Hawkeye9294

Help?

I am a rookie. I want to try to pull the 355 engine from TA project car and have speed shop evaluate engine and blown heads.

I want to do the heavy lifting myself. I have purchased an engine hoist but would like to see a step by step instruction manual on "how to" or "engine swap for dummies"

Thanks

AlkyIROC

Give the car to the shop and have them do it. It will probably end up being cheaper. With inexperience, you're going to make costly mistakes.

Hawkeye9294

I would like to but this speed shop will not pull the engine and transmission.

I would need to take it to another mechanic / shop first.

My son and his friends just did an engine swap and said they would consult / look over my shoulder / provide some muscle when needed but did not want to get too involved.

They did a JDM silvia motor swap and found a DVD with step by step instructions on a Tech Board. I was hoping for the same / similar.

FlippindaBird

iTrader: (10)

unbolt it from the tranny unbolt the motor mounts , unplug wirring harness coolant lines ac and power steering ,drain the oil wouldnt be a bad idea... and draining the radiator prolly make less of a mess lol connect a chain to opposite sides of the motor cross ways and yank it out... probably forgetting some stuff but theres a pretty good start lol buy a manual

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

A Haynes manual will have all the information and adequate pictures for this.

No reason you can't do it if you have an engine hoist, basic hand tools, jacks and jack stands, some patience and willingness to learn. People with experience who are willing to lend a hand is a plus.

88iroc52387

iTrader: (2)

We're all inexpirenced at one point and i highly highly doubt having a speed shop do a swap is cheaper..... I bet u could drop the motor on the front clip, replace the whole clip and a new motor for the cost of having a shop do it...... Grab a haynes manual or better yet get a full service manual off ebay they're not that expensive... Take your time LABEL Everything. Actually if you have access to it take a video camera and go over every piece of it before u start dissasembling and then take some intermitent video inbetween so you have some decent records of where the little things are....

Hawkeye9294

Thanks for the information

I have a 1988 Chiltons book and think Haynes is very similar.

Maybe the "Shop Repair Manual" is the better solution for me. I have not been able to find a 1988 manual on line.

Tanks!

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

you basically just disconnect EVERYTHING that's attached to the motor. Don't forget the various grounds on the back of the cylinder heads. My car has a ground going to the serp bracket in the front too that's easy to miss. Just go slow and watch VERY closely for things getting snagged, and the higher up in the air that motor gets the more dangerous it is and the more likely your lift will be to tip over. Just be VERY careful not to somehow knock that thing off balance. Watch rocks near teh wheels on it and so forth. Any ruts in your driveway, tools, etc. As soon as that thing is clear you get that thing away from the car and the get the motor back on the ground.

Off teh top of my head:

1. Grounds on back of cylinder heads
2. Grounds on front of the block
3. All fuel lines
4. All vacuum lines from map sensors/Air conditionig
4. All water hoses.
5. Exhaust
6. transmission/bellhousing bolts.
7. Engine mount bolts
8. Remove the distributor
9. Remove either the power steering pump (you may need a power steering pump pulley puller for this) or the power steering lines.
10. Spark plugs
11. Disconnect throttle/TV cables

With the transmission you're going to want to put a jack under the oil pan to support it as you raise the motor. Make sure it's stable.

Here is one way to support the trans with the motor out of the way:



If you can shove something in there that's stable, it'll be fine, just be careful with it.

Here is generally how I set the motor down. Just make sure you're very gentle when you put the balancer down... you definitely dont want to bend the crank snout.



Also note, those spark plugs were only there to keep critters from making a nest inside my combustion chambers until the motor went in the car. You definitely dont want to have spark plugs in as you're removing the motor. I'd pull the exhaust manifolds too honestly just to give yourself a little more breathing room, but that's optional.

I have a load leveller which makes that kind of thing a lot easier. But throw a chain through a strong bolt through opposite corners in opposite heads. And you should be able to slowly work it out. Just be careful. THe biggest obstacle is hopefully just going to be the wiper motor.

If you're pulling a stock motor, you may have eyelets for hooks on the intake manifold... but since I think you've got a TPI (if it's a stock 350) you probably dont have these...

Hawkeye9294

I just read your post / pics.

Most information I got so far. Looks easier said then done but I want to atleast give it a try. I have a 355 engine with Edelbrock carb modification.

How easy / hard is seperating the engine from the automatic transmission?

Thanks

AlkyIROC

Unbolt the 3 bolts from the torque converter. Unbolt the 6 bolts from the bellhousing. Disconnect any harness, vaccum line, TV cable etc. Pull apart. The torque converter stays with the transmission.

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

Yeah, you'll need to rotate the engine by hand to get all 3 torque converter bolts. But that's not a big deal.

ColmRey

I have a Haynes manual, it has some good tips for how to prepare a workspace and plan things out but nothing on actually removing the engine. They are nice to have but don't buy one just for this project.

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

You will not find a true step by step guide on this, as your engine is not stock and with these cars so many things can be changed around.

Good news is... It is very simple to pull the engine.
Most of your tools needed will be 1/2", 9/16", 5/8", 11/16", 10mm, screw drivers, prybar, vise grips

How I go about it is.. Remove hood, leaving hinges and hood struts on hood
Un hook all lines, hoses, wires, cables that you see connected to engine. Take power steering hoses off of the gear box and just leave pump on engine. Pull out the distributor. Remove rad., fan, etc

Jack car up in front and put stands under the A arms.
Jack up rear and put stands under the rear end housing.
Take starter off engine.
Take torque converter dust shield off (if you still have one).
Remove oil filter.
Turn the engine by hand using a flywheel/plate turning tool or prybar or have a helper use a breaker bar on the front center crank pulley bolt.
Get one torque converter bolt in the area where oil filter goes.. Remove bolt, turn engine to get next one to that same spot. Do all 3.

Take the 6 trans to engine bolts off, leaving the bottom 2 easy to get to ones for last. Start with the hard to get at top one. Easiest way I found to get those is with a U joint and socket on a 4 foot long 3/8" extension on an air ratchet or impact. I get a helper to stand on a block next to the front wheel and lean over engine with flashlight to guide and hold my socket on. I get behind the trans crossmember and feed extension/socket up over crossmember and to top of trans where my helper puts socket on bolt. Then just zip it out.

Put chains/hoist on engine and put just the slightest tension on chains.
Remove engine mount bolts. (5/8" on one end, 11/16 on other.
Last 2 bottom trans to engine bolts.
Un bolt the trans mount from transmission.

Check to make sure ground wires on back of heads are off, and all lines, wires, etc are off.

Start lifting engine some and using a long pry bar wiggle the motor mounts as someone jacks up hoist.

At this point is will be a mix of jacking hoist up and wiggling mounts and engine until the engine comes up high enough to clear the frame part of mount. Then pry trans from engine if needed.

Now jack up, pull towards you some until you run out of room, jack, pull, jack, pull till your damper and oil pan can clear core support..

I may have left something out, but that gives you the basic idea. It's pretty easy really.

I have done a lot of them so I have it down pat and it only takes me about an hour start to finish removing one on a good day where I don't just laze a round with it.

novaderrik

just do it... we figured this stuff out on our own before the internet was a thing when we were just stupid 14 year old kids taking apart old Chevelles with a come along using the branch of an old oak tree to lift it..

you just unbolt everything that is in the way and anything that holds the engine to the car and lift it out. after you do a few dozen engine swaps, you start to figure out shortcuts..