First time pulling motor - Need suggestions (already started)

[40BelowSummer]

Yo. Well the time has come pull a motor for the first time and I want to do it right. Ive done two top end 60K's, rod bearings, and other typical misc SHO stuff. So this shouldnt be TOO hard

The car is sitting behind my house in a field, i have it on jack stands. I have already pulled the following items:

Radiator
Intake
IRCM
Coil Pack
Fuel rails
Airbox
Fan shroud
coolant overflow bottle
headlight assembly
most wiring
battery
power steering resevoir
etc

It is an 89' so from searching and reading, that should be one less thing to worry about. I have no engine hoist but my dad is bringing a forklift home tomorrow to either lift the engine/trans assembly out or lifting the body off the subframe.

My question is what things do I need to disconnect tongight to get it ready to drop the subframe? Im not as familiar with the suspension/drivetrain as I will be (havent learned that yet)

Motor Mount bolts, 4 subframe bolts, ???

Thanks

 

[SonicRiot]

what a mess!

Are you parting this car!?! I call dibs on the bumpers, trim, and those mirrors!!! And the EATC if it's in good shape!


Do you have a hoist? It will make your life MUCH easier. Usually to pull a motor, it's easiest to pull it from underneath, transaxle and all, but seeing as it is on jacks, you'll have to yank it from the top (duh! ).

I would remove the transaxle first as if you were doing a clutch job. Then all that is holding the engine in place is two motor mounts.

...but then again, I haven't yanked an SHO engine... just other cars.

 

[40BelowSummer]

Yes its a parts car, no I dont have an engine hoist......but a bacco (sp?)

I have determined it will be easiest to lift the body off the front subframe. SO I think Ill give that a shot

 

[SonicRiot]

tranny, engine, subframe all together? sounds like a good idea. You might bend the **** out of the front end by lifitng the body, though

Are you selling off the parts?

 

[Ferendon]

Good luck. That's about all I can offer, I've never pulled a motor either. Need to soon, have to get the motor out of my parts car.

 

[Denny]

You forgot to unbolt the Ypipe man. Basically it is easy to undo the four subframe bolts, make sure you have stands under the subframe first. Undo all the electrical connections. And then, lift the body up and slide the subframe out with the trans and engine. I assume you still have the wheels that you can use to help roll it out unlike these two guys....

 

[SonicRiot]

Busted up!

 

[Shoaz]

I agree, keep the engine and tranny on the subframe and lift the car off, as indicated in the above photo.

The exhaust needs to be undone as someone else mentioned, and it appears that the heater hoses, etc., are still attached. One nice thing about dropping everything together is that it's a bit easier to figure out what needs to be unhooked, essentially everything connecting the engine or tranny to the car.

You haven't mentioned the clutch cable or VSS/speedometer connections, which will need to be undone (easy enough to do from the engine compartment).

 

[BlownByU]

I'd say the easiest way is out the bottom as well. I pulled mine out the top, engine and tranny together and it wasn't that bad, except I forgot about the VSS in the back and broke that, otherwise just keep checking to make sure you got all the electrical connections undone. If you're taking the subframe out you have to either undo the struts on top from the strut tower or all the suspension from the subframe (ball joints, sway links, and tie rods) I think that about covers it. Have fun

 

[40BelowSummer]

Well thanks for the info. I got it! Im proof that you can do this with only one person (yourself), no garage (I have one, but did this outside), no engine hoist, no air tools, etc. All I used were 2 jack stands, a floor jack, and a small craftsman tool kit.

Heres the after pics, I did it in 2 days by myself:

 

[pjtoledo]

Great pictures. Man, I gotta tell you, by Michigan and Ohio "rust-belt" standards, that car is beautiful!! Too bad it's a bit crunched.

Perry