How do I forcibly remove an ATX?

[hawkeye18]

It's crunch time.

I've got to get this engine and transmission out of my 94 ATX before I can remove the struts and springs that everybody wants. Problem is, there is no way this car is getting to a chassis lift, and I don't have access to an engine support.

I DO NOT CARE what I damage on the bodywork or everything that's not the engine/trans. Don't care. How can I get the trans out the side of the car?

I'm thinking, I can jack the front of the car up, remove the DS quarter panel, then simply sawzall/cut through the rest of the front clip on the side around the wheel arch... remove the tranny through the side? I'd support the oil pan with a jackstand/block o' wood and leave the engine mounts installed while dropping the DS subframe to the ground.

Other than violating structural integrity of the engine bay (don't care, car's f**ked already), are there any problems with this? Any difficulties to encounter? I'd just be cutting all the rubber lines, and the harness is pretty well hosed already so I'll just be cutting it too (yeah, I can see Keith cringing already! But don't feel bad, Keith, I'm doing it to save the engine!)

So... any ideas? There is very little I'm not willing to do to not get this sucker out.

 

[Blackdr16]

I wouldnt think youll run into any trouble, i mean if your cuttin everything up anyway what can go wrong? ...except hitting the tranny with sawzall :O. You have one mount on driver side and then the bolts to engine. Halfshafts and minor details...linkages and such. Should be a piece of cake ....Shame the SHO couldnt be saved

 

[hawkeye18]

I might take pics one day and show them; everything in front of the front exhaust manifold is absolutely destroyed. Magically, though, the damage stopped right in front of the engine... absolutely amazing, really lol.

 

[firebat45]

I think you'd do okay pulling it forwards. Take the front bumper off, get rid of rad and ac crap, sawzall the core support out of the way, and pull the whole subframe forwards. Just support the body of the car right behind the subframe, lift it up enough to take the weight off, and unbolt the subframe.

 

[rubydist]

I did my last engine swap w/o a chassis lift - just a couple of jacks and several jackstands. I dropped the whole subframe onto a furniture dolly, then jacked up the front of the car high enough that I could slide the subframe/engine/trans out the right wheel opening. I took the intake off to make it a little shorter. Once out, its possible to disassemble everything as desired.

 

[firstgen89sho]

I did my last engine swap w/o a chassis lift - just a couple of jacks and several jackstands. I dropped the whole subframe onto a furniture dolly, then jacked up the front of the car high enough that I could slide the subframe/engine/trans out the right wheel opening. I took the intake off to make it a little shorter. Once out, its possible to disassemble everything as desired.

Ditto, this is exactly the way that I did the swap into the 95 as well, but instead, I used my engine crane to lift the front of the car off the ground, up high enough, to get the engine and transmission to clear.

 

[mooseSHO46]

I'd say get the car as high as possible then cut from there

 

[hawkeye18]

I think you'd do okay pulling it forwards. Take the front bumper off, get rid of rad and ac crap, sawzall the core support out of the way, and pull the whole subframe forwards. Just support the body of the car right behind the subframe, lift it up enough to take the weight off, and unbolt the subframe.

I like this idea. The front bumper is totally ripped off (impact went from DS to PS and just ripped everything off to the side of the car) so that'll be a lot less to cut lol I think I might do this.

I did my last engine swap w/o a chassis lift - just a couple of jacks and several jackstands. I dropped the whole subframe onto a furniture dolly, then jacked up the front of the car high enough that I could slide the subframe/engine/trans out the right wheel opening. I took the intake off to make it a little shorter. Once out, its possible to disassemble everything as desired.

I like this idea too. If the first idea doesn't work I might try this. Only problem is, the front PS SF mounting ear is messed up and I might not be able to get it disconnected without an angle grinder. But yeah, I feel a lot better about this now. Now it seems doable!