you excellent tutorial as I'm sure many other are- Cheers
I'm using Corona time to replace the heads on my 04 Suburban. I am also replacing the lifters and rods, both factory. In this vid you did not mention setting preload when you put the rockers on. Is this not necessary? Thank you giving me the guts to attempt this job myself, I watched this vid many times and made a ton of notes for myself. I should mention that I had the heads machined, I did not use "new" ones.
Because I am using stock length Rods and stock ratio Rockers, I know the geometry is correct. There really isn't a preload. The Rockers need to be tightened when the Lifter is sitting on the base circle of the CAM (the Cam Lobe is not engaging the lifter). Hope that helps! Mike
@@UCanDoIt2Mike So, the fact that I had the head the machined, and not using a GM head gasket does not matter as long as everything else is stock, rods, lifters, cam, and rockers?
@@thomaspaccione8237 Technically, if you Deck the Block, the Heads, and use a thinner Head Gasket.... all three affect the distance between the seated Rocker and the Lifter. Therefore, you could technically say that your pushrod needs to be shortened a smidge! Most people just run with it. You are thinking on the right track though!!!!!
@@UCanDoIt2Mike I'm gonna let it fly. Hell, if it does not run there is always dynamite. I used to have a Jeep CJ7 Golden Eagle Edition with a 304 V8 automatic. That thing was a beast!
@@UCanDoIt2Mike Last question, I promise, the lifters came already loaded with oil, so they wont compress. How do I properly torque them? Should I drain the oil?
Did ya know torque angle gauges are $10-12? Why not use oil on the rockers instead of kroil? Kroil is like wd-40 or PB blaster. They dilute grease and oils. I think the friction and forces these components see would render them vulnerable until the oil has enough time to get in and work out the penetrate. Especially the needle bearings in the trunions. They're not direct sprayed.
Why waste $12 on a gauge that you are going to use once then place it in a drawer just to consume good shop space.... when that could buy you a couple of beers at the local watering hole. You should definitely buy one when you rebuild yours.
@@UCanDoIt2Mike @UCanDoIt2 Collecting tools is why I make my own beer and skip the tips and returns ;) If one were to use the tool for just the head bolts and throw it out then it is like $.60 extra per head bolt. It's not like you bought ARP non-tty screws. If you ever have to put another set of tty in again even on the same heads then you'll have the tool on hand. It is also used in other places around the vehicle. I agree with your approach on some specialty tools, just not this one because it is so cheap. It wouldn't have been worth my own time to make and print out a label, drill a cd, and bend that hanger around for something that would only grant me plus minus 5 degrees of accuracy. I guess you have to shave some penny's after spending so much on the rotating assembly and block at the shop. This is a nice nice video series even if I don't agree with all of it. Thanks for taking the time on it and donating to the community.
The Machine Shop did it for me. They ground the new values to custom seat then in the head, ground them to proper length and installed the new Springs, Seals and Keepers that came with the new CAM. All of this is covered in Part 3 of this series. czcams.com/video/H9VceusOQ5Y/video.html
Great project series Mike. Very professional from a self proclaimed amateur...lol. What was causing the lifter bind during disassembly ? Carbon buildup ? Will check other videos you have. Thanks for sharing !
I'm really not sure what caused the lifter binding. Every one of them reacted the same. It had to either be a slight buildup of carbon on the end or some build up in the sleeve that they ride in. All I know is that the new ones slid right in, so I know that the new pairings should work without issue. Cheers!
Your idea would work as well. But if you mark the bolt, you can't see it through the socket. There are other angles other than 90 degrees that are required. This was a simple tool that resembles the one that the mechanics above my pay-grade would use. There are 20 ways to do this... I chose this one!!
This is an excellent question. The 1st gen engines used hardened bolts that simply used torque to determine how far to rotate the bolt. Torque measures the friction of the rotation of the bolt and it suggests that it is related to the compression created when tightening the bolt. Downward Compression and Torque may not be directly related and could possibly be swayed with lubricants. The newer engine use a different theory by using a Torque to Yield (TTY) style bolt. These bolts are meant to stretch and are typically for "One-Time" use. I believe the idea is to torque them to a lower value (possibly more accurate) then rotate them an additional amount of degrees to apply the stretch which applies the proper compression. You know, you have all these fancy engineers out there and they have to come up with something new or else they become irrelevant. I say that tongue in cheek as I am also an engineer. Hey.... Sometimes you just have to go with the flow!!!!!!
I was told from 3 different sources not to soak the Lifters. (1) My mechanic mentioned it, (2) the Manual that I was following, and (3) the CompCams Documentation. I believe that installing them full of oil either caused some bent pushrods, or was giving false reading on Rocker installation. So it is now recommended not to soak them, but to coat the outer surface with oil like I did. Great Question!!!!!!! Thanks for watching.
i'll speak from a logical point of view. You will have to either use shorter rods or a different crank. I would assume that 3rd party Rod manufacturers produce an assortment of Rods and can provide what you are looking for.
Question: If the rocker arms are not done In this way and just torqued without aligning them, can this cause oil to not reach the top? I’m having trouble getting oil to reach the rocker arms and I just changed the oil pump and strainer. Help please !!
@@jaimevillegas8148 The method of tightening your rocker arms should not have anything to do with distributing oil. The method that I used just ensures that you are tightening them while the lifter is touching the base circle of the cam. You should recheck the tightness of your rocker arms.
I'm building my very first LS and was a bit worried about rocker arm install but this video is very easy to follow. Very well explained...
Thank you..
gave me confidence again.. lol...
Great to hear! Always cool to learn something new and do it yourself. Have fun with your project! Mike
I am building an LS engine and I have quite a bit of vehicle experience but not enough to build an engine confidently, these videos are helping me A LOT with questions I cant anwser myself. HUGEEEE thank you!!
The way you did that degree thing just taught me something new, and I'm going to have to sub you because I'm going to do a LS soon.
Yep…. Those bolts are one-time use and are Torque-to-Yield. He mace fun with your build.
Printing a protractor on a CD is genius. Your channel is amazing. Thank you for all the great work.
Cheers! Sometimes you just have to get creative. Mike
Best Corona virus quarantine binge watch vids...the best.
Agreed👍
This guy is the best.. and the music just gets you hooked
I'm trying to figure out of to make the protractor
I miss the corona virus
Its easier to just go in the firing order sequence and do both rockers at the same time. You can get them all bolted on in 2 revolutions of the crank...
You guys were having too much fun tourqing those heads. That was definetly worth the 3 beers.
Modern problems require modern solutions, I honestly like your angle torque solution.
Sometimes it pays to be a little creative... Cheers!
you have to give credit when credit is due. nice job and nice videos. I just came acoss your channel now and I'll be watching a lot more.
Thank you Anthony! Glad you enjoyed them.
Thank you for the LS build videos. Even after reading and reading it's great to see the step by step as I go through my first build. Much appreciated.
Glad you found the series useful. Have fun with your build! Mike
To make future endeavors easier, on clean bolts, just use a sharpie to put a dot at 12 o clock on the bolt and turn it a quarter turn. You will feel the yield point on the bolt as it approaches.
Nice tip I was a little worried about doing it
As I begin my endeavor to rebuild an engine for my truck, I am so glad I found your videos.. so helpful.. thanks so much for posting!! would you do anything different looking back?
Have fun with your project! When I look back, I clearly stated (for my own benefit), that this was a relatively stock build with the exception of the CAM (and related items) swap. The machine shop that I used does build a lot of race engines and therefore offered some upgrades that I chose to take, but probably should not have. Money was not really an option, so I allowed for the upgrades. The 2 that I can think of are Piston Rods and Stainless Valves. This engine is going in a "Streetable" old CJ7 Jeep. I'm looking for badass sound and reliability. The original rods and valves would have accomplished that. Great question!!!!! Cheers and enjoy your build.... Mike
One of the better engine build I’ve seen please keep making videos
Thank you Braidyn! Have fun with your projects!!! Mike
I love your South Texas border town
Over here it's minimum wage 8 dollars
I've had nothing but 5.3 and I'm learning how to build thank you for the video
Thanks! Have fun with your build!!!
Mike........the LS part of the series is pretty impressive. The DIY workarounds and mods you did are smart. The LS engines are pretty bulletproof, but like any engine, they have their flaws, although minor compared to most others. One reason why they are so popular today. I'm putting the same era LS (2000 5.3 truck engine) in my YJ build after I make frame upgrades to it. The rocker arm upgrade to the LS is smart......the stock bearings on the LS rockers were a weak point and prone to failure. Excellent project documentary......
Thank you Bob! I think it will make my ole Jeep a lot more reliable and allow us to take it on longer trips. I have owned it for 34 years and ran out of fingers on the number of times I had some issues. Not complaining.... it's all worth it. Love Jeep rides!!! Cheers to yo Bob! I always enjoy your comments! Mike
@@UCanDoIt2Mike Anytime Mike !.............The LS swaps are a big upgrade for the Jeeps and they add a ton of power and torque, which prompts you to upgrade the drive line accordingly (which you've done). I've researched the stock LS computer and wiring harness (which I have from the donor truck), but instead of modifying it and then having to program it, then maybe having to make changes to the fuel & timing, etc., I've decided to spend the money and go with the Holley Terminator setup. I can tune on the fly and set up econo/sport/performance modes, as well as see real time readouts on the control panel inside the vehicle. It's around a grand for the manual trans one, and comes with it's stand alone management harness........plug & play. I figured by the time I modified the harness and sent the computer out to have the software tailored, then maybe having to do it further, I was better off the other way. The Holley system isn't cheap, but it's way more user friendly.......the initial setup is "grade school" easy
Your are awesome I watched all your videos over and over again I'm ready thanks and God bless you and your family
Thank you... Glad you are finding the video series useful. Cheers! Mike
On my way to building a gen 4 5.3L aluminum block with a pair 862 heads from the bone yard. My build will use forced induction, but still only looking for around 600whp at max.
Awesome…. Enjoy the process!!! Mike
I like the ingenuity with the angle torques, you would love seeing someone manually torque mains on a dd15 lol
Ive been loving all the parts to this build. you are my guiding light for my ls build I plan on putting in my daily truck. much appreciated for you taking the time to share all your great knowledge!
Thank you Austin. I appreciate that you took the time to share with me your feedback. It was really a fun project and there are so many options out there for these engines. Have fun with your project. Mike
Great to have a good youngster to clock the bolts to correct torque. Interesting build. Thanks
Both of my boys had fun getting their hands dirty and learning how all of this stuff works. We spent many hours between activities talking about how it is all connected and how items are timed and work together. Cool project.
I've used this video on 2 more 5.3 motors after using it ta fix my wife's suburban.
Thanks..
That's really cool... Thanks for sharing!!!!
I love it, save me $10, that's at least 3 beers.
Now that's what I'm talking about! Cheers... Mike!
Gonna do my ls2 ss trailblazer because you sir! Thanks for these videos!!!
Sounds like a great project... Have a blast with it!!!!! Cheers... Mike!
I am 3 years late on this but this is by far the best how you video I’ve seen on rebuilding an Ls!!! Props to you!!! 💯
Dang!!!! Has it been 3 years?? What a fun project! Thanks for the compliment!!!
UCanDoIt2 LS swapping my 2 door Tahoe as we speak haha
I run stock 1.7 rocker arms on my Lm7 with a texas speed 224r cam .600 lift paired with pac racing beehive valve springs and hardened pushrods. turn the motor 6800 stock bottom end it loves it. went with the same melling oil pump you chose. My Lm7 is actually in a bmw 323ci hooked to a muncie 4speed. msd 6ls controller and a demon 750 feeding it. Just thought id put this comment on for people who are wondering if the stock components are up to the task.
Very cool! That is such a light car! We have a 2000 328i and the thought of a Gen3 in it makes me shiver. Thanks for sharing. There are so many options for these motors....
Logan Penland -Who asked u?
How does the Muncie do? Are you able to shift fast in that car? I have one in my truck and it is a dog to shift.
Guys I did just the same thing today. Great vid!
Cool stuff... Have fun with yours!
Super ingenious angle wrench.
Priceless,I can learn from this cat!reninds me of building my first gm 400ci ,with a freind that was a gasser builder at mobiles strip.
Good stuff.... ehhhh! It was a lot of fun!
Pretty clever there with the coat hanger, I'll have to remember that one!
Sometime it pays to think outside the box! Cheers!
At the same time its not that hard to VERY accurately turn a wrench 50, 60 or 90 degrees just by eye lol but you guys have made awesome videos of the correct way to rebuild an LS. We all appreciate the time, effort, and teaching put into your videos!
Gracias por sus videos, sin tener conocimiento de mecánica, pude desmontar mis cámaras de una Van express motor vortec 6.0 y montarlas nuevamente por recalentamiento. Calibre los balancines como usted lo realizó en este video y funcionó. Muy agradecido desde Venezuela.
Gracias por el comentario. Feliz de que te haya ayudado a solucionar tu problema. Diviértete con todos tus proyectos. Miguel
Para calibrar los balancines solo tiene que poner el Pushkin rod hacia abajo???
Got to love the DIY angle gauge! Absolute genius and amazing in depth series on the Gen 3 LS series. Keep up the great work!
I really appreciate the comment! Some really cool stuff! Thanks!!!!
Yes kroil for the win. Best out there my friend
Just a tid bit I thought I would share. If you bring the cylinder to top dead center on the compression stroke you can install both rockers at the same time :) I would also like to say I love the attention to detail. Great video series
Thank you. That makes sense since the valves would need to both be closed at that point. The key would be to know with the heads on, whether you are TDC of each piston and if that was the Compression stroke. Thanks for sharing!!! There appears to be a handful if good ways to accomplish this. Cheers!
Always more than one way of doing things. If you put both rockers on number one. rotate the motor while you hand tighten them. You will get to a point to where the cam is not longer lifting either rocker. that's the compression stoke. torque them, mover 90 degrees rotation and follow your firing order. Either way works though. Not being critical, just throwing it out there
This is the best video I seen in a long time. And its all done right. Thanks for the video .
Thank you!
Thank you
Thank you so much for your time and tips
Cary glad the you enjoyed the process. Thanks for following along. Mike.
Thank you, makes sense;, just wanted to double check , great video, putting my 08 Avalanche together in the morning spent today cleaning all the parts- thanks again
Thanks for the video. I’ve got roller rockers to install soon on my 5.3 862 heads. My understanding is if you can line up the cam to the base circle it doesn’t matter about following the firing order. Just saying
Sounds great! I agree the object is to tighten on the base circle no matter how you do it. This is just one approach. Cheers!
UCanDoIt2. One question. Why did you guys do the additional 90 degrees double turns? You have a turbo setup application?? Or am I missing something here??
@@theozman38 So it is important to understand that starting with the Gen 3 engines, GM is using Torque-To-Yield bolts on the Heads. They should not be reused! And they require you to torque to minimum amount and then rotate a set amount in two separate passes.
UCanDoIt2. Ok. Thanks. I’m New to ls engines. I’ve seen other videos of doing the same thing but never understood why. Ok. Just learning. Lol. It’s not the turn of torque but the tension. When torque is applied, torque is lost due to friction from turning the bolt in the threads. Thus, applying the two amounts is reassuring good application of what you fastened. Hmm ok. Learning something new today. Thanks guys
Very cool cd angle gauge!
Great Idea for the angle gauge! Much better than eyeballing it like I do... lol
Sometimes you can come up with some really good stuff when you think outside the box!!!! Cheers
This really helped me out. Thanks for taking the time to film it
Glad you found it useful! Your build is coming along nicely Dean!
Thank you for the video
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! Cheers!
Very nice, love the degrees wheel idea. 👍👍
Now that is what I call "Thinking outside the Box". Can you cay Free Tool! And I figured you might like the Beer comment!
That jeep sounds awesome maybe this motor will sound as good or better
We are hoping this engine will sound similar. Cheers!!!!
Nice on the cd setup, However these days I just tape my cell phone to the torque wrench and use the compass
Now that's using your noggin!
You’re video has inspired me to rebuild my 5.3 out of Yukon. It suffered from low oil pressure and has 310k miles so it’s ready for a rebuild. Do you remember what assembly guide you used?
GM LS-Series Engines by Chris Werner: Amazon: amzn.to/2igcReD
I had the book to go by, but it's always nice to see it done. Great video. Thanks
Awesome! Thank for following along! Good luck with yours!!!!
I've been on a binge watching all of your build videos! Very awesome material here, can learn a lot! I like how meticulous you are. Keep up the good work.
I have TIME on my side. Because I am not in a hurry, I find myself spending too much time on it. Not trying to create a show vehicle, but I am very proud as to how it has turned out so far! Thank you!!!!!
Well done, thanks.
On my lc9 5.3 I just tightened the rocker bolts to spec without worrying about rotating the engine. The lifters are self adjusting so no matter what position the rockers are in, the bolt will be at 22ftlbs no matter the position of the valve
That's certainly another way to go if you feel confident with it. You have the possibility to have under-tightened rockers where the Cam lobe was engaged in the Lifter. This would be the case unless you are running weak valve springs in which case you would be OK.
It's all stock springs....but just like any bolt that you torque, you retorque. Run the engine for 2 minutes and then go back and retorque. Gm precisely engineers there bolt length to tighten up all the way so that the lash of the lifter is basically a set point. The torque spec is just a set point as to how tight you should go without the bolt comming lose, or stripping the threads out.
Older engines you'd loosen up the rocker till it taps, then slowly tighten until it stops at zero lash. Then you'd do 3/4 of a turn to set the lash at operation. Try that on a newer ls engine and at 3/4 of turn the bolt bottoms out. They have it basically set to the point where there's no guess work. It's just tighten the bolt and go. Everything engineered perfect for ease
Great video guys! Keep up the good work.
excellent work Mike. these videos are very professional. I'm always impressed.
These are the George Lucas series videos. Baahaahaa! Cheers to you in Montana!
Hi there, love your videos, it's great that you have stated all the important things and great picture BTW (I mean video).
Subscribed, will be waiting for some new episodes :)
Greetings from Russia!
Vadim.
I really appreciate you taking the time to leave me a message! It makes me feel good that sharing this information is being enjoyed by someone and excited that I am reaching Russia. What a wonderful platform to share with the world! Cheers to you my new Russian friend!
Great series for this rebuild. I for one am not a fan of the Torque then Degree turn method. I much prefer the multi step torque sequence.
I agree with you that just a simple Torque setting or sequence is easier. I assume that once these Torque to Yield bolts start to stretch, that the measurable torque amount doesn't change much, so they have you torque to a minimal/measurable amount then apply the stretch! Cheers... Mike
Really nice work. Pretty ingenious angle gauge you came up with!
Thank you Ron! I love projects that require new tools. But only when the tool is something you've been wanting for other projects. The Angle Gauge is not one of them!!!! That little tool cost me nothing. What household doesn't have a few old crappy CDs laying around! Cheers!
I'm glad you used your hand! Great vids.
Finally! Someone that understands. It is not always about "How fast can I get it done". We had a lot of fun
I just binge watched a bunch of your vids, great job.
Thank you Drew! We have had a great time with it so far! Another video coming out tonight or tomorrow.
new at this and thoroughly enjoyed your videos, thank you for sharing. a bit nervous to jump in, but that's how I'll learn ;-)
Absolutely! Cheers.... Mike
I am not sure if you will see this comment, but I just wanted to say I appreciate this whole series, I'm pretty new to rebuilding engines, have been a lube tech for awhile now and want to challenge myself with a project car. Anyways I was always wondering for when you machine the deck surface on your engine block, do you have to get a head gasket the standard factory thickness plus what you have machined off? For example say you machined off .030 of an inch off do you have to get a head gasket .030 thicker, or does it not matter? Thanks again, love your videos!
Heck yea I'm going to see this! That is a very thoughtful question. It depends! You can deck the block to a point and still use the standard thickness gasket which will reduce the cylinderhead displacement increasing your compression ratio. You could also deck the block too much (to remove issues) and then use a thicker gasket to manage the displacement. Cheers... Mike!
Keep up the great work
Thank you Sir!!! Cheers Mike
You should completely soak your lifters in oil overnight to eliminate air inside. You will see the air bubble stop when they are ready.
I think you need to do a little more research. That was the process for older engines. (1) The Manufacturer Comp Cams, (2) The Manual that I was following, and (3) my Mechanic... specifically mention that you should not soak the lifters. If you soak them, then immediately install and rotate the engine, you can ruin your valves.
i love that angle finder
Sometimes it pays to be creative!!!! I hate buying "Special Tool Number #@#&*^@#%". Cheers!
thank you very cool !!!!!!!
Is there a reason you went with stock style push rods vs hardened ones from Comp Cams?
No particular reason. LIke your truck, this will be naturally aspirated and as I am putting it in an older Jeep CJ, I really am not looking for mega horsepower or high speed. Like your Truck Cam video, I also went with a 408-11 cam as it appears to match my intended driving style and requirements. Cheers... Mike!
@@UCanDoIt2Mike Good stuff. Going through videos on your channel, really good info! Stay safe out there!
This is sick
Love this channel
Love this Comment!
AWESOME PROGRESS merry Christmas to you and yours
Thank you Drew! Enjoy your White Christmas and please stay warm. It looks cold up there!
Really enjoyed your videos by the way! have to say i am jealous of your scat rods and speed pro pistons though!!!!
Highly recommended by my machinist! Can't wait to hear them sing!
Why is it ? That you have to turn 90 degrees on the cylinder head bolt instead of a total torque foot lbs ?
I’m just curious
Mikey Jr GM has moved to a bolt that is Torque To Yield (TTY). The idea is to torque to a lessor amount , then Stretch the bolt and achieve an accurate consistent clamping pressure. These are one time use bolts that should be replaced.
UCanDoIt2 Thanks for your answer. That is new to me.
In other words, get arp hardened fasteners
awesome idea with th cd and coat hanger cool i like it
Thank you Cary! It worked as well as expected and super simple to create. Thanks for watching.
I have a 2004 5.3 with 706 heads and I also have a set of 243 heads. Are the 862 heads best for the 5.3 engine?
Kendal Hall The 862 are the better of the stock 5.3 heads. The 706 have a problem of cracking around the inner head bolts.
You should always use anti-seize on all bolts to insure proper torque ..!
Very good detailed videos thankyou.
Glad you like them!
Hey Mike, Double R (Russ) sent me. Subbed and great looking channel...
That is awesome! Just looked at Part 1 of your 72 Camaro teardown and have marked it. Plan to go through the other parts after this busy weekend. I subbed you back, cause things you will be going through are things that might apply this, Project Rowdy and a future The Mistress (68 Camaro) project. Thanks for the message and looking forward to sharing some information.
I like the homemade degree wheel!
A few questions, I understand it's been a long time since.
Was the head surfaced? I know the block was, what thickness gasket was used and how did you get pushrod lengths? Did you measure piston to block +/- 0.000"? I'll check if pistons had valve reliefs...guessing they did or were dished.
When torquing, try not to use deep well sockets/long extensions.
I hate those lifter trays. Did you use new ones? I noticed all the lifters reamined behind old ones. Are those rocker arms needle bearing type?
To be honest, I do not recall if he surfaced the heads. He did not while I was there. With the minimal amount that was removed from the block, I was able to use stock length pushrods. A standard thickness Head Gasket was used. Possibly increasing the compression due to the slightly smaller combustion chamber. I re-used the lifter trays.
As far as Deep Sockets and Extensions when torqueing fasteners..... We could have a very long conversation on that topic that would not turn out very fun. Cheers.... Mike
@@UCanDoIt2Mike In this type of application, I wouldn't argue it very much. My background is for high pressure/temp equipment in corrosive environments...I love your process/details.
Thank you for you time and show us .
I have. A question can i just seat the engine at the top dead center. And then torque the rocker arms to the torwue spec. ? Thank you
I'm going to say No! TDC and tightening Rocker Arms have nothing to do with each other. The other problem with your suggestion is that you would be tightening some Rockers where the Cam Lobe is raised and that could throw off your Torque measurement. I followed a Guide that had me rotate the engine for each rocker to ensure that the Cam Lobes for that cylinder where not lifting and that they were on the base circle (no Lift).
UCanDoIt2 thank you for the fast response
Good job ilike it
Thank you for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed it. Have fun with your projects!!!
Hi, do all LS engines require lash caps and if so on which rocker do you install the lash caps on? All the rockers or just the intake side or exhaust side?
My LM7 5.3 did not have Lash Caps. Believe that is an LS7 item (maybe others), and maybe engines with high boost.
UCanDoIt2 thanks boss, can you tell me which is the intake valve and which is the exhaust valve?
safe to say that the Exhaust valves align with the Exhaust ports.
my dad taught me a trick with a digital torque wrench on the first degree sequence he would do the degree and check the torque on the digital torque wrench say it was 70 ft pounds on the 50 degree mark he would just torque all the bolts of the same length to 70ft lbs
That could get you into trouble on Torque To Yield (TTY) Bolts as during the last portion of the rotation they are stretching and the torque changes at a slower rate. But you are free to do you!
Very cool vid Mike. I like that degree wheel. I wonder why they just don't spec a torque? I have never worked on the newer style engines. These vids have me very tempted to find me an LS motor for my 81 project, but I already have alot of parts for that car.
You can't beat a free Torque Angle Gauge! I made it while watching TV. Just about to have the engine buttoned up, and then I am going to tackle the wiring harness. It need to be thinned out. Removing all unwanted wires like the ones for the Auto Trans. Thanks!
All I want to know is what CD did you use for the gauge?
It was either Milli Vanilli or Twisted Sister. Both haven't been used too much lately.
Sam I Am ))9
If an option , is it easier to install arp head bolts vs tty? Since they are 3 step torques and eliminate the angle gauge?
I am going to anwser this from a logical perspective, not through experience or training. TTY is the new direction of GM, but in the end, the heads need to be secured to the block via an Evenly secured fastener. If ARP has a Head Bolt replacement and can proved a Torque (3 steps) that create the proper compression of the head to teh block.... I believe that would be just as good of a solution. TTY is just GM's new method of obtaining that compression. My Wooden Nickles worth. Cheers!
UCanDoIt2 thanks
Mark the bolts and turn a quarter turn for 90. Gonna poke your eye out with that hanger
Gregory Hiser hard to see the marks on the bolts through my non transparent sockets.
Some old country or rock anything but the music liked the work done in the videos tho jus my opinion
Great videos sr one question where can I buy a book like that I need to rebuilt an engine chevy tahoe hibrid 2008
Thank you Sir! The book that I used applies to all Gen3 and Gen4 GM engines. GM LS-Series Engines by Chris Werner: Amazon: amzn.to/2igcReD
just use the valve cover rails for your 90 and 50 degree passes. Also soak the rockers in engine oil
You should have bought a mls head gasket the hold up way better
Agreed, I would have used ls9 head gaskets
Another way to measure degrees is to just draw a line across the bolts
I agree, but the problem with that is you can't see the mark if you are using a socket to tighten.
I've watched all your videos and you've given me the confidence I needed to start my own build.. one quick question can you share a link for the protractor??
I f you are talking about me home made angle gauge... Google: Compass Protractor Image.
@@UCanDoIt2Mike I'll print one today.. thank you for your videos ..
Great and helpful video, thanks.
Thank you sir!
UCanDoIt2 I watched a lot of your vids before and during the reassembly of my 5.3. I unfortunately had the dumb DOD lifters stick in my 2007 so I deleted them and put some performance parts in. Thank you again, I really enjoy the videos.
Did you re-use your push rods for the build or did you buy new ones? I am about to change lifters in my truck and Jw if you has stock or bought aftermarket?
I reused the original ones. They were all in good shape and the New Rockers that I installed did not change the ratio that would have caused the need to change the length of the push rods. Cheers!
Great so informative thank you for this service
Glad you found it useful! Good luck with your project....
Can you recommend a book to help me put my motor back together not forgetting a ground of any sort and what bolts go where, Meaning reinstalling into car? I need to put my oil pan, front and rear cover back on and worried about the alignment procedure without having to buy alignment tools thanks.
I believe there are book about LS Swaps that may provide help with getting it back in the car. Check Amazon. I didn't buy any alignment tools. In Part 5 of this series, I show how I aligned my covers. Once tightened down they were perfect. Very Very simple.
UCanDoIt2 Thank you I was just watching that video and showing my wife as a matter of fact of how helpful that video is. I'm very greatful for you excellent tutorial as I'm sure many other are- Cheers
I'm using Corona time to replace the heads on my 04 Suburban. I am also replacing the lifters and rods, both factory. In this vid you did not mention setting preload when you put the rockers on. Is this not necessary? Thank you giving me the guts to attempt this job myself, I watched this vid many times and made a ton of notes for myself. I should mention that I had the heads machined, I did not use "new" ones.
Because I am using stock length Rods and stock ratio Rockers, I know the geometry is correct. There really isn't a preload. The Rockers need to be tightened when the Lifter is sitting on the base circle of the CAM (the Cam Lobe is not engaging the lifter). Hope that helps! Mike
@@UCanDoIt2Mike So, the fact that I had the head the machined, and not using a GM head gasket does not matter as long as everything else is stock, rods, lifters, cam, and rockers?
@@thomaspaccione8237 Technically, if you Deck the Block, the Heads, and use a thinner Head Gasket.... all three affect the distance between the seated Rocker and the Lifter. Therefore, you could technically say that your pushrod needs to be shortened a smidge! Most people just run with it. You are thinking on the right track though!!!!!
@@UCanDoIt2Mike I'm gonna let it fly. Hell, if it does not run there is always dynamite. I used to have a Jeep CJ7 Golden Eagle Edition with a 304 V8 automatic. That thing was a beast!
@@UCanDoIt2Mike Last question, I promise, the lifters came already loaded with oil, so they wont compress. How do I properly torque them? Should I drain the oil?
Did ya know torque angle gauges are $10-12? Why not use oil on the rockers instead of kroil? Kroil is like wd-40 or PB blaster. They dilute grease and oils. I think the friction and forces these components see would render them vulnerable until the oil has enough time to get in and work out the penetrate. Especially the needle bearings in the trunions. They're not direct sprayed.
Why waste $12 on a gauge that you are going to use once then place it in a drawer just to consume good shop space.... when that could buy you a couple of beers at the local watering hole. You should definitely buy one when you rebuild yours.
@@UCanDoIt2Mike @UCanDoIt2 Collecting tools is why I make my own beer and skip the tips and returns ;)
If one were to use the tool for just the head bolts and throw it out then it is like $.60 extra per head bolt. It's not like you bought ARP non-tty screws. If you ever have to put another set of tty in again even on the same heads then you'll have the tool on hand. It is also used in other places around the vehicle. I agree with your approach on some specialty tools, just not this one because it is so cheap. It wouldn't have been worth my own time to make and print out a label, drill a cd, and bend that hanger around for something that would only grant me
plus minus 5 degrees of accuracy.
I guess you have to shave some penny's after spending so much on the rotating assembly and block at the shop.
This is a nice nice video series even if I don't agree with all of it. Thanks for taking the time on it and donating to the community.
So did you install the valve spring or did the your machine shop install them for you?
The Machine Shop did it for me. They ground the new values to custom seat then in the head, ground them to proper length and installed the new Springs, Seals and Keepers that came with the new CAM. All of this is covered in Part 3 of this series. czcams.com/video/H9VceusOQ5Y/video.html
Great project series Mike. Very professional from a self proclaimed amateur...lol. What was causing the lifter bind during disassembly ? Carbon buildup ? Will check other videos you have. Thanks for sharing !
I'm really not sure what caused the lifter binding. Every one of them reacted the same. It had to either be a slight buildup of carbon on the end or some build up in the sleeve that they ride in. All I know is that the new ones slid right in, so I know that the new pairings should work without issue. Cheers!
Why didn't you just mark the bolts and go 90 past the marks?
Your idea would work as well. But if you mark the bolt, you can't see it through the socket. There are other angles other than 90 degrees that are required. This was a simple tool that resembles the one that the mechanics above my pay-grade would use. There are 20 ways to do this... I chose this one!!
Fair enough man! Your step by step has given me so much info for the swap I'm planning.
I don't know but have to ask why do you have to degree the bolts? On the old gen 1 sbc you only had to torque them
This is an excellent question. The 1st gen engines used hardened bolts that simply used torque to determine how far to rotate the bolt. Torque measures the friction of the rotation of the bolt and it suggests that it is related to the compression created when tightening the bolt. Downward Compression and Torque may not be directly related and could possibly be swayed with lubricants. The newer engine use a different theory by using a Torque to Yield (TTY) style bolt. These bolts are meant to stretch and are typically for "One-Time" use. I believe the idea is to torque them to a lower value (possibly more accurate) then rotate them an additional amount of degrees to apply the stretch which applies the proper compression. You know, you have all these fancy engineers out there and they have to come up with something new or else they become irrelevant. I say that tongue in cheek as I am also an engineer. Hey.... Sometimes you just have to go with the flow!!!!!!
Does my mechanic have to degree my bolts too?
just torque them...…….@@4EyeFoxbody
Is there a reason not to let them set in oil to pump up ? From what i heard thats what you have to do so they dont run dry .
I was told from 3 different sources not to soak the Lifters. (1) My mechanic mentioned it, (2) the Manual that I was following, and (3) the CompCams Documentation. I believe that installing them full of oil either caused some bent pushrods, or was giving false reading on Rocker installation. So it is now recommended not to soak them, but to coat the outer surface with oil like I did. Great Question!!!!!!! Thanks for watching.
If you pump them up the lifter pre load will be wrong.
So I have a gen 3 block with gen 4 rods and pistons and the valves are touching the pistons when I turn the crank what would I do to solve that ?
i'll speak from a logical point of view. You will have to either use shorter rods or a different crank. I would assume that 3rd party Rod manufacturers produce an assortment of Rods and can provide what you are looking for.
Question: If the rocker arms are not done In this way and just torqued without aligning them, can this cause oil to not reach the top? I’m having trouble getting oil to reach the rocker arms and I just changed the oil pump and strainer. Help please !!
Also changed the lifters but I did not do the rockers like this and just tightened them.
@@jaimevillegas8148 The method of tightening your rocker arms should not have anything to do with distributing oil. The method that I used just ensures that you are tightening them while the lifter is touching the base circle of the cam. You should recheck the tightness of your rocker arms.