• 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 engine

streetstrip_ch

FBBO Gold Member
FBBO Gold Member
Local time
1:56 PM
Joined
May 28, 2019
Messages
63
Reaction score
38
Location
Switzerland
Hi all!

I've to freeze plugs, one on each side, so I decided to pull the engine. I'm more worried about the coming back in part. any last-minute tips?

should I keep the transmission in place or take altogether?

I wanted to detach the transmission and keep it in place, but I'm worried about the amount of work to bolt it in place laying under the car.

vehicle: 1967 Plymouth GTX - 440 - 4 speed

thanks!
 
Well first, if you're afraid of the work, you might wanna consider some other hobby. :)
Old cars with big block engines and heavy-assed transmissions aren't for the light-hearted to wrestle.
It's all heavy as hell and it can be dangerous if you're not sure what you're doing.
We're talking almost 1,000 pounds combined weight between the two, after all.

Having said all that, I've done a bunch of 440/4 speed pulls over the years.
Number one advice - get help. You'll need it, especially to help guide the engine in and out of the car
on the hoist and to be a second set of eyes.
I've done it both ways over the years - when I was younger, I didn't mind so much wrestling transmissions
under the car, but in my older years I'm doing both when pulling/installing now.
It just makes aligning clutches and transmissions, assembling them to the engine, etc. easier when they're
out in the open.

The problems with doing it this way are of course - the weight of them assembled, as well as the fact
they're LONG togther, much longer than the engine bay naturally.
It requires a good bit of steering with the hoist, tilting the tail of the transmission down, excessive heights
of them when approaching the car - all of which means you need some extra hands to help steer and guide
it all back in (not to mention, when you pull it all out to begin with).

So - a good quality engine hoist, a transmission jack of some sort (or floor jack if used properly) and extra
hands on deck and it can be done.
Just please be careful! I cannot stress enough how much weight we're talking about here.
Good luck with it!
first engine swap.jpg
 
If it's just to replace some freeze plugs, consider replacing them with the engine in the car. Snapon makes a specific tool for that. If you must pull the engine, I've found it easier to drop it out the bottom if I don't have any help.
 
When I restored my Road Runner I installed my engine and transmission assembly from below. I vowed I would never pull an engine from above again. I just changed out the engine in my Road Runner, and I did it from below again - it is so nice and controlled. In my opinion, this is the only way to go. It is really only a matter of removing 4 K member bolts and 4 transmission cross member bolts and the whole assembly drops out. Easy! (OK, a few more than that, but not much!)

Dropping the engine from below requires some way to lift the body off the car. I have a lift, but a lot of folks use an engine hoist to jack up the front of the car. But it is way more controlled than having a 700 pound clunk swinging from a chain!

Here are some pictures from when I restored it in 2015:
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...-the-restoration.65096/page-25#post-910200442

Hawk
 
Last edited:
If it's just to replace some freeze plugs, consider replacing them with the engine in the car. Snapon makes a specific tool for that. If you must pull the engine, I've found it easier to drop it out the bottom if I don't have any help.
Exactly, why not do them with the engine still in the car ?
 
Well first, if you're afraid of the work, you might wanna consider some other hobby. :)
Old cars with big block engines and heavy-assed transmissions aren't for the light-hearted to wrestle.
It's all heavy as hell and it can be dangerous if you're not sure what you're doing.
We're talking almost 1,000 pounds combined weight between the two, after all.

Having said all that, I've done a bunch of 440/4 speed pulls over the years.
Number one advice - get help. You'll need it, especially to help guide the engine in and out of the car
on the hoist and to be a second set of eyes.
I've done it both ways over the years - when I was younger, I didn't mind so much wrestling transmissions
under the car, but in my older years I'm doing both when pulling/installing now.
It just makes aligning clutches and transmissions, assembling them to the engine, etc. easier when they're
out in the open.

The problems with doing it this way are of course - the weight of them assembled, as well as the fact
they're LONG togther, much longer than the engine bay naturally.
It requires a good bit of steering with the hoist, tilting the tail of the transmission down, excessive heights
of them when approaching the car - all of which means you need some extra hands to help steer and guide
it all back in (not to mention, when you pull it all out to begin with).

So - a good quality engine hoist, a transmission jack of some sort (or floor jack if used properly) and extra
hands on deck and it can be done.
Just please be careful! I cannot stress enough how much weight we're talking about here.
Good luck with it!
View attachment 948631

thanks for the reassuring! I'm not afraid of the work, I'm more afraid if I'll have the time (I've small children), and of course, if I'll screw it up attaching the tranny to the engine. (that is where I'm worried the most)

I've done it on a few small 4cc cars, and what I don't know I'm happy to learn when doing it.

I have a hoist equalizer, so removing the engine with trans together should be easier, and my father in law will hopefully help.
 
When I restored my Road Runner I installed my engine and transmission assembly from below. I vowed I would never pull an engine from above again. I just changed out the engine in my Road Runner, and I did it from below again - it is so nice and controlled. In my opinion, this is the only way to go. It is really only a matter of removing 4 K member bolts and 4 transmission cross member bolts and the whole assembly drops out. Easy!

Dropping the engine from below requires some way to lift the body off the car. I have a lift, but a lot of folks use an engine hoist to jack up the front of the car. But it is way more controlled than having a 700 pound clunk swinging from a chain!

Here are some pictures from when I restored it in 2015:
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...-the-restoration.65096/page-25#post-910200442

Hawk
I want to try doing it that way one day. Never have, partly from fear of lifting the whole car WAY up in the air like
that. :)
Not to mention, there's the whole disturbing the t-bars and such to consider...
 
thanks for the reassuring! I'm not afraid of the work, I'm more afraid if I'll have the time (I've small children), and of course, if I'll screw it up attaching the tranny to the engine. (that is where I'm worried the most)

I've done it on a few small 4cc cars, and what I don't know I'm happy to learn when doing it.

I have a hoist equalizer, so removing the engine with trans together should be easier, and my father in law will hopefully help.
Awesome. Glad to see you're not afraid of tackling the chore. :thumbsup:
These fellas on here will be a lot more help than me - I'm an old redneck, pretty set in my ways of doing things
"old school". I agree with those saying to do the freeze plugs with the engine left in the car - THAT does work
if done properly, especially with the right tools!
If everything else is OK with the engine and transmission, freeze plugs alone shouldn't make you take it all out
of the car.
 
If it's just to replace some freeze plugs, consider replacing them with the engine in the car. Snapon makes a specific tool for that. If you must pull the engine, I've found it easier to drop it out the bottom if I don't have any help.

I tried that approach, I remove the headers and starter from the drivers side and used one of those:
s-l400.jpg


I didn't have enough space to hit it properly, so I'm not very happy with the way the freeze plug looks in there.

on the passenger side, I had even less space.

I'll google to see if I find this other snap on tool you wrote about.

When I restored my Road Runner I installed my engine and transmission assembly from below. I vowed I would never pull an engine from above again. I just changed out the engine in my Road Runner, and I did it from below again - it is so nice and controlled. In my opinion, this is the only way to go. It is really only a matter of removing 4 K member bolts and 4 transmission cross member bolts and the whole assembly drops out. Easy!

Dropping the engine from below requires some way to lift the body off the car. I have a lift, but a lot of folks use an engine hoist to jack up the front of the car. But it is way more controlled than having a 700 pound clunk swinging from a chain!

Here are some pictures from when I restored it in 2015:
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopa...-the-restoration.65096/page-25#post-910200442

Hawk

I read about it, but for me it seems even more work.
 
I suppose that is the tool: https://www.ebay.com/itm/SNAP-ON-7P...b44e4651b:g:I64AAOSwOh1eXCqG&autorefresh=true

it should be easier installing the plugs without removing the engine using it.

Awesome. Glad to see you're not afraid of tackling the chore. :thumbsup:
These fellas on here will be a lot more help than me - I'm an old redneck, pretty set in my ways of doing things
"old school". I agree with those saying to do the freeze plugs with the engine left in the car - THAT does work
if done properly, especially with the right tools!
If everything else is OK with the engine and transmission, freeze plugs alone shouldn't make you take it all out
of the car.

there are a few other things I want to do to the engine, but I can do it all without removing the engine from the car.

I got the car 5 years ago and the engine is the only place I haven't touch yet. Last summer I fixed all the wires installed a few extra gauges, clean up the interior, and so on.
 
Always does my heart good to see younger folks wanting to bring these old cars back to life.
I worry about such things - what happens when us older folk are gone to all these cars we've
spent so much time and money loving on?
 
There is an easy way to pull the engine and trans as one unit and not damage anything.. I jack the rear end of the car up in the air pretty high which changes the angle you are pulling the engine and trans out. Everyone has their own way of doing it and without some of the better tools others have, ya gotta do what you gotta do. You don't really have to even use an engine leveler, just a friend to guide it out and maybe lift a tad on the tail shaft.
 
I read about it, but for me it seems even more work.

So it seems you may be able to do the work without engine removal, but with respect to engine removal: There is nothing wrong with either way, so please understand, I am not trying to bash pulling an engine out of the top. But each has it's pros and cons.

If we forget about all the stuff you need to disconnect anyway to remove an engine (battery to starter,, ignition wires, fuel lines, radiator hoses, etc.), we can compare some of the differences. If you drop the engine out the bottom of the car you have to remove the torsion bars, disconnect your upper control arm, steering connection to your steering box and shocks. Then you remove the K member bolts and transmission mount.

By contrast, if you pull it out the top you have to remove the hood, headers/ exhaust manifolds, carb, wiring, alternator, power steering (if equipped) and radiator. Then you loosen the motor mounts and trans mounts and remove.

I may have missed a key item or two, but the point is that I really don't think the work is that much different. And let me tell you, it is WAY nicer to install headers, starter and lots of other parts when the engine is sitting out of the car than wrestling with them in the car!

Just offering food for thought...

Hawk
 
I prefer to drop it out the bottom, complete w/trans, suspension. Less chance of tearing stuff up going out the top. Manual transmissions are always bear to stab back into the engine when it's in the car, flat on your back busted knuckles with all that crap falling down in your eyes and ****. Easier to work all the angles when its out as a unit plus you can take care of a lot of other stuff while its out and make it look pretty again...IMO
 
I suppose that is the tool: https://www.ebay.com/itm/SNAP-ON-7P...b44e4651b:g:I64AAOSwOh1eXCqG&autorefresh=true

it should be easier installing the plugs without removing the engine using it.



there are a few other things I want to do to the engine, but I can do it all without removing the engine from the car.

I got the car 5 years ago and the engine is the only place I haven't touch yet. Last summer I fixed all the wires installed a few extra gauges, clean up the interior, and so on.
Buy that kit ! Makes things so much easier especially when you can't get a good swing with a hammer in the engine bay!
 
For me, I dropped my engine and transmission from underneath, but then re-installed it from the top.
It felt much safer putting the engine back in from the top - having the front of the car up in the air during removal was nerve wracking to say the least. I was doing a partial restoration so the hood was off the car anyway. You have your options, just be careful either way.
 
I usually install and remove from the bottom. I cut the handle shorter on a 1K lb table cart from harbor freight for this. Raise the car high enough in jack stands and you can lower it. When you’re done you can raise it back up bolt down the k member and trans crossmember and you’re done.
 
There is an easy way to pull the engine and trans as one unit and not damage anything.. I jack the rear end of the car up in the air pretty high which changes the angle you are pulling the engine and trans out. Everyone has their own way of doing it and without some of the better tools others have, ya gotta do what you gotta do. You don't really have to even use an engine leveler, just a friend to guide it out and maybe lift a tad on the tail shaft.
Precisely how I've done it last couple times (including the pic I posted earlier). Get the whole car up in the air, then do
the engine & trans pull together, friends helping.
 
For me, I dropped my engine and transmission from underneath, but then re-installed it from the top.
It felt much safer putting the engine back in from the top - having the front of the car up in the air during removal was nerve wracking to say the least. I was doing a partial restoration so the hood was off the car anyway. You have your options, just be careful either way.
Yep, I take the hood clean off as well. For such severe angles such as needed when doing the engine/trans combo together, one pretty much has to.
 
There is an easy way to pull the engine and trans as one unit and not damage anything.. I jack the rear end of the car up in the air pretty high which changes the angle you are pulling the engine and trans out. Everyone has their own way of doing it and without some of the better tools others have, ya gotta do what you gotta do. You don't really have to even use an engine leveler, just a friend to guide it out and maybe lift a tad on the tail shaft.
Precisely how I've done it last couple times (including the pic I posted earlier). Get the whole car up in the air, then do
the engine & trans pull together, friends helping.
That lesson was learned in part from not being able to use a trans jack under the car the time before
to guide the tail of the transmission in from below, due to a lack of clearance - *** needed to be higher!
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top