C3 - Engine removal

[Jim Callan]

I want to detail under the hood. Currently the hood is off (painted), the radiator, core support, condensor, M/C and booster, headlight vac lines, heater hoses, a/c lines have been removed. In addition the "top" of engine (350) has been removed (intake, heads, a/c, alt, fan, etc), just the short block with p/s pump and fuel pump remain, connected to TH400. How difficult is it to remove the engine/tran together? Maybe just the engine ? This would be a good time to clean and paint the engine + better access to engine compartment. My concern is having to "lift" over the new paint. I have a engine hoist and stand.

Thanks

[Mike M.]

Re: C3 - Engine removal

i'd rather pull the short block/tranny as a unit. go for it. mike

[Jim Callan]

Re: C3 - Engine removal

Thanks Mike,
The car is on stands now, how much clearance do I need for the tailshaft ? The heads are off, where should I attach the lift chains ? The more I think about it, I'm inclined to leave the trans in and not have to hassle with the linkage/drive shaft.

[William B.]

Re: C3 - Engine removal

This may sound like overkill, but the last 69 we had to do an engine rebuild to. We accessed the situation and decided to lift the body up and roll the frame out. It worked great and allowed acess the do maintenance to other components. At the end we figured we had about the same amout of hours and a lot less headaches. By the way, no high tech system, just a floor jack, cement blocks and wood bracing.

[Mike M.]

Re: C3 - Engine removal

if you have an engine leveler(Jeggs, p. 114), removing the short block and tranny is a breeze. re-coupling engine to tranny a heck of a lot easier out of chassis than trying to link then together while tranny still in chassis. believe me, done it hundreds of times. good luck, mike

[Jim T.]

Re: C3 - Engine removal

I removed my 70's complete engine leaving the the turbo 400 supported on a floor jack using a 2x10 under the tranmission pan. Worked out great, I did not even remove the hood or radiator, just the fan assembly. Came in from the passenger side of the car with a engine hoist rented from U-Haul to lift the engine. Removed the tire to roll the hoist under the car and rolled the hoist with the engine clearing the car with no problem. My paint job was only a couple years old at the time and it all went very well. Just took my time. Prepped and painted the frame areas while the engine was out.

[Jim Callan]

Going to leave TH400 in...

so I won't have to 'mess' with drive shaft and linkage. Does anyone have any helpful hints ? Where can I bolt the lift chains w/o possible damage to block, just the short block bolted to TH400. Lots of room forward.. radiator and core support have been removed.

I've had this car for 32 years and have never removed the engine, this will be a "first" for me.

Thanks

Jim

[Mike M.]

Re: Going to leave TH400 in...

buy an engine lift from Jeggs or Summit or rent one if available locally. they have four chains to attach to the 4 corners of the short block and they also have a screw mechanism that allows you to balance the wieght of the shortblock so that its balanced in a horizonatl plane. cost about 65 bucks. good luck, mike

[Terry F.]

Re: Going to leave TH400 in...

I would not recommend pulling the transmission with the engine. Rather, attach the lift to the engine and then support and unbolt the transmission. Then, lift and seperate them. You can wire from frame rail to frame rale to support the transmission and you can also block it up. Remember, that as the engine is lifted, the front of the car will come up and bottom out on the upper A-frames. Some times I block the car up in the air so that I don't have to worry about the transmission coming off the blocks. Make sure the engine can be lifted above the fenders. Have someone help you and go slowly so you don't bang the fiberglass. When everything is out, pull the drive shaft so you can role the car around. Other wise it will bang around on the underside of the car when you role it. Stay offfffffffff the fenders when every you climb in or out of the engine compartment.

You will find that most engine lifts will only be able to approach the car from the side or diagonally. I find it hard to manuver the trasmission and engine together without banging the hell out of everything in sight. Have fun, Terry

[Jim Callan]

Re: Going to leave TH400 in...

Thanks guys

Is it OK to bolt lift chains on the head/block surface ? Will it be as much "fun" trying to re-install the engine - ie re-mate the engine to transmission ?

Thanks

Jim

[Roger Legge]

Re: Going to leave TH400 in...

Maybe use some big washers up against the block's deck surface to protect it from the chain and bolt, etc. Like someone else mentioned, an engine tilt makes the whole thing a lot easier, both for removal and putting it back in place. Have solid support for the TH-400 for when everything gets unbolted and keep an eye on the torque converter. It's not that bad putting it back with an automatic.

Roger