Chad's 68 Camaro V3.0 build. LS3 & TCI goodies

[GregWeld]

Yeah -- HeliCoil is a "thread repair".... not a complete drill and re tap.

I've had great success with the several that I've used and keep them "in stock" in the shed for those occasions when they need to be used. Never once had an issue with them.

The problem for most guys ----- he's drilling into the block not just running a drill through a bellhousing hole.... and he won't have a bottoming tap... and access might be an issue etc.

[rsk68]

In aluminum helicoils inserted correctly are as strong as threads with no helicoils , they are designed for holes that will see repeated dis assembly, you can buy a helicoil repair kit for any size hole from mcmaster Carr delivered next day!

[Chad-1stGen]

Mini update from work over the weekend.

I got the oil pan off the motor. Decided it was easier to take the hood off and hoist the motor up a few inches than drop the rack. However, my confidence in the cheap/easy fix is shaken. The oil pump pick up tube o-ring looked to be in perfect shape and installed correctly. Just to be on the safe side I picked up two new o-rings from the dealer on the way to work this morning.

GM makes 3 different sized o-rings. My online reading has shown that all of the oil pumps are the same size but that the pick up tube itself has different sizes and you match the o-ring to the pick up.

Stolen from a 2009 Ls1tech.com post:

They are color coded for a reason, like stated above, if the pickup tube has a recessed area where the o-ring goes you need the thicker RED o-ring. The trucks use this design.

GM Oil Pick-Up Tube O-Ring (1st Design)
12557752

BLUE SEAL
Specifics:

* Oil Pick-Up Tube O-Ring ea.
* Chevy/GMC Pick-Up (1999-2000 LS V8) 1st design
* F-Body (1998-2002)
* Cadillac CTS-V (2004-2007)
* Corvette (1997-2008)
* Thickness = 3.55mm (0.140")
ID = 23.60mm (0.930")



GM Oil Pick-Up Tube O-Ring (2nd Design)
12584922

RED SEAL
Specifics:

* Oil Pick-Up Tube O-Ring ea.
* Chevy/GMC Pick-Up (1999-2000 LS V8 engines with 2nd design pick-up tube)
* Trailblazer (2003-2008 With LS V8 engine)
* Hummer H2 (2003-2008)
* Hummer H3 (2008 With LS V8 engine)
* Chevy/GMC Pick-Up (2001-2008 LS V8 engines)
* W- Body (2006-2008 With LS V8 engine - Impala, Lacrosse, Grand Prix)
* Thickness = 4.20mm (0.165")
ID = 20.69mm (0.815")

The green I believe is even thicker than the red design but can't find those specs right now.

My Autokraft pan came with the blue o-ring but I bought both a blue and red o-ring today at the dealer. The fit with the blue o-ring that came with my pan just doesn't feel that snug when playing around with it this weekend. So tonight I will try both the red and blue o-ring. My online research showed some folks and shops/dealers using the red o-ring even in fbody/corvette applications with better success rates.

[Mkelcy]

Originally Posted by Chad-1stGen

Mini update from work over the weekend.

I got the oil pan off the motor. Decided it was easier to take the hood off and hoist the motor up a few inches than drop the rack. However, my confidence in the cheap/easy fix is shaken. The oil pump pick up tube o-ring looked to be in perfect shape and installed correctly. Just to be on the safe side I picked up two new o-rings from the dealer on the way to work this morning.

GM makes 3 different sized o-rings. My online reading has shown that all of the oil pumps are the same size but that the pick up tube itself has different sizes and you match the o-ring to the pick up.

Stolen from a 2009 Ls1tech.com post:


The green I believe is even thicker than the red design but can't find those specs right now.

My Autokraft pan came with the blue o-ring but I bought both a blue and red o-ring today at the dealer. The fit with the blue o-ring that came with my pan just doesn't feel that snug when playing around with it this weekend. So tonight I will try both the red and blue o-ring. My online research showed some folks and shops/dealers using the red o-ring even in fbody/corvette applications with better success rates.

Copied and saved in my LS Info file. Thanks.

[Mkelcy]

So, no posts because fabulous progress ; or no posts because in the abyss of depression?

[Vince@Meanstreets]

just going back to the thread thing, we used these at the dealership for thread repair damaged stuff on Vipers. Easy to use and work like a charm.

http://www.timesert.com/

Hang in there Chad!!!

[Chad-1stGen]

Originally Posted by Mkelcy

So, no posts because fabulous progress ; or no posts because in the abyss of depression?

Ha ha. More of the latter sadly. I did get the flywheel and PP combo back from the shop. Flywheel was off 12 grams and PP 7 grams so that could cause some vibration. Ran the motor with just the rebalanced flywheel and it does feel a bit better but not 100% what I was/am expecting. I need to get everything back together to really tell.

The oil o-ring looked perfect. I tried the larger red o-ring and it was a no go. I did notice that the bracket off the pick up tube to the main stud was not perfectly aligned so I drilled it out. Maybe that will have been the difference.


Still fighting a few gremlins. I'm having trouble getting the transmission back in with the exhaust there. I also, managed to somehow ruin my brand new braided power steering pressure hose. Hoping I can figure something out other than a new $200 kit.

Will post a real update once it is back together.

[boostin05blacks]

Any update on this Chad? This is one of my favorite threads...Hope all is back together and well..