Tips for putting engine/tranny back in

[canadian]

I took the engine w/ tranny out a couple months ago and it went fairly smooth with the help from the step by step guide someone wrote.

Now I'm on to installing it back in, and the guide says it is 10x harder to install than remove....

Anyone have any tips to make it go as smooth as possible? What about alligning the driveshaft splines with the tranny shaft splines? Any easy way to do it?

Thanks in advance, any info will be helpful I'm sure...

 

[SevenMKIII]

Get a balancing bar and connect it to the hoist and the motor. Raise it as high as you can, have a friend align the motor while it's over the engine bay and slowly lower it down little by little, moving it toward the car as you are lowering. The weight of the trans will give it a more natural angle for installing.

Once the tailshaft of the transmission is down toward the ground you can slide a jack under that and start jacking up the back end to level the motor.

Remove the driveshaft, it's like 6 bolts and makes it a ton easier. You'll put this back in after you have the motor in.

So you have the motor down on the motor mounts and a jack under the trans, just bolt it all up and you're good to go. Re-install the driveshaft and don't forget the two big washers! Start bolting everything back together and some say it's easier to install the harness while the motor is out. I didn't but it's not hard either way. Good luck!

 

[adampecush]

My number one suggestion would be to remove the bolts from BOTH sides of the engine mounts....trying to get the motor back onto the mounts with the lower bolts still in place is....a pain in the ass

 

[rumptis]

I have pulled and installed a few, and putting back in really is no different. just take your time and have at least 2nd person helping you guide it in. I have never had to do any special to get it back in. just reverse the process you took to get it out.

 

[billspreston01]

$40 at autozone you can get an engine leveler. I'm 100% sure I'll have one next time my motor comes out

 

[IJ.]

Done it many times on my own

Get a bud to help

Use thick Cardboard to protect the car

Take it slowly it's NOT a race

Stop look and check then lower a bit and repeat

Engine leveller is a must due to the length and angle needed to get it into the bay.

 

[Poodles]

load leveler is REQUIRED for pulling/installed the engine and tranny as a unit.

you still will have to bump the tranny down (have someone push on it with a stick) to get it into the tunnel.

pre-90's are easy to drop the motor in as the holes are really slots in the subframe and drop right in.

Don't worry about the driveshaft, you CAN put it back in while it's being lowered in if you're lazy (but you meay have to beat on it to get the engine to slide back onto it), or you can pull the center support and then put it in and bolt the center support back up.

 

[kwnate]

You don't need a leveler, but it helps. I put my 1j in by myself. I jacked the rear of the car up, lifted the motor. It will naturally will tilt because of the tranny weight. Once the tranny is near the floor you can put a floor jack under it to level the whole unit. Work it back til the shifter lines up and the mounts are floating right over the holes. Lower that bitch in.

 

[canadian]

Well it's in and almost all buttoned up, just a few more things to hook up and it should run tomorrow, I hope.

It was A LOT easier than I expected, the way the guide made it sound was very hard, but it wasn't at all.

I didn't use an engine leveler and it went in fine.

Thanks for the replies, even if I forgot to come and check them :aigo:

 

[AF1JZ]

Take it slowly it's NOT a race

Couldn't have said it any better.


Also, I leveler if very handy to have. Makes it a lot easier.

 

[IJ.]

I put mine back in fully assembled Turbo downpipe the lot so the leveller is a must for me so I don't gouge up the paint.

 

[canadian]

I put mine back in fully assembled Turbo downpipe the lot so the leveller is a must for me so I don't gouge up the paint.

I had everything except the downpipe because I couldn't get it unbolted from the rest of the exhaust, so I left the exhaust as one piece... I guess I'm talented :biglaugh: