Quote:
Originally Posted by BLKTOPTRVL
- There are so many accessories and wires that will be in the way
- The transmission will have to be jacked up to align with the engine
- The driver side motor mount will want to interfere
anything else? What are some of your tricks?
Right now, I am wondering if it will be a better idea to remove the transmission, have it rebuilt and then try to install it all as a unit. |
I'm actually one those few that prefer it to do it sans trans.
I know a lot of people prefer it with the trans, but to me, the added weight just makes it that much harder to maneuver.
This is where the engine tilter is worth buying...
Yes, jacking the transmission up does help.
Removing as much of the auxiliaries helps here - I leave the engine mounts / AC / PS / manifolds off until after the engine is in place.
Once the engine is aligned with the trans input shaft, I start to secure all the trans bolts.
If you're lucky, the trans slips all the way in...
I usually start with the long starter bolt (and nut), cause this is usually the easiest to align the engine to the trans "rotation wise".
Also, the top most bolt is supposed to be threaded from the engine side first, and the nut is used to secure the trans - this bolt also helps align the engine to the trans, but most of the time it's removed and put in backwards.
Yes, you need access from underneath the vehicle to make this easier.
You might think you look stupid going from underneath the car to under the hood to back again every few seconds, but to me it's the quickest way to do this by yourself.
The key here is to tighten all the bolts at the same time to keep the space between the engine and trans as even as possible.
The last 1/4" of space is the hardest to crank down.
There are two reasons:
1) There are two position dowels on the engine, and these needs to be aligned.
2) The trans input shaft splines need to align with the splines on the clutch disc.
If you're having trouble getting the engine to mate all the way, back off the bolts a little and hand-crank the engine over back-n-forth (19mm bolt on the eccentric shaft or use the alternator nut if pulleys and belts are installed) or the driveshaft (if you're underneath and all wheels are up in the air and transmission is in gear).
This will allow the splines to all line up.
Once you get the engine and trans mated, then engine mounts can go in...
-Ted