Engine Install

Smokedtires

Smokedtires

Senior Member
Hello gang, I am getting ready to reinstall my engine after having checked everything out and making a few improvements. I have aligned the clutch disk to the pilot bearing with the alignment tool. What are some tips and tricks with installing the engine back in it's proper location? I plan to add a couple long bolts to help with alignment. One of my concerns is matching the clutch and transmission splines. I really don't want to remove the transmission if not necessary.

Thanks
 
Several methods to accomplish the install. I find installing the engine with the transmission attached easier. With the aid of a frame spreader, aligning the transmission and the U-joint goes pretty smooth. It’s also a great time to call in a favor or two and have a couple friends to help.
 
Put one rear wheel (only one) on a jack stand, and put your transmission in third gear. That way once you get the transmission close you (or your helper) can rotate the tire which will rotate the driveshaft to "clunk" the splines on the transmission input shaft into the clutch disk. Don't forget to lightly grease the transmission input shaft and the nose that fits into the pilot bearing.
 
I would remove your transmission. Now you can check and grease the u-joint.

Install transmission to engine, and re-install.

Enjoy.
 
I installed an engine in my chassi last Saturday. Transmission was already in the chassi.
Put Transmission in neutral. Remove inspetion plate from Clutch housing (Bell Housing). Using flashlight you can see the Clutch Splines. Install Engine to within 1" or even 1/2" of the Transmission Input shaft. Using your trusty flashlight again line splines of the Transmission up with the slpines of the Clutch disc. Move engine back until the splines almost touch.


Final lineup is done by raising or lowering the transmission with a floor jack.



If splines are off 1/2 spline make final correction with a big screwdriver, using the screwdriver to rotate the splines on the Transmission shaft.


The other critical measurement - or fit - make sure the Flywheel cover and the Bell Housing are pararell to one another. If they are not pararell the splines will be hard or impossible to get to slide together. -top and bottom, left and right parraell. Raise or lower the Transmission and the Bell House to match the Flywheel Cover.


Somewhere in all this some bad words in a foreign language, when ladies are not present, might be necessary.


gotta larn how th spel parreeell.
 
Installed my engine this summer without removing the transmission by myself. I made 2 alignment dowels from long bolts, cut off the head and then cut a slot in them to remove after mating the trans and engine, don't make too long. The dowels should be long enough to engage into the bell housing before the splines need to engage and make sure you can remove them later. I only had 1 rear engine mount installed as the RH one was cracked, not sure how much this helped. Both rear wheels on the ground and trans in 3rd gear to keep the input shaft from turning. Rough align the rotation of the input splines by eye. Like Ken said above keeping the trans bell housing and the flywheel cover parallel and square is key. Once the dowels are engaged in the bell housing and they are parallel push the engine back to try and engage the splines. If they don't engage turn the crankshaft slowly with a ratchet and socket until they do.
 
I have only pulled the engine septrately once. I must admit I just hate dealing with the frame pinching the bellhousing area. I'm always fearful of cracking the frame.

I have a bar that tilts and engine when installing. However the thing is sooooo long it hits the firewall, and is useless. I just got a little over 40% of it cut off, and welded back together. I used it a few weeks ago to put an engine back into my streetrod, and what a breeze. The next time I pull the engine on my A I bet I use that, and pull the engine only.
 
If you are going to end up installing the engine with the gearbox attached, be VERY careful when you align the spline on the drive shaft with the universal joint. When the alignment is just right, they can come together very quickly. DON'T have your fingers in there. Use long nosed pliers or screw drivers, anything but fingers.
 
Gene F said:
I have a bar that tilts and engine when installing. However the thing is sooooo long it hits the firewall, and is useless. I just got a little over 40% of it cut off, and welded back together. I used it a few weeks ago to put an engine back into my streetrod, and what a breeze. The next time I pull the engine on my A I bet I use that, and pull the engine only.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I placed a carpeted car floor mat between the engine and fire wall for protection when I pulled the engine.
 
Dan in MI said:
I made 2 alignment dowels from long bolts, cut off the head and then cut a slot in them to remove after mating the trans and engine, don't make too long. The dowels should be long enough to engage into the bell housing before the splines need to engage and make sure you can remove them later.
Click to expand...

I am planning on installing a couple long bolts as you described. Do you happen to know what length bolts you used?
 
Synchro909 said:
If you are going to end up installing the engine with the gearbox attached, be VERY careful when you align the spline on the drive shaft with the universal joint. When the alignment is just right, they can come together very quickly. DON'T have your fingers in there. Use long nosed pliers or screw drivers, anything but fingers.
Click to expand...

Very good to know, thank you. Fingers crossed the transmission stays in place. I would rather make a frame spreader than disassemble more of the car.
 
Gene F said:
I have a bar that tilts and engine when installing. However the thing is sooooo long it hits the firewall, and is useless. I just got a little over 40% of it cut off, and welded back together.
Click to expand...

I had to shorten my leveling bar ~5" for the same reason.

41548669414_ddc26a70fa.jpg
 
Y-Blockhead, that is great. I love any excuse to get the welder out.

Dan in MI, no worries, I think I'll go with a couple 2.5" and see how they work out.

Thanks all.
 
Y-Blockhead said:
I had to shorten my leveling bar ~5" for the same reason.

41548669414_ddc26a70fa.jpg
Click to expand...

We have the same one. Think I got 8" out of mine, which seemed like a bunch at first. The thing was something like 20.5" to start with. It just needs to tip the center of gravity...
 
Here is a simple way to line up the splines on the input shaft. I mark the high point of two splines next to each other on the input shaft with a white marker. I also mark a low point on the clutch disk spline. Raise the transmission to match the clutch splines with the input shaft splines so that the input shaft is about to go in. Put the transmission in neutral. Shine a flash light through the inspection hole on the clutch housing, reach in and turn the input shaft to line up the marks, push the engine back and you are in.
 
+1 on the long bolts/dowels. My son and I figured that one out after fighting the engine to transmission mating process. Once we did really long bolts it slid right together. The first time we tried without the long bolts my son learned a few new words from my vocabulary that aren’t used very often.
 
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