Installing engine and trans into bare frame - best method?

SeaSlugs

SeaSlugs

Well-known member
Well im at that momentous step of putting the engine and trans back into the frame of my AA.


The engine ive had running on a test stand so everything is bolted to it still (carb, water necks, generator, water pump, accelerator linkage, etc) and im able to bolt the trans right up to it without any issues if need be.

the trans is ready to go and is completely assembled (pedals, trans top, etc)

Now how should I go about reinstalling them?

What should I remove from the engine/trans to install it?

Where do I attach lifting devices?

Should I bolt the trans to the engine then lower in as an assembly?

The trans bolts directly to the dual high VIA clam-shell and its just being supported by the 2nd cross member so I dont want to "hang" the trans from it. Also since it is I would imagine the trans could rotate on whatever support I have as I'm trying to slip the engine back in.

Do you mount the front motor mount to the engine first then guide it into the hole or loosely mount it all to the cross member then lower the engine in?

Remember there is no cab or fenders to get in the way.

I did borrow a loose flywheel housing to slip in between the motor mounts to see if i needed a frame spreader - i had about 1/16" gap on either side so im good there. Ive also got every nut and bolt lined up ready to go in so i wont have any surprises of "wheres that bolt at?"

And yes ill borrow a proper engine hoist this time to do all this....:rolleyes::D
 
I use the lifting eye screwed into a couple of spark plug holes. HOWEVER I recommend you use an old cylinder head to do this. I know people have been doing it this way for years, but I did it on a modern higher compression head and danged if it didn't find the "casting flaw" and opened up a crack that I didn't see. Found it when starting it up...cylinder flooded with coolant. Argh!

Nylon slings wrapped around the engine ain't a bad option either especially since you are just dropping it into the chassis. In fact, a better way to go.
 
yea....that "thing" has been dismantled somewhat, sawhorse and its cousin are currently supporting the platform bed in the backyard. I did use the garage rafters and the come-a-long to unload it out of my truck! also unloaded 2 complete worm drives this way haha.

like i said ill be borrowing a engine hoist this time around to do this. I saw a few posts by Tom W with his nylon rope sling and seatbelts. I may go this route with the trans attached and all.
 
I use one of Bill Stipe's creations, available at most of the vendors:
 

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Mitch, that home brew stand reminds when 24 years ago when I worked installing this imaging systems... One in Seoul, Korea.. The units had 3 head that were almost 500lbs each and we have no "A" frame. We went to this metal shop and I drew on what I wanted and figured to tell the Korean welder that it needed to lift 2,500, lbs ... I'll have to find those pictures but it worked well and I guess that nuclear imaging system is still in use...


http://nm.snu.ac.kr/e2_faculty/division.php

PICKER_PRISM_3000.jpg


And yes it looks like a drill chuck --your head when in there..
 
Mounting the front motor mount on the frame worked best for me as you can move it around on the springs to align as the engine is dropped in,
 
I like to use woven nylon rope or seat belts, as they don't mar the paint. If the ****** is attached then I'd face the hook opening forward and attach another rope from the ****** to the hook for balance.
 

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This is the best that I ever used. My Dad got this in about 1957. It is adjustable by just sliding the hook before you put any weight on it. It was used for many years in our repair garage. We worked on all kinds of cars, plus rebuilt a lot of engines. I used it many times on Model A engines, plus I use to rebuild the 151 Pontiac engine in the postal trucks.
 

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Tom Wesenberg said:
I like to use woven nylon rope or seat belts, as they don't mar the paint. If the ****** is attached then I'd face the hook opening forward and attach another rope from the ****** to the hook for balance.
Click to expand...

yea i saw your old posts about this, seems like an easy method with the most flexibility.

So looks like i got the hoisting method figured out, and seems to not matter if trans is attached.

Also i see the front motor mount should be installed (loosely maybe?) in the frame before inserting the engine.

Thanks guys! If anyone else has any great ideas keep em coming!
 
I can't imagine why using 2 old unusable spark plugs with the cores removed and screwed in the first and fourth spark plug holes in the head would cause any problems. That is what I did to install the engine in my coupe with no problems. I didn't have the flywheel or transmission installed. If the head area where the spark plugs are is that weak, the head probably has a problem anyway. I am sure thousands of engines were removed and installed using the spark plug holes. Maybe after market heads are weaker and might have potential problems with this technique, but original Ford heads, I believe, are plenty strong enough to use the spark plug holes to lift the engine. I am attaching a picture of the chain/spark plug tool I made and use and the lift I use to lift different things like the pictures shows - the coupe body, but an engine is even easier to lift with the hoist.
Rusty Nelson
 

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Yeah the head I had issue with was a new HC casting with, as it turns out, a casting flaw. I never had a proble m with original head.
 
I have an unserviceable original (B) head that I have been using when pulling or installing the engine in conjunction with the tool shown above in post #7.
 
I installed mine with a little help from my wife using a standard engine hoist with the hook connected to a spark plug adapter in the third cylinder I installed both the engine and transmission together.
 
I usually put the engine in from the front, not through the door as wrndln shows in post #15.
 
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