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Bandook's 01 Imp, top swap-ified

Either it's gonna end or I'm gonna be in the bread line. Way I look at it (to stave off the madness) is I haven't had a car loan in 8 years. Keeping my wife's van and my car rolling as long as I can. I would have spent thousands more with a loan. And I get to turn wrenches. Win win.


So much for rotor coating, lol. When I did this install I stupidly scrubbed off all the coating thinking it was a carbon buildup. So I bought another blower just for the rotor pack. And hear I am with squeaky clean rotors still making 15lbs of boost. All them scary threads I read where folks were saying that you'll basically lose boost if you lose the coating.



And I knew I still had a header leak, finally found it. Round 44 with these speed daddy headers, I'm gonna win damnit!
 


i lost no boost either once the meth ate my coating off.

if you have the stock manifold gaskets still, re use them. will never leak again....or go buy a set of them. the set im using have been off and on 3 times now lol
 
mguzzo said:
The VS cam is nice. not too lopey, but really good midrange torque. On a goodsetup (VS, 3" pulley, intercooled, headers, and tune) you'll put down 300 whp and run low 13's high 12's all day long.
Click to expand...

Nice! I spent all night last night reading threads on cams. VS seems perfect for my car. I'm not reving to 6000 much, unless I'm tuning, and the main thing that makes this car so fun to drive is the low end torque. Plus Its half the price of the XP install. And from what I've read so far, the XP is not too far ahead power wise. I'll still do 90lb springs and a new timing set. So maybe 500 all said and done. Probably should have just cammed before the Meth kit, but didn't plan to be back in the engine this soon.
 
Scottydoggs said:
i lost no boost either once the meth ate my coating off.

if you have the stock manifold gaskets still, re use them. will never leak again....or go buy a set of them. the set im using have been off and on 3 times now lol
Click to expand...


I still had the stock gasket on the rear. I think in my many attempts to seal the front I damaged it and used the cheapy gasket. I'm gonna flatten the front gasket surface before I put it back on. I bet it's warped.
 


For all the posts that say you need special tools to get the HB bolt broke loose. Care package for the car should be in tomorrow.
 


No spoilers! Ok,... yeah I am. Still need to take my heads to the shop but I think I can get by with just sleeving the exhaust guides. 20 bucks a sleeve.
 
Thanks man. Got the cam in. Old cam was in really good shape. Not that I thought it wouldn't be, but it was a relief knowing I'm not going through all this just to find gnarled up bearings.



 
I'm gonna do the oil pan gasket while I'm here. Trying to figure out the best way to do it. So the passenger engine bracket kind of cradles the oil pan. I can get all the bolts, but I'm not sure how the pan pulls off. Will there be enough room to slide it out, or am I going to need to lift the engine off the bracket?




If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear 'em. I'm thinking jack the subframe back up, strap the engine somehow, remove bolts for bracket and lower subframe again then remove pan. Also seems like the best way to make sure there are no leaks is to at least loosen the pan first, then install timing cover, then tighten pan. The bottom of the timing cover is sealed by the oil pan gasket. But the guides I've read don't say anything about bringing the pan gasket up, they just have you press the timing cover back on. Doesn't seem right to me.
 


you will need to lift the engine up some. take the U bracket off, remove the low oil sensor from the pan before trying to drop it or you will break it. its got a hidden wire clip kinda. i used a pic to hold the tab up, then pull the plug off it.

when it goes back together, do a thin smear of rtv on the pan and block, and use thread sealant on all the bolts, but the 4 in the rear, you'll see they dont go clean through, and the 4 or 5 that go into the timing cover. those also are sealed threads. but the side bolts, go right into the wide open. oil splashes on them and the threads leak.
 
Some more pics because all the how-to's are missing pictures. And because engine tear down pics are sexy.







 
Scottydoggs said:
you will need to lift the engine up some. take the U bracket off, remove the low oil sensor from the pan before trying to drop it or you will break it. its got a hidden wire clip kinda. i used a pic to hold the tab up, then pull the plug off it.

when it goes back together, do a thin smear of rtv on the pan and block, and use thread sealant on all the bolts, but the 4 in the rear, you'll see they dont go clean through, and the 4 or 5 that go into the timing cover. those also are sealed threads. but the side bolts, go right into the wide open. oil splashes on them and the threads leak.
Click to expand...

Thanks that helps a lot. Can't wait to start putting it back together. I think my favorite part on an install is cleaning parts and bolts and painting stuff. So I'm gonna have to figure out a way to secure the engine. Wish I had a lift but I'm not spending the money on something that probably won't get used much. Maybe some 2x4's across the engine bay and some tow straps bolted to the block. I'll figure something out.
 
no lift, best way is to support from the top, and lower the sub frame on the pass side.

if you can jack the engine up then ratchet it tight higher up via a 4x4. or hell its a short block now, less weight pair of 2x4's would do., that might also work for ya.

if you pull the weather stripping off the cowl then lay the 2x4s on that area, then use some short blocks on both sides of the hood latch to build a bridge over the top of it, then the 2x4s can rest on that.
 
So when I got my shipment in from ZZP, the throttle body gasket I ordered was torn. I kindly emailed them asking for a replacement. I did say I'd provide a photo of the gasket if they needed, but didn't ever imagine that they would ask for one. Get an email from Ashley, and she said they needed a photo. Huh? I just ordered 700 bucks of parts from you and you want a photo of a 6 dollar part? Kinda pissed me off. WTF, does anyone know how to be decent to their customers anymore? Anyways, just felt like venting. I've never had an issue with ZZP. I know others have but I always get my parts the next day because I'm close, and never had a damaged part. I've spent a lot with them over the years and assumed they would just toss me another gasket that they are into for maybe 2 bucks? Silly world we live in. Also....first world problems, I know.
 


Took me a minute to figure out how to tighten the camshaft bolt. There's probably a better way but darn if I know.




Hacked off the end of a harbor freight clamp so it would fit on the car. Then flip the end of it so it presses instead of squeezes. So basically pushed a large socket into the flex plate. Obviously not needed if you have a helper.
 
lucky for me. i never had to take one off or install one on a engine in the bay. i hear its no fun, but on a engine stand it was just 4 bolts lol
 
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