Replacing Slant Six

-
J

jhdeval

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2009
Messages
1,160
Reaction score
38
Location
Carrollton, GA
Okay before anyone says anything I am putting another slant six back in. My question is this something one person can do? How hard is it? I found my slant through Bayer Boys down in Douglasville, GA he charges 500-800 to change the engine. I can not afford that. He also indicated it was harder then a V8. The way I understood the steps was unbolt the transmission disconnect the electrical remove the bolts for the motor mounts then I should be able to lift the engine out. Install is the opposite process. Am I missing something?
 
jhdeval said:
Okay before anyone says anything I am putting another slant six back in. My question is this something one person can do? How hard is it? I found my slant through Bayer Boys down in Douglasville, GA he charges 500-800 to change the engine. I can not afford that. He also indicated it was harder then a V8. The way I understood the steps was unbolt the transmission disconnect the electrical remove the bolts for the motor mounts then I should be able to lift the engine out. Install is the opposite process. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

it is so easy man. i do this all the time by myself. you can easily roll the car out from under it and roll it back under the new engine or move the hoist. especially if it is a direct swap. dont let anyone talk you into 800 bucks for that if you can turn a wrench. this took me 7 hours total.
 

Attachments

  • d59.jpg
    103.3 KB · Views: 439
  • d61.jpg
    91.4 KB · Views: 442
  • d64.jpg
    105.7 KB · Views: 449
  • d232.jpg
    146.2 KB · Views: 447
73AbodEE Did I miss anything in my steps? One thing I was thinking about if I do not pull the transmission do I need to line anything back up to get the transmission and engine to "talk"?
 
You can pull the engine without even getting under the car at all. Remove the starter and turn the crank until you see the flex plate bolts. There should be 4 of them evenly spaced. Make a mark on one corner of the flex plate and mark where it lines up with the flywheel. Once you remove those bolts you are internally disconnected from the transmission. Then remove the outer engine to transmission bolts and everything you named in your post. Even if you don't mark the flex plate, I don't think you can put it back on wrong anyway because the holes only line up in one position. It's just better to mark things instead of guess and check.

There are two holes on top of the head next to the valve cover for pulling the engine. You can either use a balancer on your cherry picker or run a couple bolts through a few inches of heavy chain and attach to the head.
 
jhdeval said:
73AbodEE Did I miss anything in my steps? One thing I was thinking about if I do not pull the transmission do I need to line anything back up to get the transmission and engine to "talk"?
Click to expand...

personally ,i like to pull it all out rather than battle the transmission in the car. its really a matter of preference. i take some spray paint and squirt a dab on one the flanges of the converter and flexplate before i take them apart just to be sure they go back together the way they were. i also remove the radiator completely.
just like ESP47 said, there are two places on the head to attach a chain to. the nice thing about the slant is that it will balance itself and not do anything crazy when you use those bolt holes.
 
jhdeval said:
73AbodEE Did I miss anything in my steps? One thing I was thinking about if I do not pull the transmission do I need to line anything back up to get the transmission and engine to "talk"?
Click to expand...

just basic disconnections. throttle cable , wiring, heater hoses , mounts , tranny lines if you leave the trans in, exhaust , converter bolts. radiator and hoses, fuel line.
 
jhdeval said:
Okay before anyone says anything I am putting another slant six back in. My question is this something one person can do? How hard is it? I found my slant through Bayer Boys down in Douglasville, GA he charges 500-800 to change the engine. I can not afford that. He also indicated it was harder then a V8. The way I understood the steps was unbolt the transmission disconnect the electrical remove the bolts for the motor mounts then I should be able to lift the engine out. Install is the opposite process. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...


If these two old codgers can do it, then.... (total combined age 149!):wack:
 

Attachments

  • js640_frednme.jpg
    112.5 KB · Views: 350
nuttyprof said:
I did one by my self in a 3/4 ton pu in about 5 hrs using a tree limb in the back yard.
Click to expand...

LOL

Reminds me of my mis-spent youth. We had welded up a swing set with wheels under it for the boss's kids. When it came time to pull an engine, we'd pull the swings off, throw a hoist over it, unblock the wheels, and off we'd go.

The key when you put it back together is going to be the flexplate and the torque converter. Points already made are well taken.

Also, look closely at where the chain is attached to the engine. If the standard cross bolt is used the engine is not going to want to stay tilted.

Dodge71Demon's method is great, but it takes a while to set up. The time consumer for me is getting the @#^% steering column off the steering box. The last time I did it, however, it took twenty minutes from the time I unbolted the old K-member to the time I was able to roll the car to another part of the shop so I could add fluids. I did it alone.
 
I'm not sure what they get for labor costs - but that sounds in line with what I'd see around here. That's only a few hours labor, then materials: oil/filter, new belts, hoses, tune up, etc. If he wanted that just for labor I think he's strong money. And it's no harder than a V8 - easier in fact as the others above noted.
 
It was a relatively easy swap on my dart. if I may ask what year is the car/transmission and what year is the engine?
 
Nice that Bayer Brothers is still there. I used to visit them in the 1990's when they were in Mableton. As 64drtGt suggests, you need an engine that matches your transmission. Around 1968, the tranny's torque converter snout got bigger, as did the hole in the end of the crankshaft. If mating a later engine to an early tranny, you need a special $20 adapter ring to take up the gap. A member here sells them for $20 (Charrlie_S or such). The other combination doesn't work.

The hardest part will probably be removing the top bell-housing bolts. When I did it long ago, I didn't have the best tools. Today, I might use real long socket extenders and swivels to go over the tranny and use a socket wrench at the rear. I think you will need to install the tranny cooling tubes before you bolt on the driver's engine mount, since they go over the mount (all years?). Installing the engine takes <1 hr with a good lift. You may spend several days hooking up everything else, especially if you do it right and clean, paint, test. Hope you aren't rushed.

Remove the radiator for more room, and not to damage it. Now is a good time to remove the block drain (3/8" NPT plug, passenger side) and flush the block. I put a GM knock sensor in my drain hole for future use in spark control.
 
Pull everything out all at once and change it all on the garage floor then put it back in. Its more things to disconnect but it will be easier. Put the back end of the car up high on jack stands. I did this on my duster and it was a lot easier to pull as a unit. I didn't even have to pull the hood
 
Using all the info you've gotten here, let's make a checklist of the things that need to come off. I usually forget the throttle cable or the rubber line to the fuel pump or the wiring to the distributor, or the ground strap to the firewall, (or the speedometer cable or the wiring to the neutral safety switch on the tranny), then I end up with the engine half-out and hung up! The list will save time cussing and looking for what is holding you up (and possibly having to fix a broken wire later). The checklist in reverse will also help to assure that you get it all reassembled correctly.

Actually I'll do a list for you from memory:

The guys here can add what I forget. Starting from the back forward:
Remove driveshaft. Remove tranny mount bolts and remove trans crossmember as a whole piece. disconnect speedo cable and neutral switch wire. Remove shift linkage and kickdown linkage. Remove cooling lines to trans.

Wiring: There is usually a small ground strap from the back of the motor to the firewall. The oil pressure sender and temp sender wires go as well as the two or three to the alternator.(It could be removed also) Also the coil wires and distributor wires come off. You could pull the cap and wires to prevent breaking the cap. Remove the cables from the starter to the battery and the ground cable to the battery.

The rubber fuel line to the fuel pump is removed. The throttle cable comes off.
Remove the power steering pump and line to the box (if equipped) The exhaust disconnects at the manifold. If you have ac remove the lines and compressor.

Remove the motor mount bolts. Remove the radiator and hoses and tranny lines. Some people remove the hood to make it easier especially if changing engine/trans together (easiest way). It can be done without it, but I usually do it.

That's all I can think of!
Good luck
 
Okay 2 questions. I am going to go ahead and tear this engine down clean EVERYTHING and replace worn parts.

My first question is what is the best thing to use to clean the parts? I was going to use purple power and a wire brush or nylon brush.

Second question. Do I use the oil pickup and pan from my old motor or new motor? I seem to have confused myself somehow.
 
I can get a slant 6 out in 1/2 hour after I drain everything I can. I don't pull the trans but I do yank the radiator, front pulleys, fan, alternator, starter, hoses etc. I do agree with other posters that you should mark the converter to make reassembly easier. If you have power steering just pull it and set it to the side without disconnecting the hoses. Once you've done it the 2nd time is much easier.
 
jhdeval said:
Okay 2 questions. I am going to go ahead and tear this engine down clean EVERYTHING and replace worn parts.

My first question is what is the best thing to use to clean the parts? I was going to use purple power and a wire brush or nylon brush.

Second question. Do I use the oil pickup and pan from my old motor or new motor? I seem to have confused myself somehow.
Click to expand...

#1 Oven cleaner and use a pressure washer, after closing any openings off.
Smaller parts you can soak in mineral spirits. Get a cheap plastic container from the dollar store and you are good to go.

#2 you will have to compare the shape of the pan with your old one, trucks and cars have different oil pans.

An extra tip is to replace the front and rear main seal, possibly the timing chain.
It has many years since a slant has been made, so most need changing.
 
Should I go ahead and pull the crankshaft and camshaft to be cleaned also? Can they be soaked in mineral spirits?
 
If the car is a 66 or older, and the engine is a 67 or newer, use the oil pan, oil pickup tube, and engine mounts/brackets from the older engine. Don't forget the adapter bushing in the end of the crank if the engine is a 68 or newer, going up to a 67 or older auto trans.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top