I have done an Engine Pull, where you take a fork truck or a Cherry picker and pull the engine out of the car through the hood opening... I have been wondering if it would be easier to simply raise the car up and drop the engone out of the bottom...

Any one dropped the engine this way, or ist it too much of a PITA, I want to remove the Cross member any way so I thought it would save some sanity...

thanks

John

 

I've always took the hood off and used a engine hoist. Takes little time to do.

 

The engine is a little harder to handle while still in the cradle. Or, move the car around with the cradle sitting on the floor. But, since you're taking the cross-member out anyway, it might make some sense to do it that way. I recall seeing pics of an LS1 conversion starting that way.

 

What I was thinking:
1) remove front facia, hood, fenders etc (to not dent them)
2) disconnect the wire harness, place all wires to top of engine. Pull the fans, radiator & AC condensor coil, remove top HALF of the intake as the runners are perfect.
3) Jack up the car by engine cross member, remove tires, remove the struts, disconnect & remove the steering linkage, Remove the sway bar.
4) remove trans linkage cable
5) place Jack under transmission with ply wood board (as not to dent trans pan)
6) unbolt trans mount, lower rear of trans onto car tire dolly
7) unbolt cross member from body.
8) lower cross member
9) with chan fall or cherry picker raise car, then pull out engine from underneath.

Pick one:

 

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so long as everything is disconnected and you dont forget about that freaking brake lines screwed to the top of the k-member i see no reason why it wont work, probably have to take the springs out as well

 

You don't have to take the springs out.

I wish I would have done that for my V6 to V8 swap. Just take the engine/transmission/front suspension off each car, roll the donor part over to the receptor car, bolt it back in. Saves the hassle of changing those dang engine mounts, and springs.

In my case, it would have required brake line changes, because the '82 was SAE and the '86 metric, but that's minor compared to the rest.

At the time, I was told the crossmember didn't unbolt from the frame. Just looking at it, I thought it would, but took the word of those who had been around longer. Just goes to show you. . .

 

I know that the cross member is reovable... 6 or 8 bolts... Because I think Hawks sells a conversion kit which is all tubular for the LS1 conversion...

The brake lines... oooooh... I forgot about those, I probably would not have once I got into it... I think the evap canister has some lines that go on it too on the RH side ofr the firebird... Also the Fuel lines I think are on the cross member... Or do they run on the body rails... either way this is a big job.

thanks...

John