[steve25]

It’s all looking good to me also.

[JLMounce]

Quick update here. Received my parts last friday and mostly have everything put back together. I went with the Nitemare performance pan, which removes the windage tray in favor of a lower dipstick tube mounted to the #3 cap.

I need to take up space for the bolts here. Is it kosher to use a couple washers or is there a better preferred method? These bolts holding the windage tray are secured with lock washers only. At least they were when I tore the engine open.

[steve25]

Yes that's fine.
Just make sure that the bolts don't then stick up more towards the bottom of the pan then the bottom of the oil pump screen.

You should just be able to line of sight it.

[JLMounce]

Another update. I had a family vacation out in Maine and just getting back to this. I've got the engine put back together with a couple notes for anyone in the future.

The Nitemare Performance pan is a nice piece, but it's really designed around aftermarket steel rods that have smaller caps and utilize cap screws. My engine being a stock rod engine had some contact issues with the windage screen. I was able to clearance everything with some slight coaxing of the pan and screen around the front 4 rod caps. It can be done, but needs a bit of modifying. Darrin was actually incredibly helpful in that regard, even offered an immediate refund if I didn't want to go modifying the pan a bit. At the end of the day, I wanted the pan.

Also did the nitemare pump and their hardened oil pump pushrod at the same time. Sealed everything up with a one piece gasket. Threw on a new set of mity mounts (stock mounts were in the car) and cleaned up the engine with some degreaser.

The engine is ready to go back in the car tomorrow. The only thing I really have a question on is re-attaching the flex plate. It looks like torque specs on that is 95 ft lbs. I didn't read this in general, but I'm assuming torque in a star pattern? Any tricks for doing that with the engine on the hoist? My engine stand won't allow installation, so the engine's going to be hanging a bit. My initial thought is to lower it to the ground while keeping most of the weight off the oil pan.

[grivera]

I always do a star pattern in increments and I've kept it from rotating two different ways. The access to the bolts while on an engine stand can be tricky but I've managed. Put a screwdriver through a bolt hole in flex plate and wedge it against the engine block, or put two long bolts in the balancer pulley bolt holes and use a prybar between those bolts to hold it while you torque the flex plate bolts - this method usually will require a second person. I also have a flex plate turning tool like this that I use sometimes but it can be a PITA to use when working alone.https://www.summitracing.com/parts/s...yABEgLXmfD_BwE

[JLMounce]

Yeah that would be fine if I could keep the engine on the stand. My engine stand will not accommodate having the flex plate installed. So I'm left with the engine dangling from the hoist.

I think if I can support it while on the ground so that the pan doesn't get crushed, I can have a friend with a breaker bar on the other side to help get them all torqued.

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by JLMounce

Yeah that would be fine if I could keep the engine on the stand. My engine stand will not accommodate having the flex plate installed. So I'm left with the engine dangling from the hoist.

I think if I can support it while on the ground so that the pan doesn't get crushed, I can have a friend with a breaker bar on the other side to help get them all torqued.

Crappy junk engine stands have the engine-mounting legs WAY too short, so that there's no room to work on the crank/flexplate/flywheel bolts.

All of my engine stands get spacers between the block and the mounting legs, to push the engine farther forward. This gains clearance at the rear of the engine. It's also adding to the leverage the engine weight exerts on the stand--which is probably why the mounting legs are so uselessly-short to begin with.

OTOH, the engine stands are rated at +30% to +100% or more of the actual engine weight, so I don't worry too much about the added leverage. Does make the engine stand somewhat front-heavy. Beware of tipping when the stand w/ engine is rolled across an uneven or dirty floor. "I" have had ZERO problems moving the engines farther away by using spacers. Three 1/2" nuts, or a section of 1/2" iron plumbing pipe on each mounting leg, and suitably-longer bolts is all it takes.

[JLMounce]

Yeah that's a good idea for next time. Hopefully there won't be a next time.

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by JLMounce

Another update. I had a family vacation out in Maine and just getting back to this. I've got the engine put back together with a couple notes for anyone in the future.

The Nitemare Performance pan is a nice piece, but it's really designed around aftermarket steel rods that have smaller caps and utilize cap screws. My engine being a stock rod engine had some contact issues with the windage screen. I was able to clearance everything with some slight coaxing of the pan and screen around the front 4 rod caps. It can be done, but needs a bit of modifying. Darrin was actually incredibly helpful in that regard, even offered an immediate refund if I didn't want to go modifying the pan a bit. At the end of the day, I wanted the pan.

Also did the nitemare pump and their hardened oil pump pushrod at the same time. Sealed everything up with a one piece gasket. Threw on a new set of mity mounts (stock mounts were in the car) and cleaned up the engine with some degreaser.

The engine is ready to go back in the car tomorrow. The only thing I really have a question on is re-attaching the flex plate. It looks like torque specs on that is 95 ft lbs. I didn't read this in general, but I'm assuming torque in a star pattern? Any tricks for doing that with the engine on the hoist? My engine stand won't allow installation, so the engine's going to be hanging a bit. My initial thought is to lower it to the ground while keeping most of the weight off the oil pan.

Darrin is a great asset to the Pontiac community.

[JLMounce]

I was able to get the engine back in the car Saturday. Took about 3.5 hours or so to get it in. I still need to hook everything back up. Torque converter, accessories, exhaust, fuel system etc.

For the most part it went smoothly, but did run into a small snag with the new mity mounts. As I've read in countless threads, since these are based on offshore mounts, they are slightly shorter and the engine does want to sit a bit lower. I don't have any pan to crossmember contact, but just barely. I haven't decided if I'm going to order up some shims to help with that. I did have to add an additional washer to each side of the mounting bolts to keep them from bottoming in the mounts.

I should be able to get everything hooked back up this week and hopefully driving her again this weekend.

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by JLMounce

did run into a small snag with the new mity mounts. As I've read in countless threads, since these are based on offshore mounts, they are slightly shorter and the engine does want to sit a bit lower... ...I did have to add an additional washer to each side of the mounting bolts to keep them from bottoming in the mounts.

Must be nice to have a business philosophy where you buy crappy, poorly-fitting imported parts in bulk, add three, five-cent purchased-in-bulk machine screws to them, and basically move the decimal point on the mount price tag for reselling.

[JLMounce]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

Must be nice to have a business philosophy where you buy crappy, poorly-fitting imported parts in bulk, add three, five-cent purchased-in-bulk machine screws to them, and basically move the decimal point on the mount price tag for reselling.

Agreed it's pretty ridiculous that we're talking about downsizing parts to move decimals. It's not like these things were crazy expensive. It cost me $9.00 in washers to solve the issue. I'd have paid $20.00 or more for the part not to have the issue in the first place.

I could have put the stock type mounts back in, but they were showing signs of tearing.

[Mr Twister]

Quick update here. Received my parts last friday and mostly have everything put back together. I went with the Nitemare performance pan, which removes the windage tray in favor of a lower dipstick tube mounted to the #3 cap.

Nice looking oil pan. I never heard of the company. Are there any Dyno tests to show how much better they are compared to standard windage tray/scraper/ deep pan setup?

[JLMounce]

Not that I have seen. That’s a tough back to back style test to do.

[JLMounce]

Buttoned everything up and put the hood on Sunday. No leaks as of yet, but I haven't had time to drive the car after getting the cooling system burped. So far seeing about 10-12 psi additional idle oil pressure over the factory pump that was in the car. It's quieted down the lifters a little as well, having that extra pressure.

One area I'm not satisfied with is the relationship of the oil pan to the cradle. While it's not touching, I only have maybe an 1/8" clearance. The slight amount of lowered engine has changed where my exhaust hands and it now rubs my lift as well. I'm going to have to shim the engine to get a bit more height out of it.

I don't have the tools to fabricate some 1/4" shims. Does anyone know if there are shims available for these things to purchase? I see the under mount shims, but to do those on a firebird requires you to remove the lower control arms. I'm in no mood to deal with that.

[Sirrotica]

I don't recall seeing any 1/4 inch body shims, but 2, 1/8 inch shims will get you the same results. The bonus is not having to take the bolts completely out, just loosen them enough to slide the shims in.

Years ago I needed to change the frame mounts in an 82 olds cutlass, and again the only way to get at the bolts was to remove the lower control arms. I just didn't want to do this just to get at the nuts. Instead I used a step drill to bore a hole in the bottom of the crossmember so I could insert a universal joint wobble socket, with a long 3/8 extension to remove, and replace the bottom nuts for the mounts. Unless you had another car sitting right next to it, you'd never know that hole wasn't just a drain hole in the frame.

I know many people probably wouldn't want to do that to a classic car, but it sure saves a lot of labor, and time. Your car, your choice.