This update is straight to business as I have a bit to catch up on. I have one or two more updates coming soon as I am running a bit behind on ... well, everything!
Ain't she pretty?
After the engine was pulled, I took the time to properly put on the brackets, alternator and power steering pump.I ended up replacing the power steering pump because the other one had odd leaks and I felt like if I had it out, might as well get a brand new one.
Jacob was a good friend and lent me his pulley puller. After a bit of time, I got the old pulley pushed onto the new pump and had it bolted on in no time.
Nothing ever goes according to plan. Ever. I ran into an issue with belt size here. This new pump had a neck that stopped it from moving too far down on the bracket. Which normally you can slide the pump down the bracket to get the belt around it and then tension it up before tightening the bracket bolts. Not this time...so this means we need a bigger belt!
So the normal 52" belt didn't fit at all. I shopped around for a slightly bigger one and landed on one at NAPA auto parts. This was about the 3rd visit as the first two resulted in incorrect belt widths and angles.
Lesson learned: Verify your belt width, V-Belt angle and of course, size before wasting your time (and money) over at the parts store.
I think I ended up with a slightly longer belt, 53" from O'Reilly Auto Parts. This came form a 76 Ford F250 with A/C. It BARELY fit. With Jim's help, it wrapped onto the pulley like a bike chain.
MOTOR MOUNT MADNESS
This is great. I could find driver side motor mount brackets EVERYWHERE. Hell, even O'Reilly's had them. But - NO ONE HAD A PASSENGER SIDE. Not Summit. Not NAPA. Not Rock Auto. No one except ... Amazon. Two Day shipping and had one arrive at my door step. Yet another reason never to leave the house thanks to the big A.
So putting the motor mounts on this time was a lot more simple. A bit of light, better angles and I had them all in. But seriously, look at where these four bolts were located: It was almost as if I had to remove the lower control arm.
Not pictured: the flash light being balanced on my neck.
Two bolts right at the bottom there. Thank you swivel joints.
Tada! Motor mount brackets installed. Motor mounts followed.
Prepping the patient
Kevin from Exotic Motors was nice enough to lend us his cherry picker and motor sling. I slapped the back bell housing plate on and fly wheel. The engine was ready to rumble.
The Engine clears the car with ease thanks to this big ass lifter.
Hell
I've watched an engine stab once. It looked awful and a huge pain in the butt. Now it was my turn. But before we could drop the engine in, Jake noticed we were missing one dowel pin. The engine normally has two to make aligning with the tranny a cinch.So first plan was to attempt to take channel locks and a blow torch to the old engine to try to remove one. This failed absolutely miserably.
Side note: Jim and I had a show of manhood contest by seeing who can get the tightest grip on the vice grips over the dowel pin. Jim won this with flying colors. Not only were my hands not strong enough but my right hand has been developing an almost arthritic pain across the thumb and index finger area.
Either way; we couldn't get the damned dowel out.
So plan B: Find a bolt that fits and cut the head off. Bingo. Jacob was nice enough to grind the head off the bolt and once that was done, made an amazing replacement.
Once we got the engine semi aligned, I had to make sure the flywheel was aligned enough so the torque converter's studs pop through it. Remember in those last pictures? There are four nuts that secure the engine's flywheel to the transmission's torque converter....
After shoving, pulling, pushing cursing at the engine, somehow things come together and I BARELY get the stud to poke through the fly wheel.
Yep. You experienced guys already spotted my fatal mistake.
Let me move on before touching on this.
So here are the motor mount and brackets below:
Here is where the motor mount meets the bracket. A long bolt slides right through and keeps them in place.
A better shot of the brackets.
Oh not mentioned earlier - after taking the manifolds off, we just cut the ends right off to be able to drop the engine in.
So here is some AMAZING news:
The headers fit almost perfectly. The transmission dipstick has to go though. Everything else? Boom.
LESSON LEARNED (before hand thanks to Mickey): Before securing the engine, see if you have to put your headers on before or after the engine drop. Fortunately for me, I could do it afterwards.
Boom, the engine is in place! Right?
Nope. That last picture of the fly wheel and torque converter?
The Torque Converter's stud is in the WRONG HOLE of the flywheel. The hole it is in is for the drain plug and will not fully secure the flywheel.
I want to die. Not only have I taxed my friends with a horrible engine drop but I managed to align to the wrong holes in the chaos of it all.
The engine doesn't have to come out - but it has to separate enough to realign the torque convertor and fly wheel.
TODO:
- Torque Converter re-align
- Replace leaky as hell tranny pan and gasket
- figure out fuel pump situation
- hook up all tubes and wires
- hook up ignition
- find some way to weld exhaust back together
When:
- In less than two weeks - Hot August Nights.
Difficult:
- I'm gone the following weekend for a family wedding.
Easy right? Nothing but time....
Until next time!
