Engine Swap - Auto to Stick

[SoCal Driver]

Well, the engine from the 86 auto is in the stick 83 and waiting for my arms to stop hurting so I can finish reconnecting everything.

Did this by taking both engines out the top.

Found it "interesting"...

The most difficult proceedure with the highest cuss factor is the engine to bell housing bolt just below the sensors. Found that you can increase the access to this by dropping the engine and drive train down a bit with the cross member and suspension. Just takes a inch or so to really open the area between the bolt head and the firewall.

I can 'see' the need for a specialty wrench (ratcheting) for these three top bolts. I cut down the depth on a 1/2" drive six point black socket to just fit the bolt head to increase the clearance for a breaker bar then a hinged head ratchet.

I chose to drop the front suspension and leave the tops of the struts/shocks attached (actually didn't have a wrench and allen combination to take the recessed nuts off) along with the brake lines (didn't want to bleed them). The only hang up was the steering u-joint to the input of the rack. I would let the assembly down a little and use a soft drift (brass) and hammer to seperate the clamp from the splines until it was off.

The rubber dampner for the engine to drive shaft connection on the automatics has to be unbolted before either the drive shaft or the engine can be removed. Reason: There is a clip on the end of the drive shaft to retain the rubber dampner assembly! You access the nine 6mm allen bolts through the starter bendix opening (yes, remove the starter).

I used the reverse of this method to R&R the engine in the 83 stick leaving the pressure plate and clutch disc with the drive shaft/bellhousing. Engine then has sufficent clearance to lift out of the compartment (with the hood off). I did remove the alternator belt pulley from the front of the crank. This is only four small bolts. Left the timing belt covers on.

Note: You need a helper to turn the engine over using the crank pulley bolt to get to the nine clutch/dampner bolts. Or you can have the painful abbs that I have getting up and down yourself!

Wait a minute! I see an Infomercial!!!!

Also use an "engine tilter" on the block and tackle or crane. Really important to have control over the angle of the dangle!

Hugh

Spelling errors are uniquily my own and require a copyright release to be used else where!

[AFJuvat]

All sounds well and good but you would have found it MUCH easier to put the engine UNDER the car and hoist it into position. (you will need at least 3 feet of ground clearance)

AFJuvat

[SoCal Driver]

Originally posted by AFJuvat
All sounds well and good but you would have found it MUCH easier to put the engine UNDER the car and hoist it into position. (you will need at least 3 feet of ground clearance)

AFJuvat

I totally disagree!

First I don't have a four foot travel floor jack and I bet not many home mechanics do. Even if they did I sure would NOT want to work around a car that is precariously ballanced four feet in the air. This only "works" when you have the luxury of a fully equiped shop with a lift.

Second you still have to use an engine crane or block and tackle to lower the engine as I used to raise the engine.

Third I didn't have to remove over half the car to get the engine out! The exhaust from the headers back, the drive shaft center brace, the bake lines, the tops of the shocks/struts, the bellhousing, clutch slave cylinder where all left inplace.

Not as easy a job as the old 55 chevy wagon I first had but I was a bit younger then!

Hugh

[wolfrpi]

Grommit and I pulled the motor and tranny in one day. Easiest way to pull the motor is to drop it out the bottom. I simply held the front of the car up while grommit pushed the motor out through the wheel well. Best of luck on the conversion.