Need some advice on putting the engine in...

[Lee]

This is so frustrating...

I can't seem to get the transmission support lined up with the rest of the engine. The support arm lines up, and the bolts slide right in, but then I find the transmission mounts still need to go forward about 5 or 6 mm.

I keep lowering, justing, and raising, but they just won't line up.

Any suggestions?

[Wayne 962]

More details please? I can't quite figure out what you're trying to do?

-Wayne

[Rex Walter]

Lee,

I think I had the same problem when trying to install mine. I had attached the mount bar at the rear first, which made the trans mount too far forward. I just removed the rear mount bar bolts, and attached the trans mount first. The rear mount bar can be deflected enough to get the bolts in once the trans mount is connected.

Hope this helps.
Rex

[126coupe]

Another example of why I always R and R the Engine and Trans as a unit. less chance of error

[Bobboloo]

I believe he is R and R-ing as one unit.

It's not a bad idea to loosen the tranny mounts in the tranny cradle when putting the motor and tranny back in. This gives you slack and help prevents cross-threading the bolts when you screw them into the torsion tube tranny mount recievers. Leave slack in the motor mounts as well if needed. When every bolt is in place then you can start tightening it up.

[svandamme]

first of all , make sure the engine is wheeled in one straight line

eg , if your car is 0 degrees
you need to line up behind it , exactly right, then wheel it under there

even if you enter at the slightest angle, it's going to be a PITA to get things lined up...so if you need to move it left or right while under the car, wheel it out again and retry... it's a lot easier and faster, a full engine/tranny package just doesn't lend itself for accurate positioning, so the straighter you wheel it in , the better


next, use one tranny mount, stick one bolt in, line up till you can get that one in . just enough so the bolt grabs, don't torque it up yet, don't let the tranny rest on the bolt yet.

now line up the engine mount... the diagonally positioned one
the engine bar has some flex in it , in goes the bolt,

engine should pretty much be square,
do the second engine mount

check how it looks at the last tranny mount... if the bolt fits , go for it
torque em up , you can lift the package in the car with the bolts, it will find the good poisition automaticall this way

i've dropped/replaced mine several times, you can always get one bolt in the tranny , that's easy, but when the bolts don't line up at the other mounts... i found the best way turned out to wheel it out again , and re lign up before wheeling it back under the car...

i'm talking 5 minutes for all 4 mounts vs 30 minutes cursing and swearing , and still no success

[Lee]

Thanks for the help, y'all.
As it turned out, I had to adjust such that the pitch of the car and the pitch of the engine on the jack were roughly the same. After that, it lined up more easily. And I started with the trans bolts rather than the arm, which helped as well. Finally, as my neighbor put it, I just needed to stick my tongue out right.