Pulling engine & trans in one unit?
 

Actually,,,

I have pulled them out, together, but with the heads off the engine. Midway between my head gasket replacement I have decided to bite the bullet, rebuild the tranny and reseal the lower end of the engine, do the lower timing chain guides and whatever else is in there so out they came.

My question is,

The unit came out somewhat easily, had to drop the center link and steering stabilizer to get more clearance but now I am kinda worried about getting the whole shebang back in with the heads and valve covers on. Is it common practice to pull and reinstall them as a unit?

(I think I will need to leave off the front crank pulley and possibly the water pump to get more clearance at the core support)

The secret is to have a "leveling" hoist. That engine/tranny will have to be at a 45 degree angle when you set it in the hole.

Here's what you need. It helps. I've used the cheap unit on my sons 65 Mustang. 289 engine and 3 speed transmission.


http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42356


Dave

PS sorry try the link now.

126mut,

I took the engine and trans out as a unit, did the required work and reinstalled as a unit. It is much easer this way. I even had the PS pump, alt, wp, installed with belts. The only thing not installed was the AC compressor and its belt. It could have been installed with its belt, but I didn't want to open the system so I left the compressor in the car.

Good Luck

Removal as a unit is the standard way of doing it. Takes quite a bit less time than attempting to get the top bolts back into the tranny housing on most models.

Peter

Thanks again all,

I will definitely get that adjustable sling lift. I do remember doing an engine only removal/install in my previous 126 chassis car, a 380. That exhaust crossover was a pain to get back together, blocking the upper bellhousing bolts and all. It would be great to get it all assembled as much as possible. Just thinking about all the hours spent leaning over installing the heads, torquing them and all the other stuff going on that I decided to pull it all out. my tranny has been acting strange also so might as well kill two birds with one stone.

I did suffer a casualty on the removal of my 420's engine though, I forgot to unbolt the diagnostic pickup off the front crank pulley area, ended up shredding it. I guess I should have had a spotter?