Engine installation

[Fly Mach .86]

Hi,
Has anyone had experience installing an engine with the weber carbs installed? It looks like a tight fit. Do the carbs need to be removed to install the engine or can they be left on?
Cheers, Elliot 1973 2.0

[maf 914]

I would not want to install the engine with carbs and manifolds in place, unless I had a shop type hydraulic lift. My experience with engine installation in my home garage, raising the car with a floor jack and jack stands, is that it's best to remove the carbs and manifolds. Otherwise you will have to raise the rear of the car high enough to clear the carbs (a foot or so higher than without carbs), slide the engine under the engine bay, lower the car again (unless you have a lifting device that can raise the engine/tranny several feet), then raise and work the engine in. Installing the engine without carbs, raising the car high enough to clear the axles, requires raising the car high enough for me with my limited equipment. I don't like blocking jacks or jack stands to get additional height. I think bolting on the carbs after installation is easier and safer than raising and lowering the car. Be careful whatever approach you take. Good luck!

Mike

[ruddyboys]

If you try to install the engine with carbs on, jack stands alone won't be high enough. You would have to have blocks under the stands and that would make the car unstable. Do your self a favor and take the carbs off, gaskets only cost a few $. Just my 2 cents.

[Jim Chambers]

I just did it with carbs on but I have a 4-post lift and had a borrowed ATV jack for the engine/trans. Even then the clearance was limited and I did have to remove the air cleaners. Unless you have the equipment I used, take the carbs off.

[Fly Mach .86]

Thanks for the help everyone. It looks like the carbs will come off first.
Cheers, Elliot

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

If you're worried about access, you might try removing the carbs after the engine is lowered out of the engine bay, but before you pull it out.

Never tried that myself (except on an oil filler and dipstick that we forgot to remove until they hit the trunk floor--DOH!!) but it might be a bit easier.

--DD

[Zeke]

I have only the conventional jack stands and floor jack and I installed the motor with carbs on. Stacks were off, of course. You will need a block of wood on the jack to get the motor high enough, that's true. But w/o getting the motor up at least that high, I couldn't find any room under the car to work on axles and mounts, etc.

[Fly Mach .86]

Thanks Milt,
I guess what i'll end up doing is jacking the car up and roll the engine up to it and see if the carbs will clear. If they don"t then I'll remove the stacks or carbs or whatever I have to do to make it fit. The biggest problem I can see is getting it by the axles. I can remove them or the carbs. Probably easier to remove the carbs. I,ll be on a trip for two weeks (hot and steamy Hong Kong) but when I get back engine installation is top priority. Fat Performance did the engine. It's 2.2 now with a bit of a cam. At 5,500rpm it did 147hp. A big jump up from the original 80hp!! See ya.
Cheers, Elliot

[Rouser]

I've done a "carbed" engine pull/install recently (twice within 6 months) and believe me, it's a LOT easier with the carbs and linkage off (the manifolds can stay in place), especially if the axles are in place (recommended; remove only from tranny, bag 'em up with Glad Bags).

Even using a low furniture dolly, with the engine & tranny bolted together (recommended during install), you will need a minimum clearance of 28" from the floor to edge of the rear valence panel. This is just to clear the top of the oil filler tower, which will be the highest point once the carbs are removed. The rear tranny tin carries just about that same height across the width of the engine, so the axles will need to clear THAT also on each side. You basically walk the axles a little at a time on each side as you crawl the powertrain out the back.

I've gotten so good at it, I could probably do a drop in less time than it took for me to type this out.

[Rouser]

Just about this high ...