Seized engine autostick removal.

[RandoRemi]

Hello! as the title states i am in a sticky situation, my engine is seized and i need to drop it (obviously ) however, i need to spin the torque converter to take the bolts out!

So you see my issue, which is a unique one to have. I've looked genuinely everywhere for a solution, and i haven't gotten much.

Any knowledge will help, ie. can you drop the engine without unbolting the TC? what's the best way to drop both the transaxle and the engine?

Thanks a bunch!

The beetle mentioned is a 1974 Superbeetle 1600CC.

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Piston rings, and crank bearings are the main culprits why an engine won’t turn over. I would disassemble the engine in the car the best you can.

I’ve literally broken cylinders with a ball peen hammer to remove them from around the piston (be sure to use a face shield). You’ll have to remove all the tin, the heads, and possibly double nut/remove the head studs. Do not hit the case, and crack it. That will sometimes allow the engine to then rotate if the bearings are free.

If the bearings are melted to the crank, that will be a little more challenging. On an engine stand, I’ve split the case halves about a 1/4 of an inch apart, then was able to lift the seized bearing off of its dowel pin to rotate the crank/bearing within the spread apart case. The transaxle will be capturing the engine case flange, and the stud in the car. You could double nut one of the lower studs to remove out of the engine case, then remove all the other fasteners to slide the engine case out of the transaxle bell housing just enough to clear the locating ring on the engine case. The torque converter should slide out enough still attached to the flex plate. Then split the case a tiny bit to get the bearing to come off the dowel pins to allow rotation of the crank/flex plate.

[RandoRemi]

[Bobs67vwagen]

Have you tried soaking the engine in auto transmission fluid to free it up? I would first try removing the plugs and saturating thru the plug holes with penetrating oil before starting a teardown. Good luck

[halfassleatherworks]

Its a pain, but just start taking it apart in the car. once you find the reason then you can pull it, most likely a sized piston.

[jeffrey8164]

Good luck disassembling the engine in the car.
I tried that when my engine wouldn’t separate from the transaxle.
You can get the tins off but you won’t be able to get the heads off.
I ended up pulling the engine and transaxle out as a unit.
Not fun at all.
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[toddgsanford]

If I recall correctly the torque converter will pull straight off the transmission output shaft. You could remove the rear apron and take motor out that way. Probably easier than engine disassembly in some ways.

[Bobs67vwagen]

is the rear apron removable on a 74 super?

[toddgsanford]

If you cut spot welds near bumper bracket

[halfassleatherworks]

take off the generator, intake, gen stand, fan housing, and oil cooler dist. and fuel pump, remove the 2 big bolts for the trans mount, disconnect shifter and the front mount, anything else, CV's an then you tip the hole thing and slid it all out and down its just a pain and make sure you have help.

[RandoRemi]

After much back and forth in my mind, I've decided that....drumroll please

ill be removing the rear apron. Seems like my best option.

I thank everyone who commented their wisdom, you lot are some real wells of knowledge