Swap engine without removing hood?

[sixnine]

Possible? Any one ever done it before? I'm pulling out an I6/3spdMan and installing a 350/th350. I'm a one man show and would rather not pull the hood if I don't have to. Thanks in advance.

[69_hafton]

I pulled my inline with the trans attached and had to remove the hood. I also ended up removing the wheels and sitting the truck A-Arms on 4x4's because the engine crane wouldn't go high enough to clear the grill otherwise. I'm sure others will chime in with the best way to go about this, but I'm thinking next time to I'll try removing the grill and radiator support and front bumper if necessary to make thing easier. Probably wouldn't have to remove the hood if you plan on bringing the engine out the front?

[cdowns]

it can b done with hood on i've heard// it's a simple matter for one man to pull a hood off tho.

use your engine hoist to help you hold the hood while you remove the bolts to get the hood off// the main thing you need to do is out think the hood and it comes off in less than 5minutes with about as much effort as putting on a pair of shoes, no strained mucles or body parts and working with smarts instead of brawn results in no damage to anything

[silverstreak]

Life would be much easier for you if you could find a way to remove it. The 6 is a pretty tall motor. I've removed my hood by myself, but then again that's why I have a bad back, doing crap like that over the years.

[gkesseru]

Here's how I remove/replace the hood by myself: Open the hood. Support the front end of my hood up to the garage door railings with one tie-down strap at each front corner, remove the bolts. Lift the back end of the hood enough to clear the hood hinge one at a time, roll the truck back and the hood swings clear on the ties from the garage door railings. Reverse to install. Use blankets to protect the paint.

[Stocker]

If you pull the hood, lightly spray paint around all the hinge bolts before you loosen them. Makes it a lot easier to align everything during re-assembly.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

I have pulled many of them for years without pulling the hood. Either remove all but one hinge bolt on each side & tip the hood back or remove one bolt that holds the hood to the hinge & loosen the other & put blocks of wood to tip it back.

[BADPURPLE70CHEVY]

Originally Posted by Wrenchbender Ret

I have pulled many of them for years without pulling the hood. Either remove all but one hinge bolt on each side & tip the hood back or remove one bolt that holds the hood to the hinge & loosen the other & put blocks of wood to tip it back.

Just did this myself and thats how i did it.

[junkyardjohn]

I'VE REMOVED A 350 (FROM A 72 BLAZER) WITHOUT REMOVING THE HOOD OR TAKING OUT OR LOOSENING ANY HOOD BOLTS. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS POSSIBLE TILL I DID IT. I USED AN INTAKE PULLING PLATE & CHOKED THE HOIST CHAIN CLOSE. FOR ALL YOU NAYSAYERS OUT THERE.. THERES PICTURES ON MY ARCHIVE ON THIS SITE & I WILL FIND THEM IF SOMEONE IS WILLING TO MAKE A SMALL WAGER THAT IT CAN'T BE DONE. I'M NOT VERY COMPUTOR LITTERATE. JOHN

[Stocker]

John, I think people would have to be crazy to bet against you...

[junkyardjohn]

I PROBABLY PULLED 50 OR 60 MOTORS OUT OF THESE OLD TRUCKS & ASSUMED IT COULDN'T BE DONE WITH THE HOOD IN PLACE. I WAS GETTING A MOTOR READY TO COME OUT, & EVERYTHING WAS UNHOOKED, & I WAS WAITING FOR MY NEIGHBOR TO COME HOME FROM WORK (ABOUT 10 MIN.) TO HELP ME PULL THE HOOD (I KNOW... ONE MAN CAN DO IT.. BUT I'M OLD & CRIPPLED UP & DIDN'T WANT TO CHANCE SCRATCHING FRESH PAINT) I STARTED PUMPING, & LO BEHOLD... IT CAME OUT WITH ABOUT AN INCH ON BOTH TOP & BOTTOM WITHOUT TOUCHING THE RAD. SUPPORT. I'VE DONE IT SEVERAL TIME SINCE CAUSE I WAS BY MYSELF. BUT I STILL PREFER TO TAKE THE HOOD OFF. JOHN

[seafoam68]

I guess my reply would be yeh, it can be done, but so much easier with hood off. And as others said, it's not hard to remove hood. One little trick I didn't see listed is drilling a small hole through the hood hinge plate where it bolts onto hood. Drill hole through this plate and into bottom of hood. This provides a line up hole when you put hood back on, so there is no alignment issues. Good luck,

[oldgold70c10]

This will sound like a lot of extra work, but when working by myself, I think its worth it: I use my engine hoist to remove the whole front clip, then I don't have to lift the engine so high and working by myself I think its a lot safer. To take the hood off, I use a board to hold the front in position. You could alson use your lift like the others said. It is just soo much easier not having the front end on though, and the whole thing comes off in about an hour.