tips on dropping in new engine
 

okay, i think i have everything prepared for the new engine. any tips you all can give me?

i figure the hardest part is gonna be bolting the torque converter to the flexplate. that seemed to be hardest getting it off last time.


best way to do it is what....

1. lift into engine bay
2. bolt to tranny
3. bolt to motor mounts
4. bolt flexplate and TC together

that sound good?

I'd put the engine and tranny in together as a unit. If you take your time nd have a person or two helping push and pull, it will be pretty easy. It also helps if you have an engine leveler on the cherry picker.

the tranny is still bolted in the truck.

sounds like you got it in the right order.

lifting the motor up level is one tip I recomend. Have a floor jack under the tanny to lift it up and down( with a softner to keep from denting the tranny pan.) I would put the motor mount bolts and bell housing bolts in first. Then the torque converter bolts. the hardest part for me is the frame motor mounts get in the way. I like to use 2 come-a- longs bolted to the back of the heads( levelers work great also) so I can tilt and go up and down with the pick. I have also used a manifold lug that bolts to the carb that lifts level. With a aluniumn manifolds you have to be very carefull to get even torque on your bolts(they could strip out motor could fall) . Funny last time I seemed to have a real hard time getting the motor in my 78 . I got so frustrated I lifted the motor back out. I decided to try a new way. just to see if it would work. I Unbolted the motor mount frame steel braces( the one that about 18" long). bolted the braces with the frame motor mounts to the braces bolted on the motor. The motor mounts are now all bolted up. Next i put the motor into the engine bay down on the frame rails. Next I just slid the motor on the frame rails into the tranny. Worked great. this is not the proper way but it worked. Sometimes the motor seems to almost fall into place. sometimes things just dont seem to line up. I have owned my 78 stepside for 24 years. I have had 5 different motors( #3 6 bangers 2 #v-8s) and 3 different trannys( 2# 3 speed manuals 1 automatic.) The last motor I took in and out 3 times(long story should have bought a crate motor)). I guess I had alot of practice. I guess if a man dont make a few mistakes hes not learning anything . good luck Iam stark naked but I dont care, Iam going into the woods iam huntin bare robert zimmerman

I would pull the tranny & bolt it up out of the truck & then put it in as a unit.

While the tranny is out you can clean & detail it up to match the new motor. And, if you do that.... when was the last time you checked the u-joints? 420 approx hp is much more than the stocker. Now is the best time to replace them.