Here it is guys. Complete how to. I did not write this and I would like to give the writer ful credit.
Travis Williams AKA (TravisWilliams_GT) Of probetalk
^^ Author of this information.
2 Gen KLZE SWAP
Welcome to the 2G GT Tech section. Within these hallowed threads you will find many useful and helpful references to many people that came way way way before you, such as Mike P., J. Bradbury, Ross Lapkof, and even Michel Fortier. Many of these people pushed the limits to our knowledge of these cars and opened up many different possibilities that today we take for granted. Julian, specifically, offered technical reference that was unsurpassed, of which I R.C.S.A.d a long time ago. Perhaps what you read here will be something that warrants use of your right mouse button as well.
Now many of you have already read the Change your own clutch thread. I hope it has helped many of you in turning some of your own wrenches on your car. What follows will be a similar thread, but geared towards a complete KL-03 to KL-ZE Swap. I will try to provide you with as many of the idiosyncrasies as I can remember and/or have solutions to. So sit back, relax, and all you pros can see if I missed anything
This list will be separated into three sections: removal, maintenance/performance, and prep for install/installation. I will try to keep it as concise as possible
For starters, make sure you have everything before you start anything. Here is a basic list:
A car with a KL block already in itthat needs the KL-ZE.
A complete replacement KL-ZE Motor.
Drain pan capable of collecting up to 8 qt of oil / gear lube.
A separate container capable of collecting up to 2 gallons of antifreeze / coolant.
A basic set of hand tools including but not limited to:
1. Metric 3/8 drive ratchet set from 8mm to 17mm w/ extension up to 12 (this is about standard)
2. Metric drive ratchets in 17, 19, & 23 mm
3. Small assortment of Philips and Flat head screwdrivers
4. Snub and Long needle nose pliers
5. 5# sledge hammer
6. Perhaps a 10 # as well
7. Center Punch and Chisel Punch
8. Metric open/box end wrenches 8mm to 17mm (I prefer the Gear Wrenches)
9. Metric Allen set
10. Floor jack with 12-15 lift
11. Jack stands
12. Preferably drive torque wrench
Make sure you have someplace to do this, preferably a flat driveway or garage if applicable. Also make sure your neighbors will not take offense to you turning their community into their own little slice of Alabama.
Ample time to accomplish this; my best time on a straight swap (no performance crap at the same time) was right at 6 hr.
You will hurt the day after this so get some Advil or alcohol now.
Full quantities of replacement fluid:
a. 2 oil filters
b. 5 quarts of cheap oil
c. 5 quarts of Mobil 1
d. one gallon of coolant, or 2 gallons of 50/50 pre-mix
e. 3 quarts of gear lube; your choice (Red Line, Royal Purple, GM Synchromesh, just regular 75W90
And finally an Engine Hoist, Cherry Picker, or equivalent
Bear in mind that this is for a manual transmission equipped vehicle; the automatic is slightly different, whereas the transmission will remain in the vehicle
REMOVAL 101
Raise and support the vehicle, placing the jack stands under the lower control arm rear bushings
Remove the wheels and place them under the car below the doors, for safety just in case.
Remove both underside splash shields (if applicable) 10 mm, 8 mm, Phillips plastic retainer
Begin by draining all the fluids:
a. Motor oil via the pan drain plug assorted sizes 14 -19 mm
b. Leave the oil filter on, it will keep it from leaking everywhere
c. Gear lube from the transmission drain plug 23 mm
d. Coolant into your separate container via the radiator petcock (near A/C Compressor) remove the radiator cap to help it drain more quickly
Also drain the coolant in the motors water jacket by removing the coolant line to the oil cooler above the oil filter long needle nose pliers work best here, relieve the clamp and move it up the hose, and if the hose is stubborn, rotate it with the pliers, it should break free.
Do this for both hoses to drain as much coolant as possible, and reconnect them afterwards to stop leakage on removal
The radiator will drain slowly, so in the meantime you can begin by removing any air intake you may have up to the throttle body, PA, HS, eBay, or factory.- 8 mm, 12 mm, or flat head screwdriver
Remove the battery and battery tray 10 mm
Remove the battery tray bracket to the frame 10 mm x 2
Remove the distributor and spark plug wires 12 mm x 2
Remove the wires still in the wire holders, use a small screwdriver to lift the plastic retainer and slide the whole thing up easier to install later
By this time the coolant should be drained. Close the petcock and relieve the spring clamps on the coolant supply hose and return hoses at the motor. If the hose feels stuck, twist it.
Remove the two upper radiator hooks 12 mm x 2
Disconnect the two radiator fan plugs, and remove the chassis wires from the radiator if they are still connected. The radiator must be completely free from the car for the next step
remove the radiator
Now begin on the wire harness
Disconnect the oil pressure sending unit by squeezing the clip
Disconnect the alternator at the plug and flip up the little plastic cover on the cable, remove that nut with a 12 mm socket
Remove the wire harness retainers on the front valve cover 10 mm x 2
Disconnect the front 02 sensor
Feed the wire around the coolant neck to the thermostat
Disconnect the starter by squeezing the exciter clip and pull up the little rubber cover on the cable, remove that nut with a 12 mm socket
Disconnect the fuel rail plugs, knock sensor, throttle body, Idle Air Control, & Fuel Pressure Regulator
Do not be alarmed from all the plastic crunching sounds that the wire harness makes as you are moving it around. That plastic used to be black rubber electrical tape, but with thousands of heat cycles, it gets brittle. HOWEVER, Try not to move it around too much, so when you lay the harness back in after the motor is installed, the wires will retain a memory of where they used to be to help you plug everything back in.
Now concentrate on the transmission There are quite a few wire harness connections on ore near the transmission:
1. Front of the transmission, under the starter reverse switch, white plug
2. Middle of the transmission, near the fuel filter park/neutral position switch, black plug
3. Rear of the transmission, directly under the throttle body speed sensor, grey plug
4. Now get the grounds, large multiple one at the upper motor mount 17 mm
5. 4 wire black one at a central bracket 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
6. Single wire black at same bracket 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
7. Heavy gauge black/yellow tracer at transmission/rear motor mount support beam 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
8. Go ahead and remove the brackets as well your discretion to reinstall after the fact
9. The rear bracket with the wire harness plugs on it has the retainer bolt under the rear harness plug long needle nose will relieve the plastic clip to gain access to it - 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
10. Remove the support beam from rear motor mount to the transmission 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
11. Remove the fuel filter upper retaining nuts 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
12. Remove the fuel supply line from the top of the fuel filter, and then remove the fuel return line from the rigid line at the motor. This way it only goes back in one way
REMOVAL 102
Now go back to wire harness unplugging
Disconnect the EGR 3 wire at the EGR
Move over to the passenger side
Disconnect the crank sensor 3 wire
Disconnect the coolant temp sensor 2 wire
Disconnect the coolant gauge sensor 1 wire
Pull that section free and peek down at the top of the power steering pump
There is one 10 mm nut and one 10 mm bolt that you need to remove to free the upper P/S Pump. Both of them are P/S hose bracket retainers. 10 mm and 12 extension will work here.
Now move around to the back of the Intake Manifold
Disconnect the VRIS 2 wire brown and black
Disconnect the canister purge 2 wire black
Reach down behind and unplug the EGR Solenoids, they are together on a small bracket that supports the Intake Manifold this is the @!#$@ bolt
BE VERY CAREFUL, These are Expensive to Replace
I recommend you remove them now to save on damage to them on removal 12 mm
There are 2 vacuum lines feeding them, find the vacuum line that tees off the VRIS VAC supply, and disconnect it from the tee. Then remove the other line from the EGR Assembly. This is the VENT line. This way it will only go back together one way; one connection up, one connection down.
Remove the throttle body cable and the brake booster hose from the Intake Manifold
Now get up under the car.
Lower cross member 17 mm x 6
Start with the Exhaust. 3 bolts on the collectors - 14 mm
There is a good possibility that these will break off, so pre-spraying them with some PB Blaster or other penetrant may help
Removing the exhaust hooks into the rubber isolators will allow you to lower it and get it out of the way
Next remove the shift linkage 12 mm and pin, note the plastic bushings in the transmission sleeve
Remove the shift linkage stabilizer and bushing 14 mm nut
NOTE: Some transmissions I have seen the stud come out instead of the nut, which isnt a problem, but it could cause a few. No need to elaborate, just remove the nut and thread back in the stud to the hole it came out of.
Now you should be able to see the rear motor mount bracket to the transmission.
START ON THE TOP BOLT! Break it loose and thread it out by hand
Next is the middle one, same thing
Finally break loose the lower one and remove it. Youll thank me because if it does bind up, there is the top one.more room to swing the ratchet on the lower one versus
Once they are removed, see how much movement you can get out of that bracket. Excessive play either way means your motor mount is poop.
Move forward to the lower motor mount and remove it 14 mm x 2
remove the front motor mount 17 mm x 2 & 17 mm thru bolt
Move over to the A/C Compressor, and remove the retaining bolts 12 mm x 4
Now remove the alternator 12 mm x 2 & a lower 14 mm lower bolt
NOTE: Do not attempt to remove the lower 14 mm, just loosen it. Once it is loose you can swing the alternator out away from the motor and work it back and forth. It will slide out of its groove, set it in the good pile
Now loosen the alt-a/c belt tensioner and remove the belt 17 mm nut & 10 mm tension bolt
The A/C Compressor may fall free, but dont worry, itll be fine. . Leave it there, and doing it this way means not having to get the a/c system recharged, because the system has not been breached.
Now remove the tensioner pulley by unthreading the 17 mm all the way
Now remove the tensioner bracket 12 mm upper and lower
Next break the power steering pump center nut loose, normally 17 or 19 mm. Keep the belt tensioned to stop the pulley from moving. If it still moves, a 12 mm socket placed on one of its retaining bolts will stop it from rotating.
Now loosen the p/s wp tensioner and remove the belt - 17 mm nut & 10 mm tension bolt
Remove the p/s pulley and remove the retaining bolts 12 mm x 3
Go back under and remove the rear 14 mm p/s bracket bolt
At this point the PS Pump should pull free, since you already took care of the upper brackets. Leave it there, and doing it this way means no huge Power steering leak or mess, because the system has not been breached.
Remove the ABS Sensors (if Applicable) from the hubs 12 mm x 3
Remove the brake line retainer clip from the strut
Remove the strut bolts from the hub 17 mm x 2
Get your hammer and help the passenger side inner joint off the intermediate shaft, one or 2 good smacks will break it loose, and then slide it off the rest of the way.
The outer hub will lie out freely, and this will be enough clearance to get the motor out when that time comes. This will leave the axle in the hub, but disconnected from the intermediate shaft.
Next do the Driver side, use the hammer and the Chisel between the transmission and input shaft. One or two good smacks will pop it loose, unless there is a problem with the c-clip. Reference the Change your own clutch thread for clarification. Same thing here with the axle still in the hub, but out of the transmission. This will save you 20-30 minutes of labor fighting with the axles and hubs.
The outer hub will lie out freely, and this will be enough clearance to get the motor out when that time comes.
Now get the engine hoist ready and attach it to the motor hooks
Lift up until you have relieved the weight of the motor / transmission from the vehicle
Now remove the passenger side motor mount 17 mm nut x 3 & 17 mm thru bolt
Read the next line thoroughly
Before you remove the driver side motor mount bolts, note the location of the upper nuts/bolts in the driver side motor mount with a silver sharpie, white-out, was pencil or spray paint or something. This is critical on reinstallation for REAR Motor Mount alignment.
Remove the motor mount nuts and bolts 17 mm x 4
The 4th one is down on a leg below the fuel filter, dont forget it
Once free, lower the motor about 4, or till it rests on the sub frame
Remove the Motor Mount thru Bolt 17 mm nut, the bolt is a square head that sits in a keyway, replace it in the same orientation
Now you are ready to remove the Motor
Slowly begin its ascent, note the locations of all peripherals and accessories.
The axles will clear and remain in the bay
The Power Steering Pump will remain in the bay
The A/C Compressor will remain in the bay
As it rises, you will want to angle it so that the transmission pan ascends where the battery once was. This is the easiest way to remove.
push the hub assemblies back toward the car to relieve stress on the brake lines.
Once clear set it down and take a break. You should be 2 hrs into this job.
Travis Williams AKA (TravisWilliams_GT) Of probetalk
^^ Author of this information.
2 Gen KLZE SWAP
Welcome to the 2G GT Tech section. Within these hallowed threads you will find many useful and helpful references to many people that came way way way before you, such as Mike P., J. Bradbury, Ross Lapkof, and even Michel Fortier. Many of these people pushed the limits to our knowledge of these cars and opened up many different possibilities that today we take for granted. Julian, specifically, offered technical reference that was unsurpassed, of which I R.C.S.A.d a long time ago. Perhaps what you read here will be something that warrants use of your right mouse button as well.
Now many of you have already read the Change your own clutch thread. I hope it has helped many of you in turning some of your own wrenches on your car. What follows will be a similar thread, but geared towards a complete KL-03 to KL-ZE Swap. I will try to provide you with as many of the idiosyncrasies as I can remember and/or have solutions to. So sit back, relax, and all you pros can see if I missed anything
This list will be separated into three sections: removal, maintenance/performance, and prep for install/installation. I will try to keep it as concise as possible
For starters, make sure you have everything before you start anything. Here is a basic list:
A car with a KL block already in itthat needs the KL-ZE.
A complete replacement KL-ZE Motor.
Drain pan capable of collecting up to 8 qt of oil / gear lube.
A separate container capable of collecting up to 2 gallons of antifreeze / coolant.
A basic set of hand tools including but not limited to:
1. Metric 3/8 drive ratchet set from 8mm to 17mm w/ extension up to 12 (this is about standard)
2. Metric drive ratchets in 17, 19, & 23 mm
3. Small assortment of Philips and Flat head screwdrivers
4. Snub and Long needle nose pliers
5. 5# sledge hammer
6. Perhaps a 10 # as well
7. Center Punch and Chisel Punch
8. Metric open/box end wrenches 8mm to 17mm (I prefer the Gear Wrenches)
9. Metric Allen set
10. Floor jack with 12-15 lift
11. Jack stands
12. Preferably drive torque wrench
Make sure you have someplace to do this, preferably a flat driveway or garage if applicable. Also make sure your neighbors will not take offense to you turning their community into their own little slice of Alabama.
Ample time to accomplish this; my best time on a straight swap (no performance crap at the same time) was right at 6 hr.
You will hurt the day after this so get some Advil or alcohol now.
Full quantities of replacement fluid:
a. 2 oil filters
b. 5 quarts of cheap oil
c. 5 quarts of Mobil 1
d. one gallon of coolant, or 2 gallons of 50/50 pre-mix
e. 3 quarts of gear lube; your choice (Red Line, Royal Purple, GM Synchromesh, just regular 75W90
And finally an Engine Hoist, Cherry Picker, or equivalent
Bear in mind that this is for a manual transmission equipped vehicle; the automatic is slightly different, whereas the transmission will remain in the vehicle
REMOVAL 101
Raise and support the vehicle, placing the jack stands under the lower control arm rear bushings
Remove the wheels and place them under the car below the doors, for safety just in case.
Remove both underside splash shields (if applicable) 10 mm, 8 mm, Phillips plastic retainer
Begin by draining all the fluids:
a. Motor oil via the pan drain plug assorted sizes 14 -19 mm
b. Leave the oil filter on, it will keep it from leaking everywhere
c. Gear lube from the transmission drain plug 23 mm
d. Coolant into your separate container via the radiator petcock (near A/C Compressor) remove the radiator cap to help it drain more quickly
Also drain the coolant in the motors water jacket by removing the coolant line to the oil cooler above the oil filter long needle nose pliers work best here, relieve the clamp and move it up the hose, and if the hose is stubborn, rotate it with the pliers, it should break free.
Do this for both hoses to drain as much coolant as possible, and reconnect them afterwards to stop leakage on removal
The radiator will drain slowly, so in the meantime you can begin by removing any air intake you may have up to the throttle body, PA, HS, eBay, or factory.- 8 mm, 12 mm, or flat head screwdriver
Remove the battery and battery tray 10 mm
Remove the battery tray bracket to the frame 10 mm x 2
Remove the distributor and spark plug wires 12 mm x 2
Remove the wires still in the wire holders, use a small screwdriver to lift the plastic retainer and slide the whole thing up easier to install later
By this time the coolant should be drained. Close the petcock and relieve the spring clamps on the coolant supply hose and return hoses at the motor. If the hose feels stuck, twist it.
Remove the two upper radiator hooks 12 mm x 2
Disconnect the two radiator fan plugs, and remove the chassis wires from the radiator if they are still connected. The radiator must be completely free from the car for the next step
remove the radiator
Now begin on the wire harness
Disconnect the oil pressure sending unit by squeezing the clip
Disconnect the alternator at the plug and flip up the little plastic cover on the cable, remove that nut with a 12 mm socket
Remove the wire harness retainers on the front valve cover 10 mm x 2
Disconnect the front 02 sensor
Feed the wire around the coolant neck to the thermostat
Disconnect the starter by squeezing the exciter clip and pull up the little rubber cover on the cable, remove that nut with a 12 mm socket
Disconnect the fuel rail plugs, knock sensor, throttle body, Idle Air Control, & Fuel Pressure Regulator
Do not be alarmed from all the plastic crunching sounds that the wire harness makes as you are moving it around. That plastic used to be black rubber electrical tape, but with thousands of heat cycles, it gets brittle. HOWEVER, Try not to move it around too much, so when you lay the harness back in after the motor is installed, the wires will retain a memory of where they used to be to help you plug everything back in.
Now concentrate on the transmission There are quite a few wire harness connections on ore near the transmission:
1. Front of the transmission, under the starter reverse switch, white plug
2. Middle of the transmission, near the fuel filter park/neutral position switch, black plug
3. Rear of the transmission, directly under the throttle body speed sensor, grey plug
4. Now get the grounds, large multiple one at the upper motor mount 17 mm
5. 4 wire black one at a central bracket 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
6. Single wire black at same bracket 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
7. Heavy gauge black/yellow tracer at transmission/rear motor mount support beam 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
8. Go ahead and remove the brackets as well your discretion to reinstall after the fact
9. The rear bracket with the wire harness plugs on it has the retainer bolt under the rear harness plug long needle nose will relieve the plastic clip to gain access to it - 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
10. Remove the support beam from rear motor mount to the transmission 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
11. Remove the fuel filter upper retaining nuts 10 mm ratchet with 12 extension
12. Remove the fuel supply line from the top of the fuel filter, and then remove the fuel return line from the rigid line at the motor. This way it only goes back in one way
REMOVAL 102
Now go back to wire harness unplugging
Disconnect the EGR 3 wire at the EGR
Move over to the passenger side
Disconnect the crank sensor 3 wire
Disconnect the coolant temp sensor 2 wire
Disconnect the coolant gauge sensor 1 wire
Pull that section free and peek down at the top of the power steering pump
There is one 10 mm nut and one 10 mm bolt that you need to remove to free the upper P/S Pump. Both of them are P/S hose bracket retainers. 10 mm and 12 extension will work here.
Now move around to the back of the Intake Manifold
Disconnect the VRIS 2 wire brown and black
Disconnect the canister purge 2 wire black
Reach down behind and unplug the EGR Solenoids, they are together on a small bracket that supports the Intake Manifold this is the @!#$@ bolt
BE VERY CAREFUL, These are Expensive to Replace
I recommend you remove them now to save on damage to them on removal 12 mm
There are 2 vacuum lines feeding them, find the vacuum line that tees off the VRIS VAC supply, and disconnect it from the tee. Then remove the other line from the EGR Assembly. This is the VENT line. This way it will only go back together one way; one connection up, one connection down.
Remove the throttle body cable and the brake booster hose from the Intake Manifold
Now get up under the car.
Lower cross member 17 mm x 6
Start with the Exhaust. 3 bolts on the collectors - 14 mm
There is a good possibility that these will break off, so pre-spraying them with some PB Blaster or other penetrant may help
Removing the exhaust hooks into the rubber isolators will allow you to lower it and get it out of the way
Next remove the shift linkage 12 mm and pin, note the plastic bushings in the transmission sleeve
Remove the shift linkage stabilizer and bushing 14 mm nut
NOTE: Some transmissions I have seen the stud come out instead of the nut, which isnt a problem, but it could cause a few. No need to elaborate, just remove the nut and thread back in the stud to the hole it came out of.
Now you should be able to see the rear motor mount bracket to the transmission.
START ON THE TOP BOLT! Break it loose and thread it out by hand
Next is the middle one, same thing
Finally break loose the lower one and remove it. Youll thank me because if it does bind up, there is the top one.more room to swing the ratchet on the lower one versus
Once they are removed, see how much movement you can get out of that bracket. Excessive play either way means your motor mount is poop.
Move forward to the lower motor mount and remove it 14 mm x 2
remove the front motor mount 17 mm x 2 & 17 mm thru bolt
Move over to the A/C Compressor, and remove the retaining bolts 12 mm x 4
Now remove the alternator 12 mm x 2 & a lower 14 mm lower bolt
NOTE: Do not attempt to remove the lower 14 mm, just loosen it. Once it is loose you can swing the alternator out away from the motor and work it back and forth. It will slide out of its groove, set it in the good pile
Now loosen the alt-a/c belt tensioner and remove the belt 17 mm nut & 10 mm tension bolt
The A/C Compressor may fall free, but dont worry, itll be fine. . Leave it there, and doing it this way means not having to get the a/c system recharged, because the system has not been breached.
Now remove the tensioner pulley by unthreading the 17 mm all the way
Now remove the tensioner bracket 12 mm upper and lower
Next break the power steering pump center nut loose, normally 17 or 19 mm. Keep the belt tensioned to stop the pulley from moving. If it still moves, a 12 mm socket placed on one of its retaining bolts will stop it from rotating.
Now loosen the p/s wp tensioner and remove the belt - 17 mm nut & 10 mm tension bolt
Remove the p/s pulley and remove the retaining bolts 12 mm x 3
Go back under and remove the rear 14 mm p/s bracket bolt
At this point the PS Pump should pull free, since you already took care of the upper brackets. Leave it there, and doing it this way means no huge Power steering leak or mess, because the system has not been breached.
Remove the ABS Sensors (if Applicable) from the hubs 12 mm x 3
Remove the brake line retainer clip from the strut
Remove the strut bolts from the hub 17 mm x 2
Get your hammer and help the passenger side inner joint off the intermediate shaft, one or 2 good smacks will break it loose, and then slide it off the rest of the way.
The outer hub will lie out freely, and this will be enough clearance to get the motor out when that time comes. This will leave the axle in the hub, but disconnected from the intermediate shaft.
Next do the Driver side, use the hammer and the Chisel between the transmission and input shaft. One or two good smacks will pop it loose, unless there is a problem with the c-clip. Reference the Change your own clutch thread for clarification. Same thing here with the axle still in the hub, but out of the transmission. This will save you 20-30 minutes of labor fighting with the axles and hubs.
The outer hub will lie out freely, and this will be enough clearance to get the motor out when that time comes.
Now get the engine hoist ready and attach it to the motor hooks
Lift up until you have relieved the weight of the motor / transmission from the vehicle
Now remove the passenger side motor mount 17 mm nut x 3 & 17 mm thru bolt
Read the next line thoroughly
Before you remove the driver side motor mount bolts, note the location of the upper nuts/bolts in the driver side motor mount with a silver sharpie, white-out, was pencil or spray paint or something. This is critical on reinstallation for REAR Motor Mount alignment.
Remove the motor mount nuts and bolts 17 mm x 4
The 4th one is down on a leg below the fuel filter, dont forget it
Once free, lower the motor about 4, or till it rests on the sub frame
Remove the Motor Mount thru Bolt 17 mm nut, the bolt is a square head that sits in a keyway, replace it in the same orientation
Now you are ready to remove the Motor
Slowly begin its ascent, note the locations of all peripherals and accessories.
The axles will clear and remain in the bay
The Power Steering Pump will remain in the bay
The A/C Compressor will remain in the bay
As it rises, you will want to angle it so that the transmission pan ascends where the battery once was. This is the easiest way to remove.
push the hub assemblies back toward the car to relieve stress on the brake lines.
Once clear set it down and take a break. You should be 2 hrs into this job.