Any tips on pulling motor and trans together

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DusterDaddy

DusterDaddy

sledgehammer mechanic
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Planning on pulling the stock 318 and 904 trans from my 74 Duster project tomorrow. I am planning on leaving the motor boltled to the trans and taking it out of the car as an assembly.
If anyone has time, please let me know if I am going to go about it the right way.
The radiator, intake and manifolds were not in the car when I bought it
  1. drain fluids
  2. remove starter
  3. remove driveshaft
  4. remove trans linkage and crossmember
  5. remove steering arm that crosses under rear of oil pan(what is this called?)
  6. remove bolts in each motor mount
  7. lift assembly out of car with hoist with care
After removal, what is the procedure to remove the trans and converter from the 318 block without damaging the trans? The trans is going to be rebuilt and have new flex plates installed to be used with the 360 that will go in the car when restored.

Also, what should I do with the 318 block? Scrap it or try to find someone who wants it to rebuild?

Any thoughts from you guys would be welcome

Happy New Year:wav:
 

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your trans will have a connector to it for the neutral/reverse lights. make sure you unplug it and all your other wiring. you should be good to go. and if you were closer i would take that 318 off your hands. when you get it out, you will have to remove the starter and the inspection plate off the bottom front of the trans and take out the four bolts holding the converter on by rotating the engine and removing them one at a time.and then unbolt the tranny
 
73AbodEE said:
you dont have to remove the center link,or the starter
Click to expand...

True....I never have. We call it the drag link. Don't forget to disconnect the speedo cable and miscellaneous ground straps at the firewall (I always seem to forget to disconnect one) Also, it's nice to have an extra yoke to slide in the back of the trans (and safety wire it in) to make sure no oil comes out. I hate that.
 
You will want to use some sort of load leveler with 4 mounting points. Something like this will make life much easier.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Sunex-International-5208-Tilting-Engine/dp/B000TDCBPU"]Amazon.com: Sunex International 5208 3/4 Ton Tilting Engine Sling: Home Improvement[/ame]

They work best without the crank handle (it just gets in the way).

By the way, the offer still stands... If you want to take the ride up, you are welcome to borrow my lift and leveler.
 
cudavert said:
True....I never have. We call it the drag link. Don't forget to disconnect the speedo cable and miscellaneous ground straps at the firewall (I always seem to forget to disconnect one) Also, it's nice to have an extra yoke to slide in the back of the trans (and safety wire it in) to make sure no oil comes out. I hate that.
Click to expand...
yes yes yes the extra yoke is really nice to have.you can also duct tape a spray paint can lid on the end of the tranny
 
I have to admit, I pulled my 273 and reinstalled the 360 into the 67 without a "load leveler" and really wished I'd had one, all said and done.

WHAT HELPS is some way to jack the car up/ down a little if needed. I have a chassis hoist, so for me, that part is easy. Leaving the lower crank pulley and alternator helps some.

Others are right --no need to pull starter and center link. Scare up a spare yoke for the trans. "Somebody" may make a cap. All you really need is a thin capped cylinder the same OD as the SEAL and with a big enough ID to fit over the splines.

I think here:

http://www.brewersperformance.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TPK

TPK.jpg
 
Thanks Again, but I was able to rent the amazing lift for peanuts from a great old school tool rental in Shrewsbury, NJ The thing is so sturdy and easy to move!
so tomorrow is the day
Also found a crazy heavy duty stand for the mortor thats going in so ill make good use of the lift and get the 360 on the stand too.
Thanks again!
 
Hey, what do you guys think about those square lifting plates that bolt on to the intake manifold's carb mounting flange?? I swear, those things always scared the hell outta me!! Only four 5/16ths bolts holding an engine and trans?!? I would never use one.
 
cudavert said:
Hey, what do you guys think about those square lifting plates that bolt on to the intake manifold's carb mounting flange?? I swear, those things always scared the hell outta me!! Only four 5/16ths bolts holding an engine and trans?!? I would never use one.
Click to expand...
no way ,neither will i, especially with an aluminum intake. i always use a good old fashion chain and intake bolts in their respective corners. i yank and drop motors all the time this way by myself, by simply moving the car and raising or lowering the engine as i go. it really is easy.
 
The answer to part of the original post about separating the trans from the engine safely is this.

Get them both stable remove the flexplate bolts.
Slide the converter back toward the trans.
Pull the bell house bolts and separate.
If they are stuck, chk for any belhousing bolts you might have missed and then what I do is just give the trans tailshaft a good sideways thump with the palm of my hand.
Make sure that converter stays seated in the trans pump all the while of course.

Take a half inch box end wrench and put a bolt through the box end and put the bolt through a bellhousing bolt hole and put a nut on it.
you'll find the wrench holds the converter in while moving things around.
 
i did my last 2 out the bottom. I was rebuilding the front ends too so it made it really easy.
 
cudavert said:
Hey, what do you guys think about those square lifting plates that bolt on to the intake manifold's carb mounting flange?? I swear, those things always scared the hell outta me!! Only four 5/16ths bolts holding an engine and trans?!? I would never use one.
Click to expand...

I've done it on my 440/727 combo with the stock intake plus I don't take off the hood. The trick with the hood is to just remove the two front bolts and just barely loosed the rears. When the motor comes out just raise the front of the hood slightly. This also works on B-Bodies.
 
The best tool I have ever used for this job is the Pivot Plate, made by Mac's Custom Tie Downs. Best money spent in my opinion. I've used it many times to take out engines and tranny's from cars and trucks...its a one man operation, makes it so easy. :) In fact, I just used it yesterday to install my engine into the dart. :)

http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/category/24

IMG_2827.jpg
 
obvious but make sure the tires are blocked... my dad was yankin the chevelle motor out n it pinned him against the washer n dryer
 
if I am pulling them out together, I find it easier to take the inspection cover off and take the 4 torque converter bolts off with it in the car. Then the car is holding the engine and trans solid while you turn the bolts and spin the crank over....
 
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