procedure for pulling a flathead and trans together

clips221

Junior Member
I'm needing to pull the engine and transmission in my 40 coupe. It has a manual 3 speed transmission and mercury flathead engine. stock rear end. 'How's the transmission connected to the drive shaft tube? any help is appreciated.
 
Don't know if your 40 is a DeLuxe or a Standard but if you carefully remove the radiator, grille and louvered side panels it will give you a lot more room to move the engine and the transmission forward together as one unit for easy removal without damaging your firewall or having to tilt the engine at an extreme angle. Also, remove the generator and carburetor plus other parts on the top of the engine to avoid damage. Plus, this method is easier than lying on your back under the car manhandling the transmission to fit back in.

There is also this: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61241
 
1st drain coolant & oil from engine, remove Dist, Carb, Wiring, Generator, Hood, Grille, radiator & fan. Leave oil pan on. Loosen engine mounting bolts front & rear completely. Remove gear shift lever or linkage from ******, distconnect clutch.Remove anti-chatter rods from engine to frame. Disconnect ****** at universal joint by removing all bolts around the universal housing. For removal attach the chain to the overhead nuts from one side to the other. For safety wrap another chain around engine and attach also at top. Start to hoist the engine out. Note that the engine will start coming up in front & still connected to the universal joint at rear. When you've lifted the engine up several inches,pull on the engine towards the front to pull it free of the drive shaft. You may have to work hard to free it! Careful when it comes free the engine may tilt backwards more since it now has the ****** weight in the back. Finish hoisting the engine out.You may have to push the car back a little to clear the firewall. Try not to damage the accelorator ASSEMBLY.ONCE THE ENGINE & ****** ARE CLEAR OF EVERYTHING -PUSH THE CAR BACK and put engine down on floor or cart. Good Luck:)
 
I agree with Ken Bull's procedure. I have been pulling flatheads since 1957 and have always used the same system as Ken is suggesting. The only variation I used was no "safety" chains. (Dumb me!) Never dropped an engine but just lucky, I guess. I am getting ready to replace the clutch in my '39 Ford Pickup and will be including Ken's "safety" chain suggestion. At 74 years old I have probably pushed my luck far enough!
Allan
 
If you are using a cherry picker to lift the engine, I'd make some careful measurements first. Pulling just the engine from a truck, the cherry pickers will barely reach to the middle of the engine with the boom out as far as it will go. I'd guess a car would be similar. On one such job, the front bumper ended up right under the ram attachment on the post, and as engine weight came off the frame, the bumper came up and tried to lift the picker.

The other concern might be that at the longest reach, the load limit of the picker may be close to the combined weight of the engine and trans. For that reason I prefer to lift the engine by itself. To clear the radiator support and grille that engine will be way up in the air, not a good time for testing the limits of chinese steel...
 
If you don't want to pull the trans, the hood and grille can stay in place. Bumper needs to come off, and as iterated to above, the reach with a cherry picker can be sketchy.

I'd rather leave the trans in place than mess with the hood and grille. The hood hinges remain, the spring loaded arms need to be disconnected. The hood is tied back to the trunk hinge with a rope.

40coupeyawn_zps0b8ebaf3.jpg


You might be able to pull the engine and trans together like this, but I didn't try it.

Mart.
 
I think I would look for a cherry picker with a longer arm than take the bumper off and put that beautiful grille at risk, and I sure would not use rope to pull it with. I do like the ham string rope from hood to trunk... OMG
 
Guys no one mentioned to disconnect the battery that I read.
On another note, I pulled the 223 engine out of my F-500 with the bucket on the front of my tractor.& put it back in the same why. No too easy by yourself & better have a good control valve on the hydraulics.
 

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Wow! Ive pulled several engines from 40 Fords but not with the transmission still bolted on and done it without disturbing the hood.. I had rather unbolt the transmission from the engine than having to remove hood and grill. The transmission to me would be lots easier to align back up than sheetmetal,esp painted sheetmetal.. Just my 2 cents worth..
 
thanks for all of the help guys. I just picked up this coupe last Friday. the front end was just hot bolted together. Not the front end's off the car, heads, intake and valves are out of the flathead engine, pulled the floor pan above the transmission and am ready to set the engine out. thanks again for all the help.
 
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