# Engine removal problem



## sixeightGTO (Jan 25, 2010)

I have finally reached the point of pulling the motor out of my 68 GTO that I recently acquired. Unfortunately the motor is seized up. Of course that means a rebuild and everything was fine till I realized I over looked the obvious. The motor will not turn therefore I can't remove the bolts that hold the torque converter to the fly wheel. (I figured this out after removing everything else and getting the hoist attached to the motor). :willy: 

I tried to tilt the motor and see if I could slide it off the transmission shaft and take the torque converter out with the motor. No dice on that one so far. I was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience or ideas of how to fix this minor problem. I am trying to avoid pulling the whole transmission and engine as one piece. Not sure of the weight and it makes me a little nervous because I am probably pushing equipment to or past its limits. 

I thought maybe next of freeing up the transmission and pulling it back to the rear of the car as far as it will go then try pulling the motor forward after removing the exhaust manifolds and motor mounts (to increase clearance) and see if that works. 

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?


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## 66tempestGT (Nov 28, 2009)

yeah, take out the crossmember and let the back of the trans tilt down. probably will amount to taking the tranny out of the bottom and the engine from the top at the same time. :willy:


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

slide a jack under the tranny and lift it up, the converter should come out with the motor. Be sure to slide a pan under there cause it's going to leak alot when it comes out.


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## sixeightGTO (Jan 25, 2010)

The motor and tranny are both out. :cool I ended up buying a not too expensive transmission jack so I could get better control of the transmission when removing it (hold it at an angle). Freed up the transmission and just kept adjusting the jack at the transmission and the engine leveler on the hoist till I finally hit the sweet spot and it came apart. 

Interesting fact I made more of a mess with transmission fluid coming out of the speedo gear hole than what came out of the torque converter. (Should have probably drained the tranny first but hindsight is always 100 percent).

Now I can move to the next step rebuilding and refreshing the suspension and sprucing up the engine compartment. Looks like it is time for an order to Eastwood for some paint.


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## 66tempestGT (Nov 28, 2009)

glad to here its going your way. :cheers


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

When I did my motor pull, I removed the crossmember, and pulled the motor & trans as a unit, however, you need a 2nd person to guide & balance as you work the motor crane. It was pretty headache free. I used a skateboard to pull the transmission away. :lol:


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Be sure you put the tourqe converter back into the tranny before bolting up the motor. Don't try to assemble it like it came apart (conv bolted to flywheel), you'll never get the tranny pump drive lined up if you do.


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## sixeightGTO (Jan 25, 2010)

Rukee said:


> Be sure you put the tourqe converter back into the tranny before bolting up the motor. Don't try to assemble it like it came apart (conv bolted to flywheel), you'll never get the tranny pump drive lined up if you do.


Yeah it was hard enough getting the torque converter out attached to the flywheel. I can't imagine trying to stab it while attached to the flywheel. :willy:

Any thoughts on reinstallation of everything? The trans and engine pretty much came out at the same time. Putting back together I have to do one before the other. Any advantage to putting one in before the other when it comes to the motor and transmission? I really can't think of one, was figuring probably which one gets out of the shop first gets put in first. Going to be a while because I want to spend some time detailing and rebuilding the suspension and under the hood.


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

sixeightGTO said:


> Yeah it was hard enough getting the torque converter out attached to the flywheel. I can't imagine trying to stab it while attached to the flywheel. :willy:
> 
> Any thoughts on reinstallation of everything? The trans and engine pretty much came out at the same time. Putting back together I have to do one before the other. Any advantage to putting one in before the other when it comes to the motor and transmission? I really can't think of one, was figuring probably which one gets out of the shop first gets put in first. Going to be a while because I want to spend some time detailing and rebuilding the suspension and under the hood.


In the past I tried leaving a couple automatics in cars for an engine swap and finally decided it was more torment than it's worth. There is so little clearance for the block and trans to align after the pan clears the crossmember that it's just a lot easier to put the engine in first and then the trans. You will, obviously, need to support the engine with a jack under the pan while installing the trans but now that you have the tranny jack, it will go in nicely....:cheers

This is my "engine lift"... I r&r them as a unit.


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