TheSamba.com :: View topic - physics, jacking 1st engine removal question

Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:36 pm

Hi!
I'm getting ready for my first engine pull. Visualizing in my head, if i jack the car up 2 feet, the motor will be facing down toward the tranny. will this make it harder to pull and affect jack surface area?
i was thinking, could i drop the motor without jacking up the car, lower it down, then jack the car up? that way it would be level coming off the trans imput.
also, alls i gotta do it replace the throw-out bearing, will i have to take the engine completely out of the bay? can i just slip it in and raise the motor right back up?
i guess some of it hinges on what i find...if everythings dry and what-not.
thanks again!
jeff

Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:14 pm

your kind of right about what you said about jacking up the car and angles and such. Not a major issue although when i jack up the car tall enough to pull out the engine it does get a little high for working You can do it like you said and drop the engine and then raise the car. I kinda split the difference. I jack it up somewhat... put some stands under it and then pull the engine. Sometimes it will slip out the side or out the back. . You can lower the engine onto a couple blocks..then you can pull out the jack and use it to jack up the car and then raise your jack stands and go back and pull out the engine.

You might be able to put your throwout bearing on without pulling the engine out but it will be a pain so just take it out of the way. 2 minutes well spent

Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:42 pm

It really works better if your car is reasonably level but at the same time high enough so the rear apron is 22 inches above the floor.

Here is a list of what I did, (I've added a bit about how to get the car UP, but level). I just did mine recently (3 times in two weeks) so I thought I'd offer some useful tips that are not in the repair books. This is what I did for my 71 Super (total removal time about 20 minutes): [Its REALLY quite easy and quick]

1) Get all the repair books you can which cover your year. Compare the item removal lists and then make your own based on what's on your own car. Its important to have everything disconnected before you start pulling it off the transmission housing.

2a) Drive the car backwards up on low-profile ramps to get it up higher.
2b) Jack up the FRONT end until its a little above the rear and set it on jackstands.
2c) Jack up the REAR some more until its 22 inches above the floor and set it on jackstands. Now the whole car will be mostly level which will make pulling the engine a LOT easier.

3) Remove/disconnect all the items on the list.

4) Get a good floor jack with a round ~4inch cup on the end of the jack. This will fit perfectly around the oil drain plate (which you will need to do later). Make sure the jack you use retracts as low as possible (get one with a 4-inch cup but which is "low profile").

5) With the rear apron 22 inches above the ground, you will be able to pull backwards the engine with the fan shroud still on (we want to make this EASY!) You can use the floor jack and a beam across the transmission mounting fork, just forward (to the front of car) of the engine/bell hosing seam. Just make sure you jack on the fork, and not on the transmission itself.

6) Set the car down on jack stands placed under the torque tubes, inside of the fenders.

7) Using your floorjack, lay some long blocks (lets call the short beams) across the jack cup. I think I used two 6x6s and one 2x4 laid flat on top. Crank up the jack so that the 2x4 is centered on, and lifting on the oil drain plate. (Don't worry, the 2x4 is soft and the engine isn't THAT heavy). A few more pumps will take the weight of the engine off the wheels.

You want to lift up the engine only until the weight is fully off the wheels, but no more.

9) Remove the bolts holding the engine to the bell housing. There should be THREE - one found in the lower left (drivers side), one found on the lower right (passember side) and one found on the upper right (passemger side) which is above the starter. For the lower ones use a ratcheting box-end wrench and for the upper one you have to remove the nut on the ENGINE SIDE (behind the fan). For this nut also use a ratcheting box-end wrench, and once loose, reach behind the fan with your RIGHT hand to turn it off and remove it. Once off, push the bolt FORWARD to the front of the car so it is clear of the engine flange.

10) Using the jack (adjusting it ever so slightly up or down) and wiggling the engine from left to right) you'll be able to pull the engine back about 1 to 2 inches. You'll feel it come loose.

11) Lower the jack just a little bit and let the rear of the engine tip down a little (where the tin meets the apron). In this situation just grab the fan housing and pull backward).

12) Peek over the fan housing to make sure you are clear of the transmission shaft.

13) If so, start to lower the engine down.

14) Lower it on to blocks placed fore & aft under the heat exchangers. If I recall I used two 6x6 and one 2x4.

15) Remove the blocks you placed on the jack cup.

16) Jack up the cup until it surrounds the oil drain plate. Lift it off the blocks.

17) Let it down and pull it backwards. It should just clear the apron by about 3/4 inch.

If the car is jacked up too high, you'll have difficulty finding a car jack to do the job. If its jacked up too low, the fan shroud won't clear the apron. So 22 inches plus or minus is the right height.

1 Just pull the floor jack (with engine balanced on it) over to your hoist. Hoist it up and set the heat exchanges on some block, or attach it to an engine stand.

Anyway, that's what I did. Worked slicker than snot, as they say. Maybe next time I'll take some pictures.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:08 am

Thanks alot! Great info!

Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:15 am

UH, three bolts holdin in the engine? Better have four. :wink:

Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:59 am

Great explanation pjanderson
I have my own method but it is better to have the engine out of the way to replace the throwout bearing...gives you chance to clean stuff.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:03 am

gimpy60 wrote: UH, three bolts holdin in the engine? Better have four. :wink:

Only two bolts. :wink:

Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:24 am

Point taken :roll: