How can I get the crank to not turn while I try and losen the 3 bolts that connect it to the torque converter? Yes it's an automatic and a 350 is going in place of it and I need to know before tomorrow because I don't have another car and I have to work the day after tomorrow. Can I remove the engine with it attacked or is that a bad idea?

 

we used a big 'ol flathead screwdriver to hold teh flexplate still when breaking the bolts loose.

 

thanks for the input, I didn't even think of that!

 

I removed the oil filter, then put the head of the ratchet right up agianst the bellhousing, then turn. It was simple and I didn't have to fiddle around.

 

the rings are wearing bad so it doesn't take much to turn it. The screwdriver trick worked. That was actually the easiest part of the day. getting those 6 bolts out of the bell housing were a pain the the A#*. One got stripped out and I spent a good hour getting that out. Oh I got to the bolts by tilting the tranny down. I was getting in a hurry tonight and almost lowered the new engine in without the mounts. I left the old shock absorbers on to save time (where the mounts rest on). My flowmaster exhaust is breaking in the back before the muffler so some day soon I will have to weld that back together.

I thought I would've been done today, but it looks like I will have to work on it tomorrow and still leave it there till my next day off. If I would've known it was this hard I would've made sure I had another car for transportation. I do have another car, but I've gotta go to court first and get the title back that way (long story). It's not running either, but I am part to blame for that because I was porting the heads and broke through one of hte exhaust chambers into the water jacket so I need to use the heads from this car to get the other one running and after I get the title back I can drive it. I hope after all this I don't spin a bearing or something. I would be screwed to say the least all because I wanted to hurry up and build/install this engine.

 

Those bellhousing bolts are easy as cake with a 3 ft extension, tranny tilted down, and a universal right by the socket. Honestly took me 30 min to get em all.

 

yea today I've got a few hours before work so I can put some of those critical bolts in and roll it off of the lift.