engine vs engine/trans drop differences
 

Hello, I have been dilligently working through Waynes engine drop article and have most things disconnected. What are the additional items to be done when dropping with the tranny. I am really struggling at the moment with the items above above the trans brace i.e. reverse switch, speedo cable, throttle linkage. Are all these required to be removed? Is it advisable to support the transmission and remove the brace for better accessibility? Thanks any advice would be appreciated.

Joe

You will have less problems if you remove them as a unit. Depending on the year of your car (hint, hint) that may be your only option anyway. If you do just the engine you will need to support the transmission.
-Chris

Chris, I am removing both as a unit. Since Wayne's article doesn't do it this way I was just wondering if there's a list of additional items to be disconnected, just to make sure I've got them all.

Thanks, Joe

I haven't seen a list but someone could probably rattle off what to disconnect if they knew the year of your car (HINT, HINT).
-Chris

The car is a 73T with 2.4 MFI.

Joe

Where is the balance point for the engine/trans unit?
I'm doing my first enginedrop soon (within a month), -77, 2.7l.

From memory, I think it is just forward of the sump cover. Don't jack on the sump cover with anything that will bend it. I make an engine board that straddles the sump cover with little blocks to straddle the seam at the pulley end to keep the motor from tipping.
-Chris

The balance point will be between the sump plate cover and the the flywheel. Might take a little experimenting.

Jeff

IMO Dropping the engine without the transmission:
Easier coming out except for linkage, reverse sender wires, and access to bolt on starter but harder going back in because it's a ***** to line up the engine to the tranny.

Pulling both together means more weight and harder to balance than the engine itself, but easier to line everything up and you can assemble more outside the car.
Your call.

I agree with Sam...the job in total is much easier when you pull both and reinstall both as a unit.

The only thing that I find difficult is reconnecting the clutch slave cylinder (G50 trans) after everything is back in the car...I keep forgetting to reconnect it before I raise the assembly into position.

I've always found the effort to be about the same.

Just dropping the engine requires less parts to disconnect and a much easier mass to deal with. THe balance point is just foward (an inch or so) of the sump. However it requires more careful re-insertion and making sure the shift for is aligned.

Dropping them as a unit requires more disconnect (including all the CV bolts), and the entire unit is bigger and heavier. I don't like muscling the trans onto the engine for alignment... But that can be easier than trying to muscle in the engine while aligning the shift fork.

The last two times I dropped the engine I took it out without the transaxle just because I didn't want to deal with the CV joints. I swear I could wrap them in 100 layers of shrink wrap and still end up with nasty old grease in my hair and ears;)

I probably should take the tranny out with the engine but I'm a creature of habit and this works so I stick with it.

I have a good setup now to jack and level the engine so it's getting easier to line up.

It's a lot different than working on a 914. One time I pulled the 901 out of the 914, replaced the input shaft seal, and re-installed it ready to drive in under an hour :)
No jack, I would just lay it on my chest and bench press it into place. Sure gets dirty that way.