Does anyone have any tips? I've tried transmission installed on bottom, and engine coming down on top, and I have some restrictions getting the bellhousing to clear enough trans tunnel and the engine has to contend with a firewall and a power steering rack. So I think the answer is engine/trans coupled and go through the topside of the engine bay. I have jacked the car up on stands a bit, but I can't go too far up because the engine crane won't go high enough to clear the top radiator support with the engine connected and the angle it has to approach, also because the garage door has to be open to get the crane in front of the car and the garage door up means even less ceiling room. Quite the conundrum.
Do you have a load leveller?
first engine I pulled was in my rwd Impulse using one of those^. did it w/trans attached and 100% solo. put it back in the same way. grease the threads on the leveler and you're good to go.
If the radiator support is to high to clear, lower the front end by letting the air out of the tires, that should give you at least 3", possibly a lot more, depending on what kind of tires you have (hopefully not run flats LOL). You could remove the front wheels as well, which would give a lot more lowered height, but the tires are much less work.
Front lower then the rear. Always.
What are you working on? Front or rear drive? Is it something really nice that dinking up the oil pan or scraping the radiator support is a big concern? Will you have a competent helper on hand? For me on rwd, taking the trans out by itself first if usually worth the extra effort. It only adds taking out the bellhousing bolts in the car and dropping the trans, but it makes pulling the engine so much easier that its worth it. That is unless its just pulling the engine and trans from a donor vehicle, then i just yank the whole assembly because who cares.
Rodan
Reader
2/20/17 9:09 a.m.
It depends a lot on the car, but I pulled/installed engine/trans together on my Miata. Did it single handed, using a leveler. Jacking up the front a bit helped with the angles.
IMHO, much easier than pulling the trans on jackstands. If you have a lift, it may be a wash.
On the other hand, when it comes time to pull the motor out of my Bronco, the trans/txfr case will definitely be coming out first, and I will probably have to pull the front wheels to get it low enough to clear the hoist.
what kind of a vehicle are we dealing with here?
i mostly play with older GM rwd cars, and i prefer to do the engine/trans from the top as an assembly, mostly because i am usually working alone and hate dealing with bellhousing alignment and getting to the bolts in the car if i don't have to. older rwd Fords (Fox Mustang and anything older) are the same way.
Ok, back to answer some questions. The car is an '85 celica, rwd. I don't care if things get scuffed up. I need to get a load leveler. I don't have access to a lift. The engine is the 1uz, the swap has been done in this chassis before using the automatic bell housing and adapted to the manual Supra transmission so I know if fits, but I've just seen these guys put the whole enchilada in from the top. I tried to do it differently and it didn't pan out. (Which really makes me wonder if I'll have to pull the engine every timeI have to change the clutch...)
I've always wanted the nose high so you can sort of stab the trans/engine down in around the front cross member then raise the trans up with a jack under the car. Technique last used on a 3rd gen firebird with a 350 and Th350.
Doing this without a load leveler is an exercise in futility.
With a leveler, I would put the nose at normal height so you don't have to lift the assembly as high.
If you need to have someone underneath to guid the transmission, then put the car on jackstands so that it is level and sturdily supported.
Also remove he hood so you have room to work, just mark the holes so you don't have to readjust as much during reassembly.
Basically, remove as much as necessary to fit the major assembly, then put it all back on after it is in place. Things like the radiator, power steering, pump, alternator, vacuum/electrical lines, even the steering rack or cross member may need to be removed or set aside to make it easier to fit the drivetrain.
Hood, rad, and ps all removed already. I'll pick up a load leveler today. Thanks guys.
Stefan wrote:
With a leveler, I would put the nose at normal height so you don't have to lift the assembly as high.
The cars I've done it on (Miatas, Mustangs, one or two others) we needed to have the car on jackstands to make enough room for the tail shaft of the transmission to clear when coming into the engine bay at a diagonal.
codrus wrote:
Stefan wrote:
With a leveler, I would put the nose at normal height so you don't have to lift the assembly as high.
The cars I've done it on (Miatas, Mustangs, one or two others) we needed to have the car on jackstands to make enough room for the tail shaft of the transmission to clear when coming into the engine bay at a diagonal.
Bingo. This car is fairly low. If I encounter it, I might hack out the rad support and weld it back in later.
Does your radiator support unbolt? I've seen some that do and it seems like it would make it a lot easier to slide the drive train in.
I just pulled an MGB engine and transmission today.
Make sure you chain up everything as close as possible to the hoist arm. Extra length there really comes back to bite you on both ceiling clearance and oilpanoverthegrill clearance.
Re pulling the engine to change the clutch, two things.
- I have never owned a car long enough to change a clutch twice. Do it now and probably never again.
- Mgbs have a permanent cross member underneath the trans that prevents transmission only removal. Some people cut it out completely and try to bolt it back or weld it back. I would just opt to remove them both together, but note that you can change a clutch without removing either. Just unbolt the trans and move it back enough to gain access to the clutch.
