SC Engine Drop SOS

[Lindy]

After following all of the engine removal instructions in the "101 Projects" book to the letter with my 1982 SC, I am in a major jam:

I removed the fan pulley for extra clearance, however when I began to drop the engine it hung up on the two lower bolts (studs) that mount to the transaxle. The upper two bolts are free by aprox. .200". In addition, the threaded shaft that exits through the center of the fan to which the fan pulley is attached is caught below the main brace at the rear of the car, making it virtually impossible to raise the engine at all. After have removed and rebuilt a variety of engines over the years with no difficulty, I cannot begin to expalin how frustrated I am at the moment.

What are my options?

- Drop the transaxle (& if so how?)
- Cut the two studs at the rear of the engine case
- Remove the entire CIS and attempt to remove the fan to get more clearance
- Have the entire pile hauled out of my garage and get back into
big block corvettes

Any help would be much appreciated.


Lindy

[MotoSook]

Did you unbolt the rear motor mount (at rear corners of the engine bay)? Or did you just undo the bolts that hold the motor to the cross member that bolts to the chassis?

Have you tried loosing the transmission mount botls a bit?

You shouldn't have to remove the CIS.

[andyu911]

I dropped mine last year. What I did was I took out the tranny along with the engine as one unit. It's easier that way.
For the tranny, disconnect the shift linkage (under the lid at the center tunnel in the cabin) and speedometer plugs (also in that tunnel). Also, you have to loose both drive axles.
The engine and the tranny are only held by 4 bolts to the chassis. Loose all 4 the whole thing will come right off.

Andy
'87Carrera

[ChrisBennet]

Sounds like you are another victim of the 101's advice to remove the engine without the transmission. Remove them together.
-Chris

[Lindy]

Just to clarify: Is is possible to partially drop the transaxle so that it pivots slightly on its mounts without having to completely remove the axles? My goal would be to lower the rear of the transaxle enough (1") to gain enough room to complete the engine drop. If this is not possible, I am assuming that lowering the transaxle involves removing the two bolts that attach the cross piece that supports front of the transaxle.

Any help is appreciated (last night was a long one).

Lindy

[cstreit]

Not to be contrary, but my mechanics remove engines all the time without the trans... I did it with my motor and didn't have any difficulty, but then I've seen it done a lot...

[cstreit]

Is the fan caught on the chassis cross member, or the engine carrier?

[Paul Thomas]

If you remove the tranny mounts bolts (2) and unhook the shift coupler in the tunnel between the seats you should be able to slide the tranny forward a few inches to get the motor out. You'l just need another jack under the tranny.

Like Chris said, i have always thought removing the engine by itself sounded like a nightmare. I had mine out last week and always remove the motor and tranny as a unit.

Paul

[ChrisBennet]

I can think of two good reasons to remove the engine without the tranny. Neither of these reasons apply to people doing their first engine drop:
1. You are a shop that does this all the time because it lets you beat the shop rate. If you do it right, you keep the transmission supported so it isn't hanging. Amateurs let it hang, supported by the shift rod, wrecking the shift rod seal which allows stinky tranny fluid to seep into your shift tunnel.
2. You need to get the engine out for some reason mid-race.
-Chris (over 20 engine R&R's, none engine only)

[Superman]

Yep. Unless you're a seasopned veteran, remove them together. In answer to your question, yes you can lower the bell end of the tranny. You'll have to support it independently. You should loosen the two mounting bolts, and it would be wise to disconnect the shift coupler under the access plate inside the car, under the carpet between the rear passengers' feet. Remove the engine crossmember that is probably getting in the way at the front of the motor (rear of the car) near the fan pulley. Be sure both clutch-related arms are REMOVED COMPLETELY, otherwise your clutch fork will prevent you from separating the engine and tranny. Once you have removed the engine, then remove the tranny. They are not easy to mate up. Much easier on the floor.

[andyu911]

BTW, it's painful enough to just put the tranny and the engine together even on the floor. Can't imagine mate them if the car is on jack stands.
Andy
'87Carrera

[bob hodges]

I will put my 2 cents in and from experience I will always remove the tranny and engine together..In my worst nightmare it would be trying to mate up the tranny to the engine while the tranny is still in the car. ( the fastest route from one point to the other is the freeway )

[targa80]

Let's see how long have you been dittling with the engine only drop? 1 hour,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. I would have to agree with the majority. Drop both eng/trans at same time. My last drop took 4 hours with a lunch break. Disconnected electrical connectors, Fuel /oil lines, transaxils and shift coupler. Everything else was left alone. I believe I could just drop the engine if I wanted too. Why bother to much of a hassle. I feel your pain it sounds like your in a pickle. I would secure the engine and tranny together and go for the whole anchilada. disconnect the transaxels and drop both eng/trans. while it is all out on the floor you could put the fan and what ever else you removed back on.

[yelcab1]

I do not know who the irresponsible person was that first suggested the engine drop without the tranny with it.

That person, even if it was Wayne, should be shot.

[Jim Sims]

Maybe a five-arm engine stand would help! I recall some bad advice in the factory shop manuals too; one has got to think for oneself at times and not believe everything one reads or hears. Cheers, Jim

[Lindy]

Thank you to everyone who responded.

For what it's worth, here's what I ended up doing:

1 - Purchased the Sears "ATV/Motorcycle Jack"
2 - Used this new jack to raise the engine with the rear (fan side) of the case blocked slightly higher than the side that mates to the transaxle
3 - Rocked the 4 engine studs (carefully) partially back onto the transaxle
4 - Loosened the transaxle enough to lower the rear aprox. 3"
5 - Dropped engine (also ended up dropping the transaxle later)

For whatever reason, with my particular (undamaged/unmodified) car, there was absolutely no way to drop the engine without loosening or removing the transaxle. I used a level to make certain that the case was horizontal, and out of curiousity pulled the 4 case bolts out of the transaxle. With the case bolts .010" outside of the mating holes in the transaxle (measured with a feeler gauge) the front of the fan shaft (with the pulley removed)was .009" from the rear crossmember (measured with a digital caliper and gauge block). The engine could be tilted enough to remove the top case bolts only, which allows the tip of the fan shaft to clear the crossmember, however the upper 1/2 of the fan case then contacts the crossmember and the engine is stuck, canted down toward the rear of the car at an angle with the lower 2 studs still in the transaxle (which is what happened to me at 1:00 in the morning).

Maybe I just have the "short engine compartment/long transaxle" option, however I too would encourage SC owners to at least loosen the transaxle before attempting an engine drop.