Getting ready to pull the engine out of my 87. Can i do this??? LOL

[UATahoe]

Well, the 383 is here and waiting to go in my 87. I am slowly piecing together everything i need, but i think i have lined up a buyer for the stock TBI 350. At least i hope i have. Have never pulled an engine out so just curious if this is something i should tackle or just pay somebody to yank it out. I am sure i could get a few guys over to help but can anybody point me to a good tutorial or how to?

I am wanting to to do this in my garage so i can keep the truck inside and covered until i get ready to put the 383 in. I am still saving up the funds to have the 700r4 rebuilt and to get the right chip burned. Any help would be awesome!

[Telecasterjoey]

It's easy man, first be safe sounds dumb but if that motor falls get outta the way! I'd just unhook everything from the engine and trans, take pics or your connections, hoses ect.
Undo the two mount bolts and undo the one tranny mount bolt and take em out together. I've always found this easier than trying to lay under the truck and split the engine from the tranny. Make sure your garage roof has clearance for an engine hoist (ask me how i know lol) and giver! Also I'd remove your hood and rad!

You've got it!
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[UATahoe]

Awesome. I was definitely planning on removing the tranny and motor together. Garage roof should have plenty of room. Was designed to hold a four post lift, some day. LOL. Its probably about 20 ft high. We wanted to be sure. LOL

Should i remove the front clip???

[Telecasterjoey]

Makes things easier but you don't have to
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[riz]

I removed mine with the tranny connected. I prefer to do it that way if I can. You just have to take things slow and make sure your clearances are all ok every little move you make. Removal of the radiator and any other assessories for sure help. Make sure your lift is set at the right weight setting and a leveler is a huge help. Take it slow and be smart. Be careful and like somebody else said, it it falls or breaks loose, just let it. Let me know if you need any other help.

RIZ

[77c10]

Something that has not been mentioned is make sure you have plenty of rags and oil dry ready. It never fails, you will end end up with a combination of all the fluids on the floor.

It would be helpful if you are going to pull the motor and trans together to go to the parts store and get a plug to go in the tailshaft of your trans to keep it from puking fluid everywhere.

[cory d]

personally i keep the transmission in, manual or automatic. removal is pretty straight forward. just remember to make sure you removed the cables and what not.

[Telecasterjoey]

Originally Posted by 77c10

Something that has not been mentioned is make sure you have plenty of rags and oil dry ready. It never fails, you will end end up with a combination of all the fluids on the floor.

It would be helpful if you are going to pull the motor and trans together to go to the parts store and get a plug to go in the tailshaft of your trans to keep it from puking fluid everywhere.

Haha yeah thats great advice! I made such a mess last time I did it!

[UATahoe]

I am pulling the tranny too because I figure it best to get it overhauled when I swap the engine. I have to figure out the tranny overhaul too. Plan on paying to have it done but have no clue what to request or how much it will cost. Just build it to the hp and tq specs?
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[77c10]

Originally Posted by UATahoe

I am pulling the tranny too because I figure it best to get it overhauled when I swap the engine. I have to figure out the tranny overhaul too. Plan on paying to have it done but have no clue what to request or how much it will cost. Just build it to the hp and tq specs?
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I had a 700r4 built by a guy in Franklin, Tn last year. Best I remember it cost me $650 exchanged. He built it up with high performance parts adn it came with a small stall convertor. I have had it installed for about two months but have not driven it much since. What little bit I did drive it was awesome. Shifts very firm!

[UATahoe]

Sweet. You mind shooting me a pm if you still have his contact info? That's not far from me at all
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[riz]

I guess I should be more clear,.....If I'm going to rebuild or swap the tranny too then I pull them together. If I'm just doing an engine swap, then obviously I leave the tranny in the vehicle.

RIZ

[Damon23]

Drain all fluids!!!!!!!! Don't forget to drain the block of coolant as well. Lots of good advice here. Take pictures and mark wires, connectors, hoses and things on both the place you pulled them from and the thing you pulled.
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[lilpoindexter]

I remove the trans, because you will need to tilt the engine more with it attached...If you can roll the truck's nose out of the garage, that will help if you are using a cherry picker to yank it, for clearance.

[Pop's C-10]

remove tha core support & you can yank tha engine & trans @ once...jack tha hoist up abit & roll it right out..no need to pull tha fenders & hood..

[BigBlocksRule]

Have a cold 6-pack handy and get the guy that bought it to help you pull it. It's almost always easier to block the front wheels and jack the back of the truck up, cuts down on the severe angle of the block/tranny coming out.

[xrcr]

Have a cold 6-pack handy and get the guy that bought it to help you pull it. It's almost always easier to block the front wheels and jack the back of the truck cuts down on the severe angle of the block/tranny coming out.


I hadn't thought about that, great idea. Kinda seems obvious now....
xrcr

[UATahoe]

Thanks guys for all of the input here. We will give it a shot and see how it goes. LOL. How easy is it to remove the core support?

[UATahoe]

Any more info guys on pulling the motor and transmission? Easiest way to removal the tbi?
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[piecesparts]

Something to consider and it does work, I know.

1. For the most part you can remove the engine and leave the tranny under the truck, it is not that hard. I made a bracket to lift and hold the tranny, while the engine is out that clamps to the frame of the truck. I purchased a flat 1/4" thick by 2" wide metal bar, that is long enough to go from outside of the frame to the outside of the opposite frame. Find the center of the bar and measure your tranny oil pan to the edges of the pan, so that you can get the distance from edge to edge. Now find the center of the bar and drill two holes equal distance from the center to give you holes that will align with the oil pan edges. I made mine just over 3/8" so that I could fit 3/8" redi-bolt through them. Put a nut on the top side of the bar to use as a jacking bolt design to raise or lower the bolt and at the same time raise or lower the tranny. I welded mine to the bar and put a couple nuts on the redi-bolt and double nutted them to make a place to allow me to turn the bolt, but you don't have to. Use small C-clamps to hold the flat bar to the bottom of the truck frame and then use the bolts to work the tranny. This assembly removes the need for leaving a jack or stands under the truck to hold the tranny up and it is adjustable to allow for fitting the new engien back in. It also allows you the freedom to move the truck around your shop to get it outside for further cleaning. When re-installing the engine, raise the tranny up against the firewall hump, to assist in aligning the guide pins and then as you lower the engine, lower the tranny slowly by backing off on the bolts. One person can do this without too much pain, it just takes time.

2. There are three bolts in your torque converter that hold the converter to the flexplate and they can be accessed from underneath through the bell housing bottom cover pan, when it is removed. You will have to rotate the engine to get to them, you have to do this no motter what, but to me it is easier if the engine is in the frame and everything is solid and not flopping around on a set of milk crates or whatever. Then there are the four bolts that hold the tranny bellhousing to the engine. Once removed and the front motor mount bolts are pulled, then you can lift the engine. Remember there are two guide pins in the engine to align the bell housing that will need to be worked loose. Take the starter off and lay to the side to give more clearnce and balance the weight of the engine some.

3. You do not have to remove the radiator, but it does make things easier. You will have to remove the fan shroud and the fan. You could pull the water pump for more clearance and put it back on the new engien after re-installation, but I leave mine on to pull the engine. I usually cover mine with a heavy cardboard and with the fan out of the way, the engine will come out without hitting it.

4. Consider getting a lifting plate for your intake manifold, vice using a chain to lift the engine, it makes the process easier and cleaner to do. The TBI would have to be unbolted from the manifold to allow for mounting the plate.

5. Get a large box of plastic sandwich bags and masking tape. As you pull each item off, put the bolts for that itme in the bag and mark them with a Sharpie to let you know what they are and where they go. Stack the bags in order as you removed them, so that assembly is just as organized. Use the tape to mark vacuum lines, and wires. A camera is helpful for close up pics of items that appear to be complicated.

6. Make sure that you disconnect the fuel line, battery cables, and ground straps before lifting the engine.

7. Clean everything and paint before returning it to the truck.

8. By all means use jack stands and wheel chocks.

[UATahoe]

Thanks for the info! I was going to leave the transmission attached because I need to get it out to overhaul it as well. Or just flat out replaced. It needs to be upgraded a good bit to compensate for the new power.
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[piecesparts]

Good point, don't forget to pull the rear tranny cross piece, to allow for ease of lifting the engine and tranny.

[UATahoe]

Will do. Can the lift plate handle the weight of the engine and transmission together? Was worried the bolts wouldn't hold up to the weight. Where do people normally mount chains if they go that route? I have a load leveler for the engine hoist.
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[UATahoe]

Motor and transmission are out! No broken parts, stripped off wires, or damage. Thanks a ton to the forum. You guys were a huge help! Couldn't have done it without it all of the advice I got here!
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[riz]

Awesome! Feels good to do it yourself doesn't it? I'm glad everything went well for you. Congrats on adding another notch on your tool belt.

RIZ