engine r&r

[cptrains]

Can anyone tell me if the engine on a 1993 3.2L engine SHO can be pulled from the top side of the car?

 

[rubydist]

yes, it can.

 

[cptrains]

Thanks for the reply.

 

[SHOtime2511]

I prefer pulling the engine from the top.

 

[kevinspann]

Yes it can, but I'm not sure how easy it will be to get back in that way. Also remove the front accessories and battery tray for a little more clearance.

 

[kzoosho]

If you can pull it from the top, you can drop the subframe as well. I have done both and prefer to drop the subframe.

 

[jimtash]

Top for me while leaving the transmission in the car. Usually pull the heads off first before taking it out and just put the shortblock back in and install them after. Makes installing it much easier plus the motor mounts are all accessible from the top as well.

 

[SHOPLUS]

With the limited space available in a FWD V-engine DOHC set up I usually just disconnect the harness and drop the subframe but I have a shop where the car can chill on a rack until the project is done. That said, I've never done a SHO.

 

[jimtash]

At least you have a garage.

Here's a pic for reference. This is the shortblock going in. Leaving the heads off makes it easier to get the flywheel aligned to the input shaft of the transmission and also to prevent damage to anything on the firewall.

 

[kevinspann]

Might be easier to pull it out with an MTX attached, it isn't THAT bulky. Plus the weight that it has will throw the balance off and allow you to get it up and out. I haven't gotten to the reinstall part yet, though.

 

[jimtash]

Leaving the MTX in means that none of the axles or suspension needs to be touched. I made sure to prop it up with blocks though when the engine was out just to keep as much stress off the mount as possible.

 

[rbruso]

Dropping the subframe without a pair of piano dollies or some other way to scoot the subframe around is a pain. Engine out the top (in this case with trans attached but A/C disconnected) means you can wheel the hoist to wherever you are going to put the engine.

Though with some way to wheel the subframe around, I can see the appeal of just lifting the car up off of the subframe.

If you are going to yank the engine out the top, make sure you have the arm of the hoist as long as possible while still being able to support the engine. While scrapping my old '89 I found out the hoist I was using couldn't lift high enough to get the trans to clear the radiator support. Ended up putting the engine/trans back into the engine bay and splitting it there, then pulling separately.

 

[zblackbeast]

Ive done both and will only drop the subframe from now on. Its 100x's easier and faster.

Then again, I've had to do this close to a dozen times now on various SHO's.

 

[msteiny]

Ive done both and will only drop the subframe from now on. Its 100x's easier and faster.

I agree!

 

[rubydist]

if just the engine, I prefer the top, but if engine and trans together then dropping out the bottom is faster, imho.

I use a couple of little furniture moving dollies from Harbor Freight, I think $10 each, to roll the subframe around. If you just have jackstands to get the front of the car up, you need to remove intake and injectors to allow the engine to fit under the front of the car when rolling the subframe around if going out the bottom.

 

[cptrains]

Thanks

 

[cptrains]

Thanks for all the replies and great info.

 

[SHOtimer]

I pulled my 3.2 with the ATX attached out the top....twice.

The main thing to look out for is the brake fluid tube going from the master cylinder to the ABS brain.

Doug