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'66 El Camino: Engine Swap, Pt. 1 Our 1966 El Camino gets a major upgrade by swapping the old, worn engine for a newer, fuel-injected powerhouse. From "Resto Rides" episode DRRD-102

Andrew Totolos, host of DIY's Resto Rides explains that the project car — a 1966 El Camino — will be undergoing a major engine transplant. The old engine is shot, so Andrew and his friend Christie D'Amore are going to replace it with a new fuel-injected powerhouse. They have to get it mounted, hook up the wiring harness and upgrade the fuel system. Finally, they test the engine to make sure that all systems are working properly.

The steps in this portion of the restoration, as seen in episode 102 of Resto Rides, are summarized below.

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The used engine

Materials and tools:

In addition to standard auto-mechanic's tools (wrenches, ratchets, extenders, screwdrivers, nut-drivers, torque wrench, etc.), the essential tools required for this phase of the project are listed below.

LT-1 engine
LT-1 motor mount templates
4-speed electronic overdrive transmission
new driveshaft
engine harness
jack and jack stands
cherry picker
load leveler
drill and bits

	The old engine, prior to removal

Note: This is a summary of steps included in the restoration procedures shown in this episode of Resto Rides. These are general guidelines for restoration procedures on this particular make and model of vehicle, and for the level of restoration selected for this project. There may be variations in procedures depending model, condition of vehicle, level of restoration undertaken and the types of replacement parts or upgrade kits selected. Always follow proper safety precautions, and read and follow manufacturer's guidelines, diagrams and safety notices that come with any replacement parts or kit that you select.

Safety Alert: As a standard safety precaution, don't rely solely on a jack to support the weight of a vehicle. When using a jack to access or work beneath a vehicle, always use jack stands for support. Make sure that the jack and stands that you use are rated for the weight and type of your vehicle.

Safety Alert: Always wear eye protection and follow proper safety precautions when working with power tools or pneumatic tools. Also wear eye protection any time you are working underneath a vehicle.

	Removing the old engine
	The front end with engine removed

Engine Swap: Getting Started

• Begin by removing the bodywork to expose the engine. Most of the car's front end comes off in one piece, but Andrew and Christie have to drain and disconnect everything that's between the body and the car before they can pull it off in one big piece.

• Disconnect the radiator hoses.

• Disconnect the power cables at the battery and the alternator. Pull the battery out.

• Unbolt the two body mounts at the cowl and the other two near the grill.

• Lastly, pull off the big lower radiator hose.

• Jack up the car, and rest the front end securely on jack stands.

• Once the car is safely supported on jack stands, pull the front tires off.

• Remove the front clip.

• Removing the engine is next. Take your time and work carefully. Begin by disconnecting the headers at both ends. On the El Camino they are too tightly packed in to come out, so Christie undoes the fuel pump and the motor mounts. She then crawls underneath to hold the starter while Andrew holds it from the top.
  

• Slide the jack underneath the engine. Jack the engine up to provide more space in which to work, and you can remove the headers.

• With the headers out of the way, jack up the rear end so the driveshaft can be disconnected at the differential.

• For the project, Christie pulls a driveshaft yoke out of the new engine and sticks it into the old transmission temporarily. This keeps leakage to a minimum.

• Support the engine with a cherry picker in order to unbolt the transmission cross-member.

• Carefully lift the transmission and the engine out of the car.
  

  	Engine-mount template
  	Lining up the engine mount
  	Drilling holes for the engine mount
  	Installing the engine mount

• Next you'll have to swap out the motor mounts so the new engine will fit in the frame of the car. If you have templates used in a previous swap you can use them again here.

• After using the template to mark the mounting holes for the engine swap drill them out with a 1/2-inch drill bit and bolt the new mounts into place.

• Once the frame mounts have been swapped for the new engine, Andrew and Christie spend the remainder of the day upgrading the suspension, steering and brakes of the car so that it's ready for the new engine.

• Before installing the new engine in the car, Andrew and Christie swap out the motor mounts. The mounts for the new engine are in a slightly different place than the older engine so Andrew and Christie install offset mounts to make the engine and frame mounts line up.

• Getting the engine into the hole is a big job. Using the load leveler, Andrew and Christie carefully drop the engine into place. Once it's close they still have to keep it high enough in the front to clear the frame mounts while the transmission is still in the tunnel.

• Now the harness has to be done before the transmission goes in. You can send the harness off with your personal specifications and get it done to your liking.

• Next, Andrew and Christie install a four-speed electronic overdrive transmission in the space that once held the old three-speed transmission.

• Andrew drops down the transmission harness and Christie plugs it into the transmission. Then Christie bolts the transmission mount into place.

• Next, Andrew brings in the transmission jack and then they raise the transmission up and bolt the cross-member to the mount.

• With the jack out of the way and the weight of the transmission on the cross-member, Andrew and Christie drill out the cross-member mounting holes, which are about an inch behind the originals, and bolt it into place.

• When the transmission has been bolted in it's the perfect time to measure for the new shortened driveshaft that will connect the new transmission to the rear end.

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