Front subframe removal with motor in??

[gaboonviper85]

Is this possible? In my head it seems doable...not easy but still possible.

I keep reading on these rk bushings and I wants them bad but my motor runs perfect and is codeless and would like to leave it that way! I don't want to pull my motor just to do bushings.

Has anyone done it?

My idea is to get the car up on jack stands and unbolt the motor...then pull the forklift up and strap the motor up and lift untill I see the motor is up off the mounts a little...then just drop the frame and let the forklift hold the motor in place while I swap bushings. Now keep in mind this will be done inside the machine shop I work at and will have access to the press and whatever else I may need including doing what IJ said "machine a recess to locate on the washers"...

Yay or nay? Go or no go? Do or don't? Win or fail? Tits or bhg?

 

[IJ.]

You can buy or build a brace to go between the towers to support the engine then it's simple to drop the front subframe.

 

[ronniek]

Yeah,that's what I did years ago when I installed my front subframe bushings.

You can buy or build a brace to go between the towers to support the engine then it's simple to drop the front subframe.

 

[rayall01]

Heck, there's a pic of it on that bushing thread. I copied it for you, ain't I wonderful?

 

[shaeff]

That is NOT how I'd do it. That just looks dangerous...

 

[rayall01]

That is NOT how I'd do it. That just looks dangerous...

It wasn't my pic, I just saw it, and thought it was a good proof of concept for IJ's post.

 

[jdub]

Gaboon - Here's the support bar I used when I had to replace the subframe on my Cressida.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002SR47C

Used a 6' screw jack to help adjust motor position when I lowered the engine back down on the mounts. This is a good time to check/replace the motor mounts BTW. Pretty sure BIC is making a poly square type.

 

[adampecush]

That is NOT how I'd do it. That just looks dangerous...

not to mention putting a pretty serious load on the shock towers that could potentially cause all sorts of structural damage

 

[CyFi6]

Strut towers are very strong, i dont thing holding a motor up on them is going to damage anything. How do you think they do clutch and transmission jobs on FWD cars, where 3 of the 4 mounts are on the transmission itself?

 

[Moy]

Strut towers are very strong, i dont thing holding a motor up on them is going to damage anything. How do you think they do clutch and transmission jobs on FWD cars, where 3 of the 4 mounts are on the transmission itself?

+1. Had to replace a transmission in a Civic in class, used an engine brace like the one pictured (but this was sturdy/made of steel). It mounted on the strut towers, it was held like that for a few weeks.

 

[shaeff]

It wasn't my pic, I just saw it, and thought it was a good proof of concept for IJ's post.

I know it wasn't your pic, I was just stating that the contraption shown isn't exactly a safe way of going about this task. Something of a bit higher quality build quality would likely be ok.

not to mention putting a pretty serious load on the shock towers that could potentially cause all sorts of structural damage

I hadn't even thought about that, though speaking from experience with my last chassis, the towers are pretty stout on these cars. I think it would take more than the weight of a motor to deform them.

 

[jdub]

Ahhmmm...has anyone took a look at the link in post #7? It is a structural steel bar capable of supporting 1100 lbs. That fits between the outside of the shock towers along the fender. I have actually used this same bar to support a 5M engine...it is more than capable of doing so.

 

[IJ.]

Think of the load the towers are under during high speed braking and hitting a bump.....

I really don't think 500lbs of engine is going to have the slightest affect :nono:

 

[shaeff]

Ahhmmm...has anyone took a look at the link in post #7? It is a structural steel bar capable of supporting 1100 lbs. That fits between the outside of the shock towers along the fender. I have actually used this same bar to support a 5M engine...it is more than capable of doing so.

I did, it looks great.

I was questioning the integrity of the wooden contraption pictured above. LOL.