Over the past couple years my 82 has had some pretty rough going. Like a dumbass, I lost traction around a corner and ran it into a guardrail. took me about 6 months between work and school to get her repaired (needed a frame adjustment and new bodywork). Then, after getting that fixed, I got her tuned up at Corksport and she ran fine for about a month until I blew an apex seal on my way to school. I lucked out on a streetport 12A and just took delivery of it last week. Planning on putting it in and getting it running by the end of the weekend, so my coffee machine is gonna be working overtime.

Now for the point of this bitchery: as this is my first motor install, which would be the better way to go as far as installing the engine?

A) attach crossmember to the engine, line up the clutch with the tranny, and then lower it down onto the motor mounts

B) leave the crossmember attached to the motor mounts and then slide in the engine and drop it down.

C) any other suggestions?

 

Engine and trans hooked together with crossmember attached. lower in. bolt in. have fun.

 

alright, I was hoping I wouldn't have to drop the tranny, but I guess I'll just do it and get it over with.

 

My preference is to bolt the engine/tranny together, lower it into the bay using an engine tilt, (Harbor Freight < $25). Loosely bolt the tranny mount, then attach the front engine and motor mounts, tighten those down, the tighten the tranny mounts.

 

It is a lot easier that way. Keep in mind that you'll need more clearance underneath the car than you think, so get the front end (or both ends) up as high as you can and still have the engine hoist let you clear the front with the dangling powerplant. And watch the ceiling/garage door.

Go slow. Two people at least, lots safer; one wrong move and it's tailshaft thru the windshield time. Mucho inertia.

Trying to horse the engine onto the trans input shaft and line the splines up, while it's hanging from a chain & wobbling in three dimensions, is a gold-plated biatch.

 

If you don't want to drop the tranny, and you do not have a leveler, then just drop the engine in with the front brace attached. Just make sure you jack the front of the tranny up till it almost touches the firewall.

 

i have done this a bunch my advice would be to leave the tranny in.
dont evan need the car on stands.. simply have a jack under the tranny and jack as high as possible.
take the cross member off so you wont be fighting with it.
hopefully u have a engine hoiset.
then its simple as having sex make sure the shaft is lubed up and there both at the right angle the slowly penetrate using both jack and hoist to keep inline and slowly work your way in...

hope that helps.

 

yeah, I was really hoping I wouldn't have to drop the tranny. I want to get the car running by the end of the weekend, and I really don't want to take that big a step in the other direction.

 

btw, what lube would you guys recommend for the spline?

 

i don't really lube the input shaft splines.. i use valvoline dura blend grease on bolt threads after each bolt is cleaned on the wire wheel and a die run down it if need be. i also use the same grease on the pilot bearing and to lube the input shaft collar to ensure the throwout bearing rides smothly on it. i lube the contact area clutch fork where the pilort bearing rides and on the input shaft where the pilot bearing rides. i never lube the splines due to the chance of grease making its way off of the splines onto the friction surface.

 

A very thin coat of bearing grease inside the pilot bearing, the mating surfaces of the release bearing and splines won't hurt anything. Without some sort of lube, those surfaces can rust, then parts start binding up.

 

...With a splined shaft...

 

^^ hahaha