engine 99% pulled, need help
 

Started the removal process for pulling in the engine in my 92 laser RS awd last night. Worst mistake of the night was deciding to try to seperate the tranny from the engine while still in the car, instead of pulling them together. Well we finally got all the bell housing bolts out, man some of those were a bitch. We have the tranny seperated from the engine about a 1/2" but I'll be damned if we can't get it to go any more. Is there something we are missing? The engine is completely free with the exception of the being connected to the tranny still by some unseen force. About 2am this morning we finally gave up on it for the day. Any pointers?

Are you attempting to leave the tranny in the car while you pull the motor? Or are you trying to pull the tranny out first, and then pull the motor? It's been a while since I've worked on a DSM, but I do remember that trying to maneuver the tranny around is a bitch. I would just push the tranny back in, put a few of the bolts back in the tranny, and yank the whole thing.

We are trying to leave the tranny in the car, and pull the block. The whole idea was to avoid having to pull the axles and all the crap associated with that, but it's looking like maybe that will be the only workable option. How the hell do they do clutch jobs on these cars without pulling the engine? It must be possible.

It is possible you leave the motor and drop the tranny.

And I hope I just read your post wrong.. And that the Bell housing is still attached the tranny not the motor correct?

Anyways What are you trying to do? Pull the motor or Drop the Tranny?

I'm with Rockford on this one, Just bolt the Tranny back to the motor and pull them out together.

I just pulled mine last night. and ya don't forget to pull the radiator out. I have to probably get a new one. Or hope to god there is enough left on the upper Radiator hose part to attach the hose to it... (I don't know how I didn't remember to pull that thing I guess I was just focused on otherthings that were going on) Oh well hopefully in a few months a fluidyne will be in the works.

-Also I don't see how you could possbily pull the motor while leaving the tranny in place? The Shaft that goes through the Clutch would prevent you from being able to pull up with it... maybe if you were able to drop the motor throught the bottom you'd be able to. But I'm sure if this is just a Jack Stand situation the height Clearnace won't be enough.

-brian

If I remember right, 1g's have one transmission mount, and 3 engine mounts. If you left only the tranny in there it would be hanging down at an angle anyway. I would just reattach the tranny, pull the axels and T-case, and then pull the motor. With as much trouble as you would have pulling the motor, while leaving the tranny in the car, it will be twice as bad putting the motor back in.

We are trying to pull the block and leave the tranny. You are correct that the bell housing is disconnected from the block not from the tranny. The radiator is out already.

Yeah good point about putting it back in. Guess it will be best to put back in a couple bell housing bolts and pull it as a unit. How many do you think would be a safe # to put in to support the thing enough to pull it?

Forgot to add that the transfer case is already off as well.

As long as you have the Guide Pins you should be ok with just 2-3.. (the more the better, but that's up to you.. I've used 2 before with no problems but that was with the engine supported only holding the weight of the tranny, not the other way around.

Pull them out together.
It takes 5 minutes to unbolt the tranny from the block when its out of the car, and another 5 minutes to put it back on.

make sure you have the back bolt removed, all except one bolt is from the passengers side, but there is one in the back by the back engine mount, that connects from the drivers side.. don't forget that one..

-E

Seriously, if you ever intend to accelerate again, put them back together and pull them as one. There are a ton of reasons for this, rather than explain them all I am just going to tell you to trust the members of the site who have done it more times than we can count. You will understand when you do it that it is much easier in the long run.

enes is right dont' forget that back bolt - I forgot my first time around I missed that one also.. (just used to it now, so it slipped my mind)

pull the axles if you havent, i cant figure out if you have or not.....and then check that bolt that enes was talking about.....drop the transmission with someone underneath it to guide it down....pull the motor...just becareful of the flywheel/clutch and the dust shield...thats what i last did. It worked out well. I only had the car on jack stands as well...maybe 10 inches off the ground.....just make sure everything is free of everything before you start yanking.

I haven't pulled the axles yet as that is what we were trying to avoid. If I were to pull the axles however, why would I not want to pull everything up as one like everyone else suggests to do?

That's the point. Get the axles out of there since it takes all of an extra 5 mins to do and yank it all out as one.

if you are doing just a clutch job, you can just drop the whole tranny and work from there; you can slightly disconnect the tranny from the engine just enought so you can get access to the clutch and go from there (lazy man's job) ; or all together remove the engine+tranny out.

the last one will make life easier.
plus if you don't want to disconnect the axles, and if you are doing a clutch job, it would be nice to have fresh syncromesh in there too.

good luck.

Just unbolt the 2 bolts that hold the hub to the shock/strut assembly (assuming its a 1g) and pop the axles out, easy as pie, then pull the motor out the top.
Should take u less than 1 day even if its your first motor ever to pull.

Just drop your axles man and get it over with. there is no way around it. it takes no less that 10 mins to pull both axles.

Yeah thats just not the easy way to do it. It will take you more time to alignt the engine back up with the tranny than to align the tranny with the engine. Ive done many engine swaps and there is nothing more of a pain then being told to leave the tranny in. Just undo the main nuts for the axle shafts and the ball joints, then the 2 or 3 bolts holding the left front axle shaft in the center. My first ever engine pull on a dsm took me 3 hours alone and I left the engine and tranny as one.