chevybayboy

iTrader: (6)

How high does it need to be jacked up to pull the trans out with it? And however many bolts is connecting the motor to k member sorry first the

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

The motor mounts are all that's holding it. I can see them. I'll probably use my jack to push the engine up to unbolt the mounts.

chevybayboy

iTrader: (6)

O OK thought so... because when I changed my motor mounts to poly "which was a bitch" I thought the only thing holing it it was the tranny... it should be a piece of cake

chrisfrost

iTrader: (8)

Jack it up enough so when You hold tranny up maybe 6 or 8" above where it's sitting on chains/ hoist which should be with the tail housing lower than the engine by maybe 8 or 10" it will clear the radiator support. I've done it maybe 15 times by Myself ,,,,,,it's really not hard at all to do . Before You do pull it out , drain the trans fluid or buy a device to push into where the driveshaft was in the tail housing or You'll have trans fluid all over the place ,,,,,like half of what the trans holds.

It's really easy to pull from top but also remove hood. You can pull engine with balancer on, tranny together You just want the trans lower than the engine with the chain/hoist holding it up,,,,,and drain the trans fluid

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

Good advice!!

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

Alright, I bought the Harbor Freight 2-ton crane tonight. The 1-ton was out of stock, and I wanted to do this weekend.

Tomorrow will be unbolting the trans and all the electronics to it and rigging some kind of valley cover support thing to bolt the chain to. Not buying the QTP or TPIS thing (though they look nice and you can swivel it on the hook).

Does anybody have any advice for that?

Sinister_Z28

Well when i pulled my motor and trans i went from the top and had the car on jack stands. I pulled the radiator, intake, starter, alternator,water pump, valve covers, power steering pump. Basically i had it stripped down to a long block. I would recommend u take off the heads and ballancer as well. The problem i ran into is getting the bell housing on the passenger side to clear the posts that the engine mounts on the block connect to. Also id use one of those adjustable bars on the chain that is connected to the engine so u can adjust the angle of the engine as u pull it. If u leave the heads on u will probably hit the cowl a little bit. Also its like installing headers get the car as high as u can safely cause if u dont like me you will have to have someone under the car bench pressing the tranny so it doesn't scrape the ground while u are trying to get the bell housing to clear. Thats what i can think of right now if any of u guys have questions just ask or hit me up.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

That sounds good.

How'd you connect the chain to the engine is more of my question. I see a lot of folks use bolts on the front of the engine and I guess the bellhousing? Or use the valley cover bolt holes with grade 8 fasteners?

The central connection sounds the best as I can pivot the engine, but I don't know how well that will hold with the trans connected... Or what to use. I've seen plates with a hook welded to them lol.

Beeler422

iTrader: (3)

I just put one bolt on the front of the engine and one diagonal across on the back. The put the hook closer to the front so that the back of the engine tilted down.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

That's a good idea. What bolts did you use? Just some Grade 8 bolts? I have ARP Head Bolts I could use...

Beeler422

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, just a couple grade 8 bolts.

Sinister_Z28

When i did my engine swap when i pulled the old motor i just pulled a head bolt in the back and one in the front but across from it like that pic a few posts up said. When i put the new engine in since i was using head studs and everything was torqued down so i just did the same thing except with the valley cover. The only issue i had with the diagonal chain method was that when ur pulling the engine up and ur trying to get everything to clear ie bell housing and the k-member posts for the engine mounts is the chain thats hooked in the back would hit the cowl. This is where one of those adjustable tilt bar things would be nice so u could just change the angle of the motor so u can make it clear the obstacles. Oh and i just gotta say it when ur putting ur chain bolts in either the head or valley cover please make sure they are tight not finger tight cause i knew a guy who did that and dropped a brand new crate engine on concrete after he lifted it off his engine stand. Also use washers between the head on ur chain bolt and the actual chain. Sorry if im saying things that everyone knows but i just dont want any one to drop a new engine.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

No, that's all good advice. I was going to experiment with the washers to make sure the chain didn't eat into anything.

Sinister_Z28

Are u gonna use just a regular piece of chain or one of those chains with the little metal parts on it specifically for pulling engines?

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

I'm going to have to go look and see. I'm going to pick up the bolts and chain in the morning. Will probably swing by Home Depot for the bolts and see what kind of chains they have, then might swing by NAPA.

Sinister_Z28

NAPA should definitely have the engine pulling chain. But i have used just a regular chain before as well just make sure its strong

1BAD02WS6

iTrader: (-1)

You can get a engine leveler with chains from harbor freight or northern tool. They are very handy and fairly cheap.

Mercutio

FYI, pulling the master cylinder is not necessary to remove the engine from the bottom. Just disconnect the spindle from the upper control arm, disconnect the shock from the LCA, and leave the UCA/shock assembly bolted to the car.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

That's good to know. I will probably drop the k-member when I go to reinstall everything. My jack stands don't give me enough room to grab the engine + trans together. And pulling the engine out of the top with no trans still means fighting with a trans under the car...