• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Pulling 383 engine

69 Charger

Well-Known Member
Local time
2:06 AM
Joined
Jul 1, 2022
Messages
121
Reaction score
141
Location
Havelock, North Carolina
Hello, Everyone -

Just joined and have a question I hope someone can answer. I am the original owner of a 1969 Dodge Charger 383 and 4-speed with 178,283 miles. For the first time, I am pulling the engine for a rebuild and a restoration of the body. The '69 shop manual is not clear and a bit confusing on the details for the procedures. I have everything disconnected, tranny is out, and I thought I was ready to yank it, but fortunately a last check told me that the clutch torque tube is still in place. An exploded view of the thing is included in the manual, but no real instructions on removing it.
Can anyone help?

Thanks,
Steve Byers
Havelock, NC

12 Feb 69 - LF.jpg


IMG_9918.JPG
 
Disconnect the linkage from the clutch pedal and to the clutch fork. the torque shaft on the inner fender side has a nut holding the pivot ball to the inner fender remove the nut. the bell housing end has the ball pivot stud threaded in the bell housing unscrew it and the shaft should be able to be removed.
 
Welcome!

Don’t do it quite like that. Remove all the linkage and the nut in the fender well, then lift the tube upward and the threaded stub will come out of the frame bracket, then pull the tube towards the drivers side to remove it from the ball on the side of the bellhousing.

you will play he’ll removing the ball from the bellhousing with an open end wrench after 53 years. If no damage then just leave in on the bellhousing.

Nice Charger, where did the side markers go?
 
Welcome!

Don’t do it quite like that. Remove all the linkage and the nut in the fender well, then lift the tube upward and the threaded stub will come out of the frame bracket, then pull the tube towards the drivers side to remove it from the ball on the side of the bellhousing.

you will play he’ll removing the ball from the bellhousing with an open end wrench after 53 years. If no damage then just leave in on the bellhousing.

Nice Charger, where did the side markers go?
That may work but here’s the procedure in the service manual
51FA3F02-ECCD-442C-A18F-D2B817A58B94.png
 
I am the original owner of a 1969 Dodge Charger 383 and 4-speed with 178,283 miles. For the first time, I am pulling the engine for a rebuild and a restoration of the body.

Nice Charger :)

Hopeing to get that kinda mileage out of mine aswell. Currently sitting at about 90k miles. :thumbsup:
 
Welcome!

Don’t do it quite like that. Remove all the linkage and the nut in the fender well, then lift the tube upward and the threaded stub will come out of the frame bracket, then pull the tube towards the drivers side to remove it from the ball on the side of the bellhousing.

you will play he’ll removing the ball from the bellhousing with an open end wrench after 53 years. If no damage then just leave in on the bellhousing.

Nice Charger, where did the side markers go?
I did it similar to this for years on countless Mopars. I didn't remove the clip from the clutch fork shaft, just from the pedal pushrod.

Welcome to the site. Really nice Charger you have.
 
Honestly in almost 60 years of owning manual transmission Mopar's I don't remember removing one other than to install an auto transmission in their place.
 
Disconnect the linkage from the clutch pedal and to the clutch fork. the torque shaft on the inner fender side has a nut holding the pivot ball to the inner fender remove the nut. the bell housing end has the ball pivot stud threaded in the bell housing unscrew it and the shaft should be able to be removed.
Thanks, Beekeeper. That sounds easy enough. The shop manual should have been as clear.
 
I did it similar to this for years on countless Mopars. I didn't remove the clip from the clutch fork shaft, just from the pedal pushrod.

Welcome to the site. Really nice Charger you have.
Thanks for the kind words, Nxcoupe. It was a family car and daily driver for many years. The photo I posted was of the day I brought it home from the dealer, 5 February 1969.
 
Looks like I came to the right place!

Next question, before I break something: How do I remove that spring clip to separate the joints? Access to the thing to figure it out is almost nil.
Them are kinda hard to remove but I use a small chisel and hammer to tap them off or a small pair of channel locks to push them off. I probably don’t know the simple trick to remove them:lol:
 
Looks like I came to the right place!

Next question, before I break something: How do I remove that spring clip to separate the joints? Access to the thing to figure it out is almost nil.
I got the spring clips off, but not sure exactly how. Suddenly - "POP" and it was lying on the ground. I had to struggle a little more with the second one. Anyway, the torque shaft is now out.

As far as I can tell, the only thing still attaching the engine to the car is the front engine mounts. If I pull the left and right bolts marked "3" in the photo, should the engine come out? Is there a better way?

IMG_012.jpg
 
Yes the bolts marked 3 will do the trick
 
I got the spring clips off, but not sure exactly how. Suddenly - "POP" and it was lying on the ground. I had to struggle a little more with the second one. Anyway, the torque shaft is now out.

As far as I can tell, the only thing still attaching the engine to the car is the front engine mounts. If I pull the left and right bolts marked "3" in the photo, should the engine come out? Is there a better way?

View attachment 1307139
Ditto, yep
 
I hope you have removed the hood, radiator and cooling fan. Sorry but I did not go back and read everything again.
 
Thanks to all for the confirmation on the bolts to remove. Yes, the hood and everything else in the way had already been removed. I pulled the left and right bolts but the engine did not come right out. After the hoist ripped the driver's side rubber away from its metal backing, and quite a bit of prying and shoving with a crowbar, the right side mount decided to release. The engine came out after that with no further damage.
I don't expect to have to do that job ever again, but it seems to me the easier way would be to remove the bolts from the top of the engine mount. Much easier to access, and no rubber to fight. Anything wrong with that approach?

IMG_9921.JPG
 
That is a very hard way to do it, but it boils down to the fact you are doing the job and it's your car, so however you do it is up to you.
 
That is a very hard way to do it, but it boils down to the fact you are doing the job and it's your car, so however you do it is up to you.
Well, thanks for your thoughts. Why do you think that is a very hard way to do it (I'm assuming you mean removing the three bolts shown by the arrows is a hard way to do it)?. What I thought was only two bolts and lifting it out turned out not to be so easy. It's obvious that many people on this forum have a lot more experience in removing 383 engines than I do (which was nil before this job), so I'm happy to listen to better ways to do it.
 
Installation and removal of the engine is done with the two bolts you first removed. Sometimes when removing you may need to lift the engine a small amount more one side this helps to get it free. I’m not sure why you had trouble removing it by removing the two bolts thats the best way and for sure the best when installing it.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top