v8 swap help?.....

[carslut]

so i have never actually installed a v8 by it self only ever helped people do it and we always did the tranny at the same time. well my truck blew its motor and i have to swap it out by my self and im only changing the motor. this is on a 91' k2500 Chevy truck. if anyone has some tips fro me on things i should do and things not to do i would be very thankful. this starts tomorrow........ cant wait to have my truck back.... also about how long does this normally take you guys?... thought would ask incase i need to reschedule my life ahah....

[Livewire]

Label everywire. Use plastic baggies for seperate bolts, LABEL them!

My friend did a motor swap and put all the bolts in a coffee can, what a dumbass...

[convict]

I pulled a carb'd chevy 350 out of my jeep, rebuilt and put it back in and took about a week. The block was at the machine shop for four days. This was my first engine pull and rebuild. The one thing that I would do different is take my time labeling everything before I pull the motor. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out where everyting went . Also make sure you have all the parts that you need to order before you start makes putting it together a lot quicker.

EDIT: what livewire said It might help if I read the whole post before responding

[carslut]

put in like a whole whopping 2 hrs today ........ went to get gaskets after i worked on letting fluids out and starting to remove the easy stuff..... and wow in the state of Texas i cant seem to get a freaking gasket kit..... boy this is going to be fun.... 2 parts stores cant get a kit in under 2 weeks 1 cant get a gasket kit in under a week..... what gives is this a motor that is u know.... not ever going to die so no one has parts?.......... ug...... joy...... any how thanks guys!

[burnt-kat]

advice <maybe a bit late now>:

get a pack of ziplock bags and a sharpie. Label every subassembly and put the bolts in the bag. IE: AC bolts, power steering bolts, etc. Put a note about any wierd locations <short bolt goes under unit, that sort of thing>

I replaced the 4.0 in my Jeep in my apartment parking lot in 3 days. Most of that was spent avoiding the resident manager. No longer a problem since I have a garage now.

[asnowsquall]

a digital camera or camcorder can help too! You may find good places to get things online were they can deliver to you so that you have them within a few days.

[Beater_K20]

i've changed one before in 20 minutes with the help of 2 friends. mind you this was in a demolition derby car between the heat and the feature. pulled the engine out of our car, and a few other guys unbolted the engine out of the donor car. used a towtruck boom to lift it out, had everything rewired (ignition, starter, alternator) and the stacks on it and running again within that 20 minutes. i would say if this is your first, set aside a whole weekend if you have all the parts, and plan on working on it on Sunday, even though you'll probably really get it done on Saturday.

[orangeamcs]

order gaskets from summit youl have them in 2 days

[sewerzuk]

Mail order for EVERYTHING...that's what I ALWAYS do. Cheaper than my local parts houses, and I usually get the parts sooner. Since you're in TX, Scroggin-Dickey probably can get the stuff in a day or two. their website is:
http://www.sdpc2000.com
Of course, there's always Summit and Jeg's...
If you're in a hurt for them right away, go to a chevy dealer. You'll pay $$$, but they usually have gaskets in stock.