Engine Pulling question

[GSE2SCHMIDT]

Hey I'm getting ready to pull the engine out of my 95sub. Those upper rear eng/tranny bolts look impossible and I read the thread on removing the tranny bracket and tilting the engine using an extension and getting the top 2 bolts.

I was going to replace the motor mounts anyway and the engine is pretty stripped down.

What if I put a jack under the motor remove the motor mounts before pulling then lower the engine so it rests on the frame would it tilt the motor forward enough with no motor mounts to get to the bolts?

Anybody tried this method?

And same with reinstalling?

[derekja]

Sounds a bit scary to me. I'm not sure where exactly the engine would rest without the mounts there if you took the entire mount off, and if you just took the center bolt out I don't think it would give you much more room.

Sure you don't have enough room to get a wrench in right at the back of the engine from on top by the fuel filter? Lots of little miniscule turns and scrapped knuckles on the firewall, but that seems to be the route most people use. I think my lift kit changed the orientation enough to make that more challenging, but if I were to have to do it again I might try first without dropping the tranny.

[john8662]

You can get the bolts out w/o lowering the transmission etc.

This is the way I've done it several times now.

For me it takes extensions.

First removing all the 13mm bolts that hold on brackets (namely the nasty fuel line bracket).

One bolt on the driver's side bell housing is a pain to get because it's positioned to now allow your deep socket on it (and it's a stud/bolt).

So a ratcheting wrench (like GearWrench) works great here.

Take a lot of patience.

Remove and replace the mounts when the engine is out, to keep things safe.

J

[More Power]

Commercial shops lower the rear of the transmission enough to allow fairly easy access to the bellhousing bolts. I've participated in several trans removals using this method. Works great.

I've also removed the top two trans bellhousing bolts on each side from the top-down, by leaning over the engine. It wasn't that bad...

Jim

[DmaxMaverick]

Be sure to support the front of the engine while unbolting the tranny. With tranny and TC attached it's rear-heavy. Once the tranny is loose, it will be front-heavy. The engine mounts are rear of the balace point of the engine, and moreso if you have accessories still on it.

[dieseldummy]

I vote go in from the top. Pull the fuel filter housing and move the wiring harness out of the way. A flex head gear wrench is your best friend here...

[Robyn]

I went in from the top and stripped off the filter and moved the wiring out of the way.
All Im gonna say is that by the time the engine was out I had used some very unlady like language a few times.
The fuel lines and brackets do not reside back there any more either I might add.
Run the fuel lines up under the steering column and over the left valve cover.
Made life loads more pleasant.

Either way will work, just depends on your persistence and how many colorful metafors you wish to utter.

[derekja]

Oh, tell me more, Robyn. I've been pondering this and hating the idea of putting those fuel lines back in that inaccessible rats nest. I've been a bit afraid to change it for fear of introducing places for the fuel lines to chafe or get hot, though. Did you anchor them down somewhere? Did you have to lengthen them?

[Robyn]

here is the skinny.
While the engine was still out of the bay I removed the fuel lines from the pump.

Cut off the long steel lines and hose sections and leave a small amount of steel to hook back up to the pump and return fittings.

I soldered onto the tubing a ferrul from a ferrul fitting. This gives a good safe bump for the clamp to reside behind and keep the hose from coming off.

Use heavy hose like power steering return line or some other appropriate oil/fuel rated hose. Connect to the newly modified lines and run them under the floor boards on the drivers side. ( I used the little rubber lined clamps that use a bolt and used one for each line and single bolt to hold them both)

Lift the carpet on the drivers floor area and be sure to get any wires out of the way. Drill a hole in the proper location and fasten the lines.

Wrap the lnes with the polyethelene slinky to protect them, not absolute but agood idea.
Route the hoses up by the steering column keeping them clear of the shift mechanism.

The lines on the engine can be routed over the left valve cover and then use the proper pushlock fittings to allow you to have a disconnect point where the hoses cross the valve cover.

This was an easy task and has been working real well. The main thing is to be sure you fasten things down so the lines dont chaffe on sharp stuff or get to close to hot things.

On the bottom side of the column area there should be a stud that protrudes through the firewall (Mine had one) and this makes a perfect place to fasten the upper ends of the lines.

This is pretty much a no brainer, just observe the obvious as far as protecting the lines.

The factory did what they did to facilitate ease of assembly. The engine and tranny are dropped into the frame and the hose assembly thats already on the frame from a previous work station is swung into position, fastened to the top two tranny bolts/studs and the lines connected.

The idea that some poor SOB was goijng to have to fight this to get it off was obviously not a worry to the engineers.

Personally I would have run the steel lines up the left frame rail to a point just ahead of and below the power brake booster and then used a line set to connect over to a set of couplers on the left valve cover.

Far easier to maintain but also more costly.
The factory folks think in terms of saving every cent they can when it comes to a simple items like fuel lines and such or cheezing on a few extra inches of room to allow a mechanic to work on stuff.

They save their money with the little stuff, this is to cover the cost of fixing all the cheezy electronics that go away while the car is under warranty dont ya know.

No extra charge for the sarcasm !! ;0)

Give this a looking over and you will see that it is an easy and fast fix.

Caution Dont use cheap light weight fuel hose, get the good heavy duty stuff.

I had originally thought about brazing on JIC fittings to the fuel lines on the fame foward of the pump and running stainless armored lines but decided that was just too overkill.

Let me know if you have any questions.

OH BTW you can now toss out those two top bolts with the stud on them aqnd replace them with regular grade 5 3/8 bolts that are much easier to get a wrench on.

Robyn

[daustin]

I've pulled several engines and I usually pull the engine & trans together. Only a few more bolts holding the trans in, Crossmember..etc. You don't have to get at the engine/trans or flexplate/converterbolts and that way you can change the filter/fluid fairly easily. Fuel lines are a b*tch to get off on some motors too. Good luck.
Don