Clutch job -- How do you remove Tranny from Engine?

[sho thing]

I'm going to dive into a clutch job later today. This will be my first time getting this deep into the car. I did the 60K myself, so my knuckles are toughened from that skinning.

I know that overall, you need to support the engine in place, remove the subframe, then take the tranny off the engine. Some people here have said that they support the engine on blocks under the oilpan, instead of having some specail apparatus to hang it from above. Since I have no apparatus, this is what I was planning on doing. In looking at it though, it seems that having a tower of blocks from floor to oil pan will capture the subframe when it is removed. Do you just work around it? Seems like a real PIA when you're laid out under the car trying now to get the tranny off, and then it would prevent you from being able to roll the tranny away on something. Can you lift the tranny by hand? Am I missing something?

My second concern is with actually separating the tranny from the engine. Seems like no matter how well you support the tranny while you're removing the bolts between it and the engine, it will want to shift once it is totally free from the engine, so when you're removing the last bolt, the tranny is basically dangling from the engine by that one bolt. Seems like the weight of the tranny would just shear out the last few threads instead of pausing politely before falling while you got the bolt all the way out. Or does the tranny stay in place with the bolts gone by dowels or tabs or something. If it does that, is there a special way you're supposed to finally disengage it? I have the Helm manual, but it's quite lacking in specifics here.

thanks,
Justin

 

[masho95]

I would definitely advise against just supporting the engine from underneath with some wood blocks. I'd either make your own wooden support to hold up the engine from above or purchase an engine stand from somewhere like www.harborfreight.com or etc.

As for when you are removing the tranny from the engine, placing a floor jack under the tranny while removing the last bolt will hold it up. Just put the floor jack under the flat spot of the tranny where the case halves meet. Then remove the last bolt and put both hands on the tranny to pull it away from the engine. Be careful with balancing the tranny on the floor jack as it likes to wobble a bit on there. Once the tranny is away from the engine (enough to clear the pressure plate) you can start to lower the jack and the tranny with it. Good luck!

 

[FAST4DR]

I'm getting ready to do the same thing. Buy this engine support for $75 brand new. Engine support I bought metal to weld up a brace myself and then I didn't feel like making it so I bought the OTC-1724 for $150. I didn't see the one for $75 before I bought the $150 one. Oh, well.

Will

 

[FAST4DR]

Here are a couple pictures of the brace from back when Protech automotive put the last clutch in my car. The center shiny bar in the middle of the intake snakes is just a long extension that the mechanic used to hold the hood up.

 

[Shoaz]

I'd also recommend against supporting the engine from underneath. It's more dangerous and the support will be in the way. Get or build an engine support to hang the motor from above. People have made them out of wood and plywood before, so it's not something you need to spend an arm and a leg on.

To answer your other question, there are dowels that align the tranny and engine, so when you pull that last bolt it's not going to come crashing down if it has some support. Put something under the tranny to keep it from tipping out and you should be fine. I used strap clamps that went around the braces for the engine hangar (another reason to go that way) and underneath the tranny. Made it a pretty simple operation even for just one person.

If you make some effort to try to be safe you'll do well.

 

[autobahnsho]

SDPatt has some excellent pics and measurements of a homemade engine lift. Shouldn't be more than $20 in parts (I'd guess) and you could have the place you buy the wood cut it for you. If you do a search for his clutch posts you'll see a linke to his pics on photoisland.com

You'll want either a lift or some good floor jacks to keep the car up a little to be able to work under it.

Once you get the axles out, subframe dropped, then the engine and tranny have a little bit of swing. Definitely get a floor jack or helper once you are ready to remove/ replace the tranny. Otherwise it'd be a lot of cussing at it... (Not that it won't be anyway! )

Good luck!

I wasn't a mechanic before I bought my SHO but the clutch in it now I installed myself.

 

[NotSoSlowSHO]

link and pics for ya:

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=9138&highlight=engine+rig

pic of my engine rig, body covered in sheets and all

even with the engine rig, I chose to keep the engine semi-supported like this:

I just couldnt fight off the image of me being pinned under the car by the engine dropping I did, afterall, do the entire thing by myself.

 

[AutoSHO]

Here is mine... being used on Jason's (YamahaSHO's) car:

Very easy to build, under $30 in materials. It could easily have held the whole car up, the weight of the engine didn't even touch it.

 

[sho thing]

Those red an yellow things holding up the car sure are pretty. Do you have graph paper drawings of those? Do you think they'll cut them to size out of 2 x 4's at Home Depot? A couple rattle cans of gloss enamel and I'm all done.

Um, but seriously, thanks a lot for all the input everyone. Thanks for this forum. Praise the internet. I guess it's getting a bit late to be able to claim that I'm going to dive into it "later today". I wasn't planning on having to fabricate a support, but the response here is unanimous in favor of it. I wonder where all the support-the-engine-under-the-oilpan guys went. I actually think I'm going to make one out of 1" (ID) pipe according to plans I found by Nick Chrimes. If the hardware store cuts and threads the pipe, all I need to do is make a few holes. This will be easier for me since the only power tool I have on hand at the moment is a cordless drill (the SHO in its current state could not be considered a power tool, and besides wouldn't be of much use in this case). I don't remember where I found the plans, but if anyone comes across this later and is interested, email me and I'll send a copy along.

Picked up the clutch kit from Autozone today and it was the one without the quill sleeve. I was thinking a couple days ago when I committed to all this how it's funny that most of the work you do for a lot of these jobs is in getting at the thing you want to work on and getting it all back together. Actually exchaning the parts in question isn't that big of a deal, once you have access to them. Now I'm reallizing that an even bigger time suck is finding the right source for the parts, and actually getting the true correct part.

looking forward to when she's back on the road at a fine clip.

 

[SHO_Driver]

. I wonder where all the support-the-engine-under-the-oilpan guys went.

Still here. Only use that on cars without a subframe to drop, Hondas, Nissan, Mazda etc. And I usually use 2 large floor jacks on the engine and tranny. Even with my engine support for the SHO I leave a jack under there, just feels safer.

 

[masho95]

Here's the one I use on my car, or other SHO's in my garage that need work.

 

[revhardSHO]

I have a very very simple setup compared to most here. I used real 2x4s for the supports that run along the fenders, and then a 4x4 beam running across the engine bay. I just set everything in place and screwed it all together. Its more than strong enough to handle the load, however I still put something under the pan when Im working under there.

 

[Dr.Evil]

What do you attach the supports to on the back? There is no engine lift hook like on the front....?

 

[AutoSHO]

I used one of the bolts that attaches the heater core lines to the head.

 

[yamahaSHO]

To add to Chis' post. Here is another shot of his brace. It was/is constructed VERY well!

BTW, I still have your screws here and I had them placed aside to give to you when you were here last... D'oh!

As you can see, I was very comfortable working under the motor hanging over my head.

 

[AutoSHO]

Haha... I will get them at the meeting on Tuesday (hopefully.)

 

[Dr.Evil]

I used one of the bolts that attaches the heater core lines to the head.

Happen to have a pic of which bolt exactly?

 

[Shoaz]

There's also a location at the back of the rear head where a bolt can be put in to hold a chain. I think it is an otherwise unused location.

 

[autobahnsho]

link and pics for ya:

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=9138&highlight=engine+rig

On Scott Patterson's picture pages (that sounds cheezy, doesn't it? )
www.photoisland.com
login id= sdpatterson
password= 269k
look under 271k Clutch, bottom left hand picture. Once you click on it, click upper left "Original Size".

He shows a nifty little bracket and what size bolt it is=
20mm x M8 (Grade 8.8). The M8 is for the spacing of the threads. I found a ton of them at the local big hardware store.

I bent a strong steel bracket almost like he has, (it was a 90degree angle, I just put it in a benchvice and bent it out so it was more like 30degrees) and drilled one of the holes out a little bit. This makes it easier to hook a chain to.

There is an empty bolt hole below the driver's rear side of the manifold, in the block. (Actually it's probably the head.) Put the bolt in this, and make sure you put it in as far as it will go, without forcing it. If you leave it out a bit, it could possibly bend the bolt.

Good luck!

 

[yamahaSHO]

There's also a location at the back of the rear head where a bolt can be put in to hold a chain. I think it is an otherwise unused location.

That's what I used