How do you disconnect throttle linkage correctly on an engine drop?

[H.G.P.]

How do you disconnect throttle linkage correctly on an engine drop?

Do you disconnect from below down by the bellcrank, behind the engine? Or do you disconnect inside the engine compartment at one of the ball-swivel sockets on the linkage?

I'm apprehensive about attempting any disconnecting on a swivel, afraid a ball might break off.

Thanks.

[Tim Walsh]

Disconnect the ball at the bellcrank on your transmission if you're dropping both the engine and the tranny at the same time.

In my experience those balls are fairly robust. What I do to pop them off is take a pair of pliars and pry them off. Just keep the pliars close to the ball to avoid bending.

[H.G.P.]

I plan on dropping just the engine.

The rod has a ball connection just before exiting the engine compartment.

But disconnecting at the bellcrank is easier. But then the rod hangs freely from the compartment.

So I'm not certain in the case of just dropping the engine only?

[Rick Lee]

Your car may not have it, but look out for a tiny pin inside that ball socket on the bell crank. None of my books mentioned it and I really bent the thing up before I saw it was held by a pin. Once I removed the pin, all came apart easily.

[cowtown]

If you're really going to drop just the engine, be careful with the yellow wire running to the starter, and the two wires running to the transmission-mounted reverse light switch. On my car, they run from the main engine harness, along the top of the engine, to the transmission/starter. They pass trough the sheetmetal on the flywheel side of the engine, and will snag as you lower the engine unless they are disconnected.
Good luck!

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

HGP,

I can only stress vehemently that it is far easier to remove transmission and engine together and re-mate them outside the car for your first time around. Trust me, been there and done that!

[H.G.P.]

Originally posted by cowtown
If you're really going to drop just the engine, be careful with the yellow wire running to the starter, and the two wires running to the transmission-mounted reverse light switch. On my car, they run from the main engine harness, along the top of the engine, to the transmission/starter. They pass trough the sheetmetal on the flywheel side of the engine, and will snag as you lower the engine unless they are disconnected.
Good luck!

Removed starter so the wires were disconnected (do they just hang then? ), also removed the reverse connections on tranny.

Here’s the ball socket I was referring to, the upper one is right before the throttle linkage exits the engine compartment.

I would rather not touch it for it looks like the linkage would just hang on the drop if disconnected down at the bell crank area instead of here. Yet I do not want to bend the rod either by disconnecting at the bellcrank.

[cowtown]

HGP, you're going to have to disconnect one end or the other, and it will hang. It won't get damaged by hanging. If I were just removing the engine, I'd remove the rod completely (both ends) and get it out of the way.

I know this is a broken record to you by now, but I'll echo Groesbeck one more time: drop the engine and transmission together!

[H.G.P.]

I got the whole rod off. Now labeling wires.