I'm getting ready to swap heads and intake, but I have a mildly slipping clutch so I'm considering doing that really soon too. Is it better to do the h/i from the top, then drop the tranny later on. Or would I be best off to just pull the motor/tranny as a unit and do it all that way ? I'm looking for the easier/quicker way.
Heads And Clutch - Best To Pull Motor ?
- Thread starter Dave2000GT
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jcgafford
10 Year Member
Leave the motor in the car. No reason to pull it for those repairs/replacements
Shakerhood
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
88stang88
5 Year Member
You will spend more time and energy pulling it all out vs a stiff back just leaning over the fender. Do yourself a favor and leave it in but I would replace the clutch while your already tooling away. If your increasing your performance it is just going to go out sooner than later.
Grabbin' Asphalt
5 Year Member
f8tlfiveo
My wife likes my spool and blow-off valve.
Only takes 2-3 hours to pull the motor. I like working on a motor stand. You have to take all the accessories of the front anyway. Are you putting a cam in? If so you gotta pull the radiator. I would pull it. Just my opinion though, leave the trans in, just pull the motor. It's easy to get it lined back up when putting the motor back in.
mikestang63
SN Certified Technician
Don't pull the motor. It will create more problems and expense IMO. Something always breaks or needs replacement when I pull a motor out. Murphy's law. Plus you are talking about adding several hours to the job.
f8tlfiveo
My wife likes my spool and blow-off valve.
This is hardly the same. Different car and fwd.. I wouldn't pull the motor on that either.I agree, why take it out if you don't have to?
I did a trans on a V6 camry and had to pull the motor w/ tran on it. FWDThat was a 1 week job.
Bump! That' way too much work for those needs and besides that, you'd need a place to hold the motor while you fiddle with it.
Best to let the K-member be the engine stand. If the motor comes out, it's time to get real serious then, and do a complete overhaul!
I agree with you, and you don't need to pull the engine to do the heads and clutch on a mustang. The heads removed give you more room to the top bell-housing bolts.
Its why I was clear on it being a fwd car. I did it at home in the garage and I couldn't get the car high enough off the ground to remove the cross-member and get it out the bottom. Everything out the top. It was more just to say don't do it if you don't have to, but maybe I chose a poor way of expressing it.
f8tlfiveo
My wife likes my spool and blow-off valve.
Not saying you have to pull the motor, I have done it both ways. I just prefer to work on a motor stand. Obviously you guys do not agree with me, which is fine. This is why the op asked the question. So the consensus is leave it in the car.
I guess I am in the minority. I would pull the engine/tranny out and do the work.
Considering that he is going to crack the motor and tranny apart to do the clutch as well as strip the top end the list of pros for pulling the motor is growing.
Landon116
Member
A few months ago I replaced my clutch working in a dirt floor barn, with a few pieces of ply wood to lay on, a jack and jack stands. Not too bad, but I just pulled my engine and I have to say working on the ground was easier. For the heads, you can just work under the hood. Just keep things clean.
Another vote for leaving it in. The clutch is a no brainer and maybe 3 hours of work if you're well practiced. The heads will take a little longer, and you have to pull stuff apart, but I think pulling the motor is just extra unnecessary work. Pulling the radiator out of the way is no biggie if you decide to swap the cam while you're at it.
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