It's time for me to pull the engine and the gas tank on my 84 trans am. I've worked on cars since I was a kid, but I don't want to pull an engine without help. I could take the car to someone and have them swap the engine. If I do that, I won't have the opportunity to work in the engine bay (clean it, change the clutch MC, change the steering box, work on the heater and A/C, etc). I live in the DFW area, and I have an engine hoist. What's y'alls advice?

-Call a mobile mechanic from craigslist?
-Take it to an engine swap mechanic, have them pull the engine, then get
the car towed back home?
-Take it to an LS swap shop and have them do all that work? I almost have
all the parts for the new engine and gas tank. I suspect this will be lots of
labor and cash.

 

Out of curiosity, why don't you want to pull it yourself?

It is a one man job. You can get help but the other person just ends up watching while the other does all the work pumping the hoist up until engine can be rolled away. It's all just nuts and bolts. The hoist, which you already have, does all the work.

Maybe someone here will drop by and give you a hand if you let us know what city you live in.

 

Maybe - I haven't found a thread that takes me through the engine pull with all details. I keep seeing "disconnect everything".
So... I'm guessing that I take off the hood (but mark the attachment bolt locations first)
Then remove the windshield wiper motors?
Then disconnect fuel lines (how do I stop gas from going everywhere?)
Then remove accessory drive?
Then remove gear shift ****
Then put car on jack stands
Then disconnect drive axle from T5 (how do I do that?)
Then remove cross member bolts
Attach hoist to engine
Disconnect engine mounts
Use Hoist and remove engine

Is that about it?
And how do I get rid of a junk 305 engine?

 

If you have the tools, I would do it yourself. If you don't have a budget, then you could have someone else do it. But if you have are on a budget, I would save the added expense because the swap costs tend to add up fast. Plus you lose the enjoyment of saying you did it by yourself. I guess it depends on what matters more to you.

I did mine in less than an hour all by myself. Of course it wasn't the first time I pulled it. I pulled mine with the trans also which makes it a little more challenging. I took the nose off my car because of the amount of work I was going to be putting into it.

 

Ya, you pretty much have it figured out. Not every task warrants planning and lots of fore thought. This is the type of job that is way easier to figure out by doing rather than planning. Suggest you start turning wrenches and you will be fine.

Regarding your questions...

* Yes, you'll need to have the hood out of the way.

* Just put car on jack stands from the beginning. You'll find yourself climbing under the car at various stages.

* Wiper motor can stay in place. Harmless to remove if you don't want to risk bumping and breaking the plastic cover. I had to remove wiper motor to get the LS engine in.

* Detach anything that can't lift out with the engine. Wires, fuel lines, exhaust, etc. Fuel line won't siphon when it is lifted up above fuel level in the fuel tank. Zip tie it to something and plug the end of line with a bolt. Use up as much fuel as possible before the job.

* You can remove the shifter hand grip, or remove the entire shift handle. To remove entire handle remove the center console, remove the rubber floor boot, and you should be able to access bolts that hold the shifter base to the tranny. All that is under that plate is a short rod with a ball on the end. It lifts right out. Cover hole with blue masking tape to avoid accidental debris from entering tranny. Don't use tan masking tape for anything or you might have to scrape it off later.

* Driveline bolts to the rear axle and slips onto a shaft at back of trans. Unbolt driveline from axle and you'll be able to pull driveline off the trans. The moment the driveshaft comes free from rear axle, tape up all the bearing caps so the caps don't fall off (or you'll have needle rollers everywhere). Also, trans will drain fluid, especially when front of trans is tilted up, so have a drip pan or you'll have a big mess.

* You can leave the trans attached to engine and pull the whole thing out if you have a leveling device with your hoist. Or you can drop the trans first and then pull the engine. I like to drop the trans and just pull the engine straight up without playing Tetris with the tranny still attached.

Trans bolts to engine around the front housing. Trans won't fall until you pull it away from engine and the input shaft slides out of the clutch splines. At that point you better have two things sorted away or you're going to pee your pants. (1) A block of wood between engine cylinder head and fire wall. Engine will want to fall back onto firewall. It can't fall on you, but it will dent the firewall if you let it move. (2) Control the trans with your hand. You need to commit at this point and cannot be timid about it. The trans will not balance on floor jack and will want to roll off. It probably won't fall because the tranny tunnel will block it. But once you lower the trans you'll need to keep hold of it. I just roll it off the floor jack when it hits bottom.

* Just take the old engine to the junk yard. Or try to sell it.

.

 

Thanks for the responses. I feel more confident in doing this, so I'll start taking stuff off the engine soon. A little each day (hoses, wiring, exhaust manifold, etc). And I think pulling the engine from the top is the best method for me. Dropping the engine from below involves springs and brake fluid (not fun). I'll get the springs switched later since my LS is aluminum and lighter than the 305.