HOW TO:PULL AN Engine

[Clark6]

Hi Guys Whats The Quickest And Safest Way To Pull An Engine With The Trans Or With Out, Where Are The Connecting Points , What All Do I Need To Take Off The Intake? Last Time We Broke The U Shaped Horse Shoe Lookin Bracket Above The Coil Pack. Looking For Other Options Thanks For The Help In Advance..................

 

[noahzark]

this site has lots of good tech info some of it is dated most stil relevant.

Engine Removal

 

[SouthernCal GN]

I'd add the below to those instructions:

I prefer to leave the hood on. I take out the upper support bolts, carefully lift the hood to a near vertical position, and use a couple of thick zip ties to strap the supports to a couple of holes in the hood. Be careful of lifting the hood too far, or else you'll crack the windshield.

Take lots of pictures, or have a local buddy with a GN/TR available so you can trace wires.

After the pics, break out a roll of masking tape, and a sharpie; as you pull off the wiring, label each end as to what it's connected to. Do the same for the vacuum lines. Taking your time now will make the install later much easier and less frustrating.

I use a leveling lift assembly (4 attachment points) bolted to the 4 outer intake bolts. and I prefer to lift from the side rather than the front.

 

[BlackBandit]

Leave the trans in. It's 9 bolts. (3 flexplate 6 bellhousing) I pull the intake with the engine in the car and then use long bolts to bolt the leveler to the heads. (where the intake bolts go) Then just pull it out. Oh yeah, I usually put a jack under the trans to hold it up. It'll stay on it's own, I just don't like the idea of the tailshaft holding all that weight. HTH james

 

[Clark6]

Yes It Definately Helped James Thanks To All, Ive Just Seen A Few Diff. Ways I Saw A Pretty Simple Way When Someone Had The Chain On 2 Bolts On The Upper Intake Plenum With The Throttle Body & Plenum Moved (engine Only) I Thought That Stuff Was Aluminum & Would Break But He Had Headers Turbo & All On (trans Off) But It Worked I Also Read Somewhere Where A Guy Took The Intake Off I Didnt Know If He Took That One Off Or The Whole Upper Intake As I Was Just Checking I Figured If I Had A Leveling Plate Like Mentioned Above That Was Flat, I Could Get Our Machinist To Make Me One At Work Out Of A Steel Plate If I Take It Off & Make A Copy Of Bolt Holes & Bolt All 5 Bolts Down Flat So More Stress Will Be Even & Not Break Or Strip 2 Threads What Do You Think?
Ive Already Moved Trans First Those 2 Bell Housing Bolts UP TOP Were A Pain Gonna See If Can Find A Straight Wratchet Wrench I Have An Offset That Didnt Work. Just Trying To Figure If I Put It Back In To Bolt My Trans Back Up To The Motor While Out. Like We Did In My Bro. Car. We Didnt Have Such A Good Contact Chain Point Well We Used Pull Straps To Keep From Scarring That New Paint:d

 

[xrunner123]

Yes It Definately Helped James Thanks To All, Ive Just Seen A Few Diff. Ways I Saw A Pretty Simple Way When Someone Had The Chain On 2 Bolts On The Upper Intake Plenum With The Throttle Body & Plenum Moved (engine Only) I Thought That Stuff Was Aluminum & Would Break But He Had Headers Turbo & All On (trans Off) But It Worked I Also Read Somewhere Where A Guy Took The Intake Off I Didnt Know If He Took That One Off Or The Whole Upper Intake As I Was Just Checking I Figured If I Had A Leveling Plate Like Mentioned Above That Was Flat, I Could Get Our Machinist To Make Me One At Work Out Of A Steel Plate If I Take It Off & Make A Copy Of Bolt Holes & Bolt All 5 Bolts Down Flat So More Stress Will Be Even & Not Break Or Strip 2 Threads What Do You Think?
Ive Already Moved Trans First Those 2 Bell Housing Bolts UP TOP Were A Pain Gonna See If Can Find A Straight Wratchet Wrench I Have An Offset That Didnt Work. Just Trying To Figure If I Put It Back In To Bolt My Trans Back Up To The Motor While Out. Like We Did In My Bro. Car. We Didnt Have Such A Good Contact Chain Point Well We Used Pull Straps To Keep From Scarring That New Paint:d

I can't help you on your question but for some reason each word capitalized make it hard to read. And maybe this is a silly question and don't take it the wrong way, but why would you go through the extra effort to cap every word?

 

[BlackBandit]

Glad it helped. One other thing. If you're top two trans bolts are REALLY hard to get to maybe you should inspect your body mounts. I know that after I did mine I had ALLOT more room. I'm talking inches. Made pulling the Trans a ton easier. Also, FWIW I wouldn't pull the engine with the plenum bolts. That's a little too ballsy for me. Good luck. james

 

[Clark6]

I can't help you on your question but for some reason each word capitalized make it hard to read. And maybe this is a silly question and don't take it the wrong way, but why would you go through the extra effort to cap every word?

you know what, i just noticed that WHY did i do that??????????


look like a bad habit i just picked up.
hhmm i was just speed typing i guess i think im fast but look at me now im a whole lot faster without caps on ea. word,, thanks x runner.

 

[gnxtc2]

I use a 3' (2' better and hard to find) nylon web sling under the intake. Snake the sling between the fuel rail and doghouse. With the sling, you don't have to worry about scratching anything. I think HR Parts & Stuff sells a 2' one.

I leave whatever I could on the engine. I also leave the hood on, just disconnect the hood shocks.

Another trick is to unbolt the motor mounts from the block. It allows the engine to "slide" rather than trying to cup it into the frame mounts and dealing with the trans dowels.

If you any other questions just ask.

Billy T.
gnxtc2@aol.com

 

[BlackBandit]

I use a 3' (2' better and hard to find) nylon web sling under the intake. Snake the sling between the fuel rail and doghouse. With the sling, you don't have to worry about scratching anything. I think HR Parts & Stuff sells a 2' one.

That's a fantastic Idea. You could probably just go to the junkyard and grab an old seatbelt and use that for a sling. I've used seatbelts before but always used bolts in the heads. Next time.....

 

[Clark6]

I use a 3' (2' better and hard to find) nylon web sling under the intake. Snake the sling between the fuel rail and doghouse. With the sling, you don't have to worry about scratching anything. I think HR Parts & Stuff sells a 2' one.

I leave whatever I could on the engine. I also leave the hood on, just disconnect the hood shocks

I KNEW THIS WAS THE RIGHT THING TO POST INSTEAD OF TACKLING IT AFORE TIME, IM LOOKING 4 ONE AS WE SPEAK THANKS ALOT GUYS IM ON IT FIRST OF NEXT WEEK....... WHY DIDNT I THINK OF THESE THINGS IVE ONLY HELPED PULL ONE, MY FIRST ENGINE, A GUY CHRGED ME $400 TO PULL IT, PUT IT BACK IN INSTALL OIL COOLER & TUNE BACK UP I WASNT MAD I WAS THANKFUL CAUSE IVE NEVER DONE IT. I HELPED MY BRO. PULL HIS- I SAID MANN IM DOING MY OWN NEXT TIME. & SAVIN A COUPLE OF BUCKS, BUT HOPEFULY NO ONE EVER WANTS IT TO BE A NEXT TIME RIGHT THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOU INVALUABLE EXPERIENCED BUICK MECHANICS OUT THERE...........

 

[SouthernCal GN]

Ok, brother Clark,

We're gonna RIP the caps lock button off your keyboard!

Please don't use all caps- thanks!

BTW- have fun pulling your engine- you'll find it's not as scary or difficult as you may think. Take your time, especially on documenting wiring, vac hoses, etc.....also, be thorough in your build- step by step. Don't get so excited to get the thing together that you rush things, and forget important stuff (like the cam button! Had the motor together and ready to install, when I saw the damn cam button on the workbench....... )

Pete

 

[zeus87gn]

Clark,
What did you do now?
Run that car of yours too fast?
HA, I just looked on SGTB and read you had a nod rocking.
Hate it for you, but no bettter time to freshen it up.
Zeus

PS - yes, remove the caps lock.

 

[Clark6]

Clark,
What did you do now?
Run that car of yours too fast?
HA, I just looked on SGTB and read you had a nod rocking.
Hate it for you, but no bettter time to freshen it up.
Zeus

PS - yes, remove the caps lock.

I dont know my brothers & i were out in the country on the back roads id just put the poly mounts in the day before so we were gonna go see who had the best back road car after his rebuild, now he's got the champion. alum heads & 28in. mt drg rad. mines 26in. with polished & ported stock irons he's around 18-19lbs boost, id just installed my alky about a month ago i was at 26psi to 27psi .His back road record with that car was 3 - 0 against out of towners mines 1-0 we got some locals around talkin smack & we were just tryin to size up the comp. i told him i knew he'd beat me but i would be with in a car length he said no way. im pullin good but not that good. anyway we made about 3 to 4 passes on the back road im spinnin like crazy & i think i may have over revved it that 2nd pass as i saw rpms in the upper 5k to lower 6k never went that high b4 usually low to mid 5k.... on the last run he noticed his trans not shifting right & on the way back home i noticed a slight vibration on driver side of engine i thought boy they said those poly mts vib. so i went to the track the very next day with vibration. & all i said im gonna pull those mounts out when i get home out of 7 passes best i could get was 2 7.7s 7.8 & 7.9 my 60fts were great 1.63,1.65,168 etc but my boost wasnt climbing for some reason. on the way home viration gets worse well all that week of poking turning, cranking listening, thats what we came up with rod knock told me to cut it off & do not crankit any more. so i think thats what happened to mine &my brother took out his trans. so some advice fellas if you do a rebuild better get that trans freshed up also the same thing happened to me after my rebuild also. is this better concerning the CAPS.:smile: this is all my guess to what happen im not a mechanic but by the way how can you or what causes rod knock was i correct on the over revving.

 

[machinegun]

Open hood straight up. I made a hood support from some aluminum bar stock from the local hardware store. I use this all the time. Undo the transmision and TC. Only nine bolts. support trans. Remove intercooler, downpipe, fuel lines. Remove alt, and support that holds PS and AC comp. Drain block, remove heater hoses, radiator and all coolant hoses. Disconnect all electrical connections on front of engine, starter. Do not for get the 2 grounds on the rear of the passenger cylinder heads. Disconnect the coil pack and injector harness. disconnect all vacum lines. remove Motor Mount bolts. Remove turbo sheild and disconnect and or remove down pipe. Use a lifting strap under the center of the lower intake wrapped around the upper plenum. Remove engine using crane. Once removed install on stnad and remove everything else.

PS Masking Tape, fine sharpie and medium to large freezer bags marked with compnent name to hold bolts and brackets. This will greatly improve assembly and reduce lost parts and bolts. I have pics if you would like. Time about 4 - 5 hours.

 

[dan lephart]

photo finish

Take pictures as you go for sanity protection when installing the finished motor...

 

[DCVING 6]

I use a 3' (2' better and hard to find) nylon web sling under the intake. Snake the sling between the fuel rail and doghouse. With the sling, you don't have to worry about scratching anything. I think HR Parts & Stuff sells a 2' one.

I leave whatever I could on the engine. I also leave the hood on, just disconnect the hood shocks.

Another trick is to unbolt the motor mounts from the block. It allows the engine to "slide" rather than trying to cup it into the frame mounts and dealing with the trans dowels.

If you any other questions just ask.

Billy T.
gnxtc2@aol.com

I know, old thread.

Would an axle strap be a good use for this? (for strapping the car down to a trailor)

 

[Clark6]

Thats what i wound up using simple & effective.

 

[ITSAV6]

You should asked me and Daniel! We can have one out in 45 min. Take the coil pac/module/bracket off the car,ac comp to the side,remove main acces bracket and remove ps pump and secure it out of the way,remove turbo,remove starter wires,x over pipe,remove tq verter bolts, wiring harness disconnected,unplug inj harness,support trans,take off upper bonnet(I used small chain that the upper bonnet bolts will just fit thru and made 4 approx 8" chains bolted to the intake and hooked the ends together with a "chain connector" that bolts together and hooked the cherry picker to that) remove oil cooler lines,fuel lines pulled to side.
That is most of it besides the obvious like ic,rad hoses,down pipe. You could have a lift plate made,just use the upper intake gasket for a pattern. The 2 upper trans bolts are not that bad with ign/bracket off!