Looking For Help Installing Engine/trans Or "who Wants To Buy A Mustang?"

[cjcoburn]

Hello,

After spending 4 hours trying to drop my engine/trans unit back in (without absolutely any luck) I figured I'd check with you folks for any tips. It's really seeming like it's not possible (even though it sure came out real easy this way). I've thought about installing just the engine and then the tranny, but I don't see how I can really torque the engine-trans bolts fully.

Which leads me to the other option - just sell it all as is (since I can't get it back together). The $35/day for the engine hoist is now starting to hurt.

Of course I would really like to keep the car, so any advice or help would be immensely appreciated.


Hoping to Stay A Mustang Owner,
Chris

 

[sneaky98gt]

What exactly is the problem? Lining up the motor mounts? Fitting it past the strut towers?

I can assure you that it can be done, and it's not that difficult. Me and a couple of my brothers did it with no prior experience in about half an hour.

 

[cjcoburn]

Hey Will,

Thanks for the reply. I expected it to take an hour to drop in by just taking my time and going nice and easy, so I'm amazed it's being this hard.

The road block is that I can't get the engine back far enough to have the engine mount bolts line-up with their holes on the K-member. Also been wrestling with the driver's-side exhaust manifold studs catching on the steering shaft. And oil pan on K-member or steering rack occasionally. I have a load leveler so I've been messing with all sorts of angles. The car is up over a foot and the trans is not hitting the ground at all.

I've attached the leveler at the passenger-side mounting hole for the alternator and at the back of the driver's-side head using a threaded hole near the top of the head close to the intake manifold. This causes the whole unit to hang a bit lower on the passenger side when it's on the hoist.

Hope this is kind of clear.

 

[flstang65]

just drop the k member at this point. thats my .02

 

[cjcoburn]

Wow...I forgot about that option - obviously. I suppose the biggest headache will be getting the steering shaft lined-up for connecting to the steering rack...and torquing the pinch bolt.

So I could drop the K-member about a foot...drop the engine/trans from up top...move everything around to get the engine bolted to the K-member...then raise it all up into place. Man - I could even connect the x-pipe/cats before raising the K-member into place. That would make reconnecting the front O2 sensors a piece of cake.

So am I thinking about this all right? I don't have a lift...just some jack stands and a smallish floor jack.

 

[COramprat]

Where you are now I think the k-member removal is your best bet. When I pulled my transmission it was relatively easy to remove. Getting it back in was a bitch. I learned that you had to raise the front of the engine a bit to line the input shaft correctly. I took a piece of 2x4, braced it on the oil pan with a floor jack and raised the front of the engine about and inch or two. Went in lie butter. If there is a moral here it's that you may need to tinker with angles and such to get it back in as it sits. It helps to have a few hands to help as well.

 

[sneaky98gt]

I've attached the leveler at the passenger-side mounting hole for the alternator and at the back of the driver's-side head using a threaded hole near the top of the head close to the intake manifold. This causes the whole unit to hang a bit lower on the passenger side when it's on the hoist.

Hope this is kind of clear.

That right there was the only problem we ran into. That is exactly how we started with it, and because the engine cocks sideways when you adjust the lever, it becomes very difficult to maneuver into the correct position. Try getting the engine level by using 4 points of attachment; attached a single chain between something on the left and right banks at the front, and another chain of similar length at the rear. Then attach the leveler to the middle link. This way, the engine stays balanced in the left-right direction (although you can still tilt it by hand if needed), and you use the leveler to tilt in the front-rear direction. Once we did it this way, went right in.

 

[cjcoburn]

Well I tried one more time tonight to drop in the whole unit and like sneaky98gt said, having the passenger side hang low is what stopped everything. I don't have enough of the right chain and bolts to get a good balanced attachment with the leveler I rented. So...I separated the engine and trans and got the engine in tonight. I still had to wrestle with the lean, but I won since there wasn't the added weight and leverage of the trans hanging off the back.

Now to the gymnastics of getting the trans under, up, and in.

 

[COramprat]

Just remember to tilt the engine back a bit to get a good angle

 

[cjcoburn]

Just remember to tilt the engine back a bit to get a good angle

Will do. Someone else also mentioned that. Am glad for the reminders. I had forgotten I did that when I was first trying to pull just the engine.

I still feel like I have a long way to go, but it's a great relief to have returned the engine hoi$t and $tand.

I just hope all the oil leaks are stopped now. My big worry is the rear seal - I didn't double-check if the seal lip rolled at all after I drove it in and the slinger seal. I'm toying with the idea of pulling the PP and flywheel just to check. Heh - now that I type that I better check before I do anything else or I'll really need to kick myself if it leaks. Guess I'll need to get a new slinger seal first, though, unless I can remove the new seal without messing it up.

So what are your thoughts on that? And thanks.

 

[COramprat]

I didn't check my rear seal and regretted it. It was leaking all along. Most of the seals are cheap. It you mess it up just get a new one.