installing motor & transmission

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Originally posted by fordgt:
I am reinstalling the motor and trans mission this weekend. They both have been rebuilt and are seperate right now. What are the pros and cons of installing them as a unit versus putting the engine in and then installing the trans?

thanks

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I installed my engine and tranny (twice) as an assembled unit. much easier to get things lined up out of the car. The only "con" I can think of was that I had to remove the A/C fan-shroud (stock location) so that the tail end of the transmission would clear on insertion. The removal of the fan-shroud should take about 7 minutes if you're pausing to enjoy a beverage.


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Install them as a unit. Remove the distributor cap as it is possible to break the rear window glass during the installation- the cap gets REAL close. FYI, the balence point for lifting the whole assembly is about at the rear of the cylinder heads, so the carb etc can be installed too. I suggest placing the long bolts for the 2-piece motor mounts DOWNWARD, which is impossible when the motor is in place. In this position, if the nut vibrates off, you don't lose the long bolt.

Further, do not merely try to lift both engine and gearbox together using one of those bolts-to-the-top-of-the-intake lifting plates. Presuming you have an aluminum intake, there is a very real risk of pulling the studs out--and the balance point is way out anyway.

There are several threaded holes in the back of the cylinder heads--the center of gravity of the unit is slightly forward of this--actually just about where the oil pressure sender lives. Run long bolts in the back of the heads, and the top two bellhousing-to-block bolts. Then, you can use a carb plate, those bolts, and perhaps straps around the transaxle in combination to create the optimal lifting apparatus. Angle the unit so the tail of the transaxle is slightly high, and then tip the nose of the engine down as you lower it into place.

Mike