Ray's 1987 944 LS1 Build & Swap

One thing I really enjoyed in this GM build was working with all the aluminum.  Light yet strong and easily reconditioned or modified.  With that said, I loved bead blasting my original aluminum parts and making them look like new again.  My $119 Harbor Freight blasting cabinet was just the ticket.

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Some before and after....
Rear / Main Cover
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Front / Timing Chain Cover
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New parts include:
Timing Cover Gasket and Seal- FelPro BS40640 - AutoZone ($24)
Oil Galley Plug - Chevrolet Performance NAL-12573460 Summit / ($7)
Rear Cover Gasket - NAL-12639249 Summit / Chevrolet Performance ($22)

New and improved GM Oil Galley Plug (white)....notice the deeper position of the o-ring seal for better function. Just pry out the old one with an ice pick or knife blade and hand press in the new one.
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Both covers in place with new seals and gaskets.  Silicone gaskets were installed “dry” with no sealant.  Rear cover carefully centered on the crankshaft with some lube on the seal and evenly with respect to the block oil pan mounting surfaces so both sides were basically flush. Rear cover bolts torqued to 18 ft-lbs.
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Front cover bolts get tightened to 18 ft-lbs eventually but were only hand tightened until I installed my ATI Super Damper harmonic balancer to properly locate the cover.  

That will be next….

Before the timing cover could be locked down, the harmonic balancer (HB) must be installed.  I wrestled with which HB to use for a target red-line of 7000+RPM.  I read dozens of articles/posts on the topic and knew the stock unit was off the table.  There are just so many options that at the end of the day, I fell back on the advice of my engine builder.  At first he just said, “Don’t use a cheap one.”  A decent HB can be had for around $200.  By the time we finished talking the HB of choice for me was the ATI Super Damper w/10% under drive.  If your engine build is on a tight budget, stop reading this immediately because you’re going to think I’m crazy…

ATI Super Damper Serpentine Series Harmonic Balancer 917276 – ($424)
ARP Balancer Bolt Kit, ARP 234-2503 ($32)
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This is what 10% under drive looks like.  Keeps the accessories within acceptable spin rates during high engine RPMs and should be good for a few more realized HP.
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The first step is to install the hub.  Since I’m planning to maintain my AC the HB unit has a rear AC pulley which must be placed on the back of the hub before it’s installed on the crank snout.  See the picture above.

I heated the hub in the oven at 200 degrees F for about 15 minutes expanding it for an easy install.  Then I applied a coat of anti-seize and pressed it on with my homemade pipe press and a 15” crescent wrench. Caution: Never try to "pull" the HB on with your old HB bolt. It's just not long enough and you'll end up stripping out the end threads in your crank snout.   I also understand that using a hammer to persuade a stubborn HB to the fully seated position is a big no-no as this would damage the crankshaft rear thrust bearing resulting in excessive end play in the crank.
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The hub went on very smoothly and seated completely. As per my ATI instructions, I installed the old HB bolt to 230 ft-lbs of torque to assure the hub was seated and then I removed it.  Hub extension beyond the crank was approximately 0.218” which is slightly more than the GM spec of 0.175”.  I understand this is fine for the ATI HB unit. Since I was not keying my crank, I had to fill the keyway in the hub with sealant.  I used Permatex PermaShield.
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Next I prepped the new ARP HB bolt & washer as per ARP instructions placing ARP Ultra Lube on both sides of the washer and the threads. I also added some red Loctite as per the ATI instructions.  (Man that stuff is expensive!)  Final torque on the ARP HB bolt, 235 ft-lbs.
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Finally the damper shell is installed on the hub using 6 flat head machine screws torqued to 16 ft-lbs and 3 pulley bolts torqued to 30 ft-lbs.  Blue Loctite used on all.
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All finished!
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Lastly, I made sure the front timing chain cover was well centered on the crank snout and hand tightened all the bolts.  Then I went back and torqued them all to 18 ft-lbs.

FAST Intake rebuild is next….

Looks Great! thanks for sharing.

Mark

Thank you for taking the time.
I am a ways away from starting my swap, as I am going through the suspension and brakes first.
Just curious, but did you consider buying a crate engine? (But you don't have the fun of assembling your own engine...)
I've seen some LS3 crates for around $6500.
Thanks again,
Jim

Jim,

GM crate engines are indeed an attractive option for street cars.  For my engine build I started out thinking I could build something better for less money.....silly me!  Hopefully I've succeeded a little in the "better" department because I definitely flunked in the "less money" department.

My downfall was not wanting to compromise and that adds up to big bucks, plus I kept telling myself, "you're only going to do this once so why not!"

The day I paid the balance on my machine work and bottom end assembly, I asked the engine shop experts if I made a mistake by not buying a crate engine. They assured me I was going to be very happy with my engine performance and that I would be able to get 100+K of hard miles out of it.  Now that may be their standard answer but they are one of the premier racing engine builders in my tri-state area and they only deal with crate engines when the customer insists.  He did share a few stories of drag racers whose crate engines didn't last one racing season.

So at the end of the day it's all about your budget and the intended use for your ride.

I must admit...building your own is very satisfying and educational, not to mention therapeutic. 

Thanks for your reply Ray.
Your answer was exactly what I thought it would be. My hat's off to you!

Finally got some time to post this....been a little busy at work.

The Wilson FAST 92mm Intake reportedly adds 15 HP over the stock LS1 intake.  Add long tube headers and “a cam” and you can get more...much more.  Below is what mine looked like when I got it from my nephew.

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For my build, I went with TPC’s custom long tube headers and that big COMP cam.  In fact COMP Cams recommends the FAST intake for maximum performance.

The FAST 92mm sold in the Summit Racing Catalog for $950 before it was replaced by the 102mm unit.  There is apparently enough demand for them that good used ones are still bringing that price on E-bay.

Since my intake was several years old and had been out of service for a while to boot, I figured there was no reason not to rebuild it.  Seemed easy enough…

FAST 92mm Intake – Say $900 Market Value
FAST replacement Inner Rope Seal – PN FST-54022 (15’-6” long) Summit Racing: $25
FAST replacement Port Seals – PN FST-54009-8: Summit Racing $24

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Just 6 small bolts hold the upper and lower shell together, and 10 Philips head screws hold the bottom half of the runners in place on the lower shell. (8 on top, 2 on the bottom)  Below are the disassembled parts:

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After a full surface clean up, the next step was removal of every trace of factory runner and rope seal sealant.  This stuff appeared to be the black RTV variety and was barely adhered if at all in the rope seal joints and about 20% of the runner interface valleys of the base unit.  Clearly fuel exposure had impacted the adhesion.  I must admit however that where it was intact, I had a hard time removing it.

So….my next question was, “What is the best sealant to use for reassembly?”  Most intake rehab accounts I read simply referred to “silicone sealant” and some mentioned Permatex Black RTV.  In researching my options, it seemed to me that “fuel resistant” was essential, and just that one criterion ruled out many RTV products including Permatex Black RTV which is only “oil” resistant.  I was also concerned about any excess sealant that might make its way into the runners and how I was going to trim that off.  After a lot of shopping, I decided to use Permatex PermaShield because it is fuel resistant and non-hardening.  Plus…I could take my good old time assembling the unit without worrying about the sealant setting up and compromising the seal.

Permatex PermaShield Fuel Resistant Flange Sealant: $10 per tube
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Assembly was simple but a tad tedious.  

Step 1: Apply sealant to the U-shaped runner interface valleys of the base unit.  This is where any excess ends up in the runner so I did test fits until I knew how much sealant to use without overflow.  About 50% full was the ticket.
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Step 2: Place the lower runner half section in the base unit and tighten the mounting screws.  This is a gradual process of repeating a balanced tightening sequence until all the screws are just tight.  Keep in mind that tight just means that the screw doesn’t turn anymore.  Over tighten and you will strip the composite material….so be careful.

Step 3: Check runner interiors for any excess sealant and remove.  There shouldn’t be much if any.

Step 4: Install the neoprene rope seal around the perimeter of the lower half.  Cut to fit.  
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You will have one butt joint…I placed that joint at the throttle body end at 6 o’clock with the idea that it was a clean straight cut.
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Step 5: Install individual lengths of neoprene rope seal along each runner.  Cut to fit.  You will need to do this 9 times.
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Step 6: Apply sealant at each joint and then gently press the neoprene completely into the seal channel throughout.  A flat blade screwdriver worked just fine for me.
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Step 7: Install the Top Half Shell.  Tighten the 3 front and 3 rear (short) manifold bolts just enough to snug everything up.  These 6 bolts in concert with the 10 main (long) manifold bolts will squeeze the whole unit together.  Use blue Loctite (242) on all manifold bolts.  Looking like an intake again!
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Step 8: Install the new port seals.
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Step 9: Make sure the intake port surfaces of the heads are clean and dry and install the manifold.  Follow the FAST tightening sequence.
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Keep in mind that as you tighten the bolts you’re compressing the neoprene seals so multiple passes should be used to get all the bolts to the designated torque.  FAST recommends the following 2 passes:
First pass – 45 in-lbs
Final pass – 89 in-lbs

Over-torquing will damage the manifold and cause improper sealing.

The end result looks like new and should function like new as well.
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Next will be new FAST fuel injectors and FAST fuel rails….

Wow...I can't believe it has been two weeks since my last post! Getting back on track.

The Wilson FAST 92mm intake would likely perform just fine with GM fuel rails and injectors…but I just had to push the envelope.  Something in my head just kept saying, “You have a FAST intake…just stick with FAST fuel system components and everything will work well together.”  After some research and a nagging feeling that the factory 28#/hr injectors may come up short, I opted for an upgrade.

The FAST Fuel Rail package and injectors are designed for better performance which admittedly is attractive…plus they look really great…but this is another perfect example of “budget creep!”  Below are the parts I ended up purchasing:

FAST Billet Aluminum Fuel Rail Kit with fittings: PN FST-54023, Summit Racing, $219
FAST Line Conversion Kit LSX W/Gauge: PN FST-FST-54028G-KIT, Summit Racing, $145
FAST 36#/hr Injectors: PN FST-303608, Summit Racing, $331

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First I connected the aluminum mounting blocks to the fuel rails with the screws provided but I left them somewhat loose until I had everything installed.

Installing the injectors in the fuel rail was the next order of business.  The FAST 30360 injectors are the longer units that work with the FAST intake and should provide ample fuel for my NA 7000 RPM engine setup.
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I lubed the o-rings with synthetic oil and pressed the injectors into the fuel rails.
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Before installing the assembly in the manifold, I did a little cleaning of the injector ports.  They looked clean enough at first glance during the overall manifold scrub down but some carb cleaner and a Q-tip proved otherwise.  Lots of black residue…
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I applied synthetic oil on the nozzle end O-rings of the injectors and pressed them gently into the manifold until they were completely seated.  Then I installed the hold down bolts.  After confirming that all the injectors were seated and not stressed in any way, I tightened the anchor block screws and the hold down bolts.  Pretty straight forward…
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Water Pump is next....

As a separate side project, I reconditioned the water pump.

I got to use my bead blaster again which is always fun.   Below are before and after pics:
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The impeller turned smoothly but there was clearly some water leakage from the back cover indicating seal failure.
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I removed the back cover and got it all cleaned up, applied some PermaShield, installed a new cover seal and put it all back together.  Tightened the rear cover bolts to 11 ft-lbs.

Water Pump Cover Seal, 35633 Fel-Pro, AutoZone - $1.49
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While I was at it…I replaced the old thermostat with a 160F unit in hopes that it would help the engine run cooler.  It took a while to actually find where they labeled the opening temperature.
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Inlet Housing & 160F Thermostat, PN 37960, DuraLast, AutoZone - $30

I was surprised the thermostat was integral with the inlet housing but that explains the price. Upon comparison of the units, I discovered that the old unit did not open far enough to close the baffle opening in the pump.  I’m glad I sprung for the new thermostat although I’m hoping it wasn’t a waste of money since I see folks are using a swivel head Omni-directional unit for better capatibility with the radiator.  Tightened the inlet housing bolts to 11 ft-lbs.
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Then it was off to the “Paint Booth” (aka my garage floor!) for some hi-temp silver paint.
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After the paint dried, I installed the neoprene water pump gaskets from the timing cover gasket set. These could probably have been installed dry but I applied a thin coat of PermaShield anyway.  Then I applied Teflon thread sealant to the bolts and installed the pump.  Tightened the water pump bolts in two passes, 11 and then 22 ft-lbs.
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The throttle body I’m using is a Jantzer LSX 92mm CNC Billet Throttle Body, obtained from my nephew with the FAST intake, $200 - $300 Street Value… so I’m told.
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Since I had it off, I went ahead and picked up a new 92mm throttle body seal.  Summit didn’t carry it, so I went to Autoplicity.

FAST 92mm Throttle Body Seal, FST-54041, Autoplicity - $11

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With the new throttle body seal in the manifold, I bolted on my Jantzer 92mm throttle body….and my new LS2 coil packs.  I had to pick up the LS2 coil packs to match the
standard LS3 Bolt Spacing of 72mm on the Holley “Angled Coil” valve covers.  Sold the old LS1 coil packs for $150!

AC Delco LS2 Coil Packs, Item# 360671285215, AD Autoparts Inc. - $180

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The vision is materializing!!!
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TPC Oil Pan is next….

Awesome work, great attention to detail!

Hey Thanks!! From your image tag I see you have traveled this road already with the exact same car.  I'm sure I can learn much from you!!

The thread I've been posting is behind my actual work just a bit as the engine in done and "lurking" in my garage on engine feet.
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One more post on the TCP pan installation and then a re-post of my adventures with the SPEC flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate package, and that's it for the engine build.  

I am preparing the car now to do the swap but it has not run for like 6 years.  I wanted to video the 2.5 16V engine running to support my sale efforts, but no luck starting it.  (It needs a water pump...that's what grounded her.) Replaced the battery and fuel relay....nothing.  The pump is simply not energizing.  I'm in the process of changing the pump and fuel filter.

Below is the challenge at hand...no pun intended!  Fuel was clear on the engine side of the pump.
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What a mess...cleaning this gunk out of the tank is my next sub-project.

Ick! You got some stank in the tank.

Your engine build looks great. Perhaps you already know, but I suggest some heat shielding on the driver's side while the engine is out. I used a product from DEI.

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Great work!

To all of you that were following my build/swap thread, I offer my apology for falling off the face of the earth for over 4 years.  Life really took hold and my Porsche project just had to wait.  The dust has settled and now I'm targeting a spring 2019 test drive.  The LS-1 engine is complete but I still plan to post the last few steps of the build, namely installation of the oil pan, flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and bell housing. There are quite a few important details that must be addressed on the back side of the engine.  I've made some significant progress in the "garage space" area this year that will facilitate the engine swap and I'm excited to get that started in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned...

dont worry, it seems to happen to everyone.

sharkey...Just finished checking out your swap pics.  Very impressive, you have a lot of skills!  400 hp is GREAT!  When I get there I want to get more scoop on how you handled the replacement brake master cylinder.  
Also I see you rebuilt your transaxle.  I picked up an '86 16R 5P Turbo transaxle (non-LSD) with oil cooler to replace my 83D AGP.   It was advertised as being in good condition with about 90K miles.  A rebuild may be prudent but I'm anxious to get this car running and back on the road!
If you have any narrative that goes with your photo album, I'm interested.

This is the first installment of my “catch-up” postings and I’m pretty much going from memory and notes from a shared photo album.
TPC returned my Pan and Pick-up tube in short order.  It was evident that the pan had been modified to clear the pick-up tube.  With the front and back cover on and the pick-up tube installed, I did a quick leak test on the pan using water and then cleaned it all up in preparation for installation.  This included a light coat of motor oil on any bare steel.  Below are pics of the inside and outside of the TPC modified Milodon Racing Pan.

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The next step is important in any engine build and vital if you have a stroker and/or modified the windage tray.  You must check the clearance between he pick-up tube screen and the bottom of the pan. GM specifications on this dimension is 1/4”– 3/8” in order to permit proper oil intake volume.  To check this, I set a piece of hi density foam that was about 7/16” thick on top of the pick-up and positioned the pan in place.  

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I was happy when the pan set flush with the block and did not contact the foam, even without the gasket.  Good to go!

The next check was to verify that the rear cover was no more than 0.020” above the oil pan mating surface of the block…. I used my pry bar as a straight edge.  The gap must be the same on both sides.

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Exactly 0.020…both sides.

Next, I filled the corner gaps with Permatex Blue just for insurance…While I was at it, I put a thin film on the entire unpainted mating surface of the oil pan just for some measure of corrosion protection.

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Next a new GM oil pan gasket GM#12612350 ($35) is set in place dry, followed by the oil pan.

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Pan bolts were tightened to 18 ft-lbs. each, including two temporary bolts where the TPC Oil Filter adapter will go… that’s next.

Raymond-P wrote:sharkey...Just finished checking out your swap pics.  Very impressive, you have a lot of skills!  400 hp is GREAT!  When I get there I want to get more scoop on how you handled the replacement brake master cylinder.  
Also I see you rebuilt your transaxle.  I picked up an '86 16R 5P Turbo transaxle (non-LSD) with oil cooler to replace my 83D AGP.   It was advertised as being in good condition with about 90K miles.  A rebuild may be prudent but I'm anxious to get this car running and back on the road!
If you have any narrative that goes with your photo album, I'm interested.  

ive got a few threads on here about various points in my build. in the "other conversions" section i have my main build thread, although many of those pics are now broken links. i have a thread in the brakes section about my my dual master cylinder setup, and a thread in the transmission section about rebuilding my AOR transaxle.

for your transaxle, rebuilding it may not be necessary, the main reason i went through mine was was just to have a look-see. i ended up powder coating the cases, added the case stiffening plate (something id recommend) and to swap 5th gear. i would say if your not experienced in manual transmissions and specifically transaxles, this isnt really something you want to learn on, they are quite complex and parts are expensive if you make a mistake. swapping 5th gear however is something thats simple enough to do on your own, and so is the case stiffening plate. your going to want to tackle the 5th gear swap before you put the trans in, you dont need to be buzzing a v8 down the highway at 2600 rpm at 60mph.

Thanks sharkey! I will definitely be checking out your threads. Your tips on the 5th gear upgrade and case stiffening plate were exactly the encouragement I needed. I wasn't sure what I might be getting into but it sounds like I can do it without any exotic tools. My transaxle is currently on my engine stand waiting to be cleaned up as needed.

Before I could actually finish installing the oil pan, I had to complete installation of the TPC oil filter adapter and address the rear pan bolt needs. Below is the TPC oil filter adapter, shown with two new mounting bolts & washers, new O-rings, 2 stock M8 pan bolts, and 2 "custom" M8 head bolts.

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The thick mounting flange of the TPC oil filter adapter requires longer pan bolts than stock.  The quick fix was to cut down 2 of my unused stock M8 head bolts to the required 35 mm UHL.

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Left to right, stock pan bolt, stock M8 head bolt, M8 head bolt cut to 35 mm UHL

I used blue Loctite for the mounting bolts and some Lucas lube for the O-rings.  The mounting holes in the pan flange required some reaming to get all 4 bolts installed.  Not a big deal...just be sure to capture all those metal shavings!

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Lastly, the 2 M6 long bolts for the back of the stock LS1 pan cannot be used for the TPC pan.  I purchased some new M6 1.0 x 25mm units to do the job.

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Elected to use a “break-in” STP Oil filter S10060.  Suggested service units include: LS 1001, WIX# 57060, and Fram# PH10060.

Last step here was to bolt on the factory oil filter adapter cover with some shiny new bolts.  I didn’t torque this cover down yet as I’m still debating the need for an oil temperature sending unit.  If I go for it, I will need to tap the cover for a sending unit.  As an option, I could purchase the C5 cover (Part # 12551587 for $31) which is already tapped with a M12x1.5mm thread for the C5 Temperature Sending Unit (Part #12608814 for $24).

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Next up, a recap of the Flywheel, Pressure Plate, and Clutch Set-up….  These will likely be links to my previous posts elsewhere on this forum.

Well folks, as I went through my previous posts from yesteryear, I realized that some were incomplete. For example, I left off most of the flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate installation procedures because of technical issues with the TPC pilot bearing adapter and specifications for the throw-out bearing.
So, to capture the build process sequentially without all the cross-referencing I’m going to update my old posts here in this thread and add some of the missing moments.  If you want to go back and see the original 2014 post and dialog with other forum members, below is the 1st link:

Anti Seize on LS1 Pilot Bearing Adapter?
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So here is my rewrite on the pilot bearing adapter and flywheel.  
The factory issue pilot bearing (GM - PC381 CP06), in my LS1 manual crank, was undamaged but gets replaced with the TPC Pilot Bearing Adapter to fit up the Porsche torque tube drive shaft.

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The first order of business was pulling the old bearing.  I borrowed a pilot bearing puller from my local Advance auto parts store ($38 deposit) but it just didn’t work.  Seems it was designed for solid bushing type bearing units.  Next, I tried a hammer type puller from AutoZone ($160 deposit- ouch!).  Both are shown below.

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Removal is not supposed to be difficult but mine turned out to be a stubborn beast… especially considering you must be careful about hammer blows to the LS1 crank to not damage the main bearing seals.  To get it done, I used the pipe and washers from my homemade harmonic balancer installation tool to take all the play out of the hammer tool.  Several light blows with the slide hammer then tighten the nut…rinse and repeat until it’s out.  It was slow going until I drilled a couple stress relief holes in the old bearing…seemed to help.

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After some general cleanup, I opted to install the flywheel before the pilot bearing adapter.  The unit provided by TPC is the SPEC steel flywheel SC75S, and I purchased ARP #070-330-2802 Pro Series 190 ksi Flywheel bolts, M11 x 1.50” (UHL 0.880”) at a cost of $33.10.

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Important installation Check List items include:
1. Cleanup of the 11mm threaded holes in the crank flange to ensure proper torque…Check!
(They really needed it!)
2. Be sure flywheel bolt holes are chamfered to properly accept the ARP bolts…Check!
3. Apply ARP flange lube and blue Loctite (242) on the bolt threads…Check!
4. Follow ARP installation instructions, torquing bolts to 85 Ft-lbs….Check!

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Since I’m kind of a one-man show, I needed some assistance to hold the crank from turning while torquing the flywheel bolts.  Some bar stock and a few scrap bolts in the pressure plate mounting holes did the trick.  I followed the ARP instructions using two passes to 85 ft-lbs.  

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Now that the flywheel is on, installing the new TPC pilot bearing adapter is next. Below is the replacement TCP pilot bearing adapter Part# 6202RSD S ’75, Front & Back (engine side):

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To make a long story short, the TPC pilot bearing adapter should be machined to what is called an “interference” fit so that it’s OD is just about 0.001” bigger that the crank bore hole ID.  This is all that is needed to prevent it from coming out on its own.  Unfortunately, mine was not and I could put it in and remove it without tools.  Not acceptable so I elected to have the adapter knurled which a friend of mine did on his lathe.

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I followed the advice once again of the forum experts, and used Loctite 609 retaining compound for insurance ($18 at Fastenal – ouch!).  This adds pull-out resistance for gaps up to 0.005” and still allows mechanical removal without heat. I cleaned both contact surfaces with Brakleen and then applied the compound to both surfaces as directed. Perfect fit with a few light hammer taps.

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With the pilot bearing adapter in place, I wanted to check the clutch plate clearance so I first measured the gap between the adapter and the flywheel.  Using my feeler gauges, I measured 0.080”.  Now on the flywheel side of the SPEC clutch plate, the hub is flush with a slightly raised surface of the plate as required.  See pics below:

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Clearance from the hub face to the face of the clutch material (1/8” thick on each side) measured 0.097”. Therefore, the total clearance (or gap) between the clutch plate hub and the pilot bearing adapter is 0.080” plus 0.097” or 0.177”.  This confirms that the hub won’t ever touch the adapter even if the entire 1/8” (0.125”) of clutch material was completely gone.  Good to go!

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I placed a skin coat of Permatex anti-seize in the pilot bearing adapter before starting the clutch and pressure plate install.  That’s next…

Ok folks, this is a relatively “easy one.”  The TPC kit provides a Stage I SPEC pressure plate (PP) and a matching 11 inch “conversion” clutch disc (CD) with a spline hub compatible with the Porsche 944 drive shaft.  As I reminisce, I don’t recall learning the brand or part number for the conversion clutch disc. Perhaps another forum member can add this data.

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Along with a clutch positioning tool, the kit also included YFS Class 12.9 (170,000 psi) Alen Head Cap Screw PP fasteners with lock washers.   For comparison, an SAE J429 Grade 8 bolt has a tensile strength of 150,000 psi.

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Just FYI:  YFS is the Fang Sheng Screw Co., Ltd which is one of the world's largest manufactures of Socket screws. Founded in 1979, YFS offers a broad line of quality Socket products and services. YFS has grown into the world’s Premier global provider of valued-based Socket head products. YFS products are manufactured from high tensile alloy steel, Class 12.9 and ASTM A574 for industrial machinery, electric appliances, automotive vehicles, military equipment and many other industrial products. YFS offers the highest quality fastener in the World, meeting all the manufacturing standards globally

While surfing around for torque specs from SPEC, I came across the following info on the LS1Tech Forum:
"Our single-disc assemblies are intended to use the OE torque specs for both the pressure-plate to flywheel and the flywheel to the crank. Let me know if you have any further questions. Thanks,
__________________
J. Auvil
Sales and Tech Manager
SPEC, Inc.
800-828-4379 x.109
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For a 2001 GM 6-speed manual, the pressure plate bolt torque spec is 52 ft-lb.  
The first step is to apply blue Loctite to the cap screws.  Then, using the clutch disc positioning tool to hold the disc in place, I installed the PP with the fasteners finger tight only.  After checking that the clutch disc was centered, I tightened the PP cap screws in a star pattern using two passes, 1st at 35 ft-lbs and then 52 ft-lbs.  A simple pry bar worked fine to lock the rotating assembly.

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Next is the Throw-out Bearing and Bell Housing….

Good stuff

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Thanks TurboBob!  I actually enjoy just sharing this experience and the learning process.  I'm thankful i can do this and hopefully other forum members can benefit from this documentation... as I have from other forum post from the experts.  

If nothing else, posting all of this saves me from trying to remember it all.
In a couple weeks...the engine swap phase is going to start.  Very excited!

Indeed
Do you have the mounts and headers yet?

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