4th gen motor swap

[NJ346]

Pull the motor out of the top, or drop the motor and trans together? That is the big question...no lift, just jackstands, wheelstands, and a big cherry picker...

[LTb1ow]

Ah ****. Read the question before reading the post.

Out the top would be easiest.

[GrandmasterCow]

I've done it a few times out the top, wasn't so bad. i did with the trans still attatched.

[transmaro93]

no way!!! i did mine with no lift.... jsut jackstands a cherry picker and some ramps for the rear tires (so the bumper doesnt hit the ground when you pull the front up) only thing is youll need a good set of medium high jackstands... i have the medium ones harbor frieght sells (they well small medium and large ones) and they held the car high enough to pull the engine out the bottom... and youll also need 3 dollies or just one for the trans if you opt to leave the tires on the K member... i took might out without the tires on... i dont see it being to easy to pull that engine out of the top with the trans connected... its hard enough on most cars without the engine being stuffed under the cowl like 9 inches.... just my $0.02

[NJ346]

brandon, about how long did it take you to drop the k? besides disconnecting the driveshaft, wiring harness, and steering linkage, what else is there to it?

[LTb1ow]

ABS is a pain. and steering lines. Other than that its like 6 bolts under, and the bolts on top on the suspension.

[Mike]

yeah... the upper shock bolts, six bolts in the k member, brake lines and all the hoses/wires off the top...

[transmaro93]

there is 2 brake lines... the steering "rag joint" shaft... all of your connections on the motor electrical and fluid.... exhaust and normal stuff... its really not hard at all... iv never pulled a 4th gen from the top so i cant say how easy that is... but you could easily pull it in 1/2 to 3/4 of a day... maybe quicker if your good... i work slow when im off the clock...hahah

[GrandmasterCow]

... hmm maybe i should start dropping the K mem hah

[NJ346]

there is 2 brake lines... the steering "rag joint" shaft... all of your connections on the motor electrical and fluid.... exhaust and normal stuff... its really not hard at all... iv never pulled a 4th gen from the top so i cant say how easy that is... but you could easily pull it in 1/2 to 3/4 of a day... maybe quicker if your good... i work slow when im off the clock...hahah

sounds good. I hope to have this thing done in a 3 day turn-a-round(Drop the k, lift the old motor off, put new motor into place, put the k back under the car).

[wretched73]

I'd add in a few days time just in case something breaks in the process and you have trouble replacing said broken part

[NJ346]

I'd add in a few days time just in case something breaks in the process and you have trouble replacing said broken part

ehh, time really doesn't allow for that. Motor parts will be here on thursday, and I need the car driveable by monday...so not much room for failure.

[wretched73]

maybe wait till you can have an extra day or so?

[S.J.SLEEPER]

i say out the bottom cause i'm am used to doing it that way.
i can have engine/trans out & back in 8 1/2 hrs. driving down the street with it.
but i have also done this about 30 times

[NastyEllEssWon]

out the bottom. done it time and time again. easiest way.

[sweetbmxrider]

k is the only way!

[Savage_Messiah]

bottom is how I've done it

[V]

bottom

[JerzLT1]

ehh, time really doesn't allow for that. Motor parts will be here on thursday, and I need the car driveable by monday...so not much room for failure.

have you ever worked on a car before? lol nothing ever goes as planned

[emolineaux]

out the top vin! **** was simple as all hell to do. took me awhile though because i was collecting parts for a month or so lol

[BarneyMobile]

have you ever worked on a car before? lol nothing ever goes as planned
Amen to that brother! Something unexpected always happens :nod:

[emolineaux]

hey vinnie if you do it from the top i have a nice lift plate that mounts to the valley area of the block if you want to borrow it.

[NJ346]

have you ever worked on a car before? lol nothing ever goes as planned

nope...never worked on a car before:rofl:. I have thursday, friday, saturday, and sunday to get the car done. I will work without sleep to make sure it gets done. I don't see it being that hard, except for when I'm in the middle of it wondering why the **** I would take a perfectly good car and dismantle it....The motor will be built on an engine stand, so the actually head/cam swap shouldn't take more than a few hours....if that.

[JerzLT1]

so are you gonna be ready to race the old boat anchor with your jesus motor when your done?

[NJ346]

so are you gonna be ready to race the old boat anchor with your jesus motor when your done?

just wait and see....:lol:

[JerzLT1]

i hope you have a big cam and those 243s are ported otherwise im pretty sure youll be looking at my taillights

[sweetbmxrider]

so are you gonna be ready to race the old boat anchor with your jesus motor when your done?

:rofl: yessssssssss

[NJ346]

i hope you have a big cam and those 243s are ported otherwise im pretty sure youll be looking at my taillights

lol, we can start getting serious one the car is done. Btw, a new monster clutch is going in at the same time, so now the car probably wont be ready until the end of november. We will get a few runs off before the end of the season, I guarantee that.

[sweetbmxrider]

what the hell happened to your other clutch?

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

what the hell happened to your other clutch?

Ditto. What's on your old one? Isn't it like 6 months old?

[Tru2Chevy]

Ditto. What's on your old one? Isn't it like 6 months old?

Yea, I thought those Monster's lasted forever!

- Justin

[sweetbmxrider]

unless he is going with a "race" clutch or whatever

[NJ346]

I damaged the pressure plate when i put the 9in in. THe 9in wasn't centered, which caused a lot of strain on the tailshaft of the trans, and I over adjusted the tick master cylinder to compensate for the hard shifting i was experiencing. Steve at monster is going to take a look at it, and if it wasn't my fault(which i'm 95% sure it is), then the replacement he's shipping me is free, if not, I'm getting a new disk and pressure plate for under half the price of a new one. You win some, you lose some. With the motor out I was going to have to swap the clutch anyway...I'd rather make sure there's nothing wrong with the clutch once the car is back together.

[01blackz28]

lol, we can start getting serious one the car is done. Btw, a new monster clutch is going in at the same time, so now the car probably wont be ready until the end of november. We will get a few runs off before the end of the season, I guarantee that.

LOL.... You're not pulling the motor just to do a heads cam swap are you?? I'll be down in your neck of the woods Thursday running my car at a rental again. There should be a handfull of 9 second cars stop by if you want.

[NJ346]

LOL.... You're not pulling the motor just to do a heads cam swap are you?? I'll be down in your neck of the woods Thursday running my car at a rental again. There should be a handfull of 9 second cars stop by if you want.

no, I have a complete longblock with 80K miles on it that's getting built on en engine stand....no sense in putting money into the current motor that has 185K on it.

[NastyEllEssWon]

only thing left to break is the trans now.



take lots of pics :nod:

[sweetbmxrider]

ahhhh the old learn through experience and wallet gag.....

[NJ346]

only thing left to break is the trans now.



take lots of pics :nod:

I will try with the pics, but according to everyone here...I'll be on a time crunch. I've spoken to two people that have done it before, and they say they don't see why I can't get it done in 3 days....we shall see.

[NJ346]

just an update: Motor swap was completed in 3 full days like planned.

Only things that broke:
2 coolant lines, brake fluid level sensor, and an evap purge solenoid.