Pulling engine

[canyonsvo]

Going to try to get the engine out this week. We've removed the turbo and manifold, the intakes and the power steering and ac components. Radiator is out too. I think we'll take out the engine with the transmission attached and separate them afterwards. Besides the engine mounts (duh), what else needs to be disconnected/removed? I assume we'll need to take the shifter out and disconnect the clutch cable. Is the transmission attached underneath?

Thanks!

[svono50]

So for the trans: 1) Drain it, remove the drive shaft and plug the output hole with a rag or something else to prevent dripping of the fluid left in the tail shaft, 2) Remove the speedo cable, 3) Remove the reverse switch cable, 4) Remove the trans cross member (support the trans as the entire engine will tilt backward till it rests the valve cover against the firewall), 5) Remove the ground strap from the top bellhousing screw to firewall and 6) spot on with the shifter and clutch cable.

As for the engine, just check to make sure you have all the wires/harnesses going from the engine to the car disconnected. A couple easy ones to miss are the starter and ground cables. With the intake/exhaust manifolds removed, it should make it a bit easier to see around the engine to confirm if there is anything left connected.

Take your time and keep checking as you begin to lift the engine/trans out to confirm there isn't anything still attached. Good luck.

[MIKESVO]

Remove the bolts holding the engine dampeners at the engine cross member too. You can keep them attached to the engine.

[canyonsvo]

Thank you both for the tips. I did disconnect the engine shocks. Do these actually do anything? I did not really notice any tension on them.

[svono50]

They (engine dampeners) are there to take some of the vibration out of the engine as part of the whole NVH campaign to make our SVO's a bit more competitive with the European counterparts they were aiming at (i.e.- BMW, Porsche, etc). I am sure they do/did something, but likely just at idle and not much else. Since I never had a new one in-hand, I can't say if they had any real pressure to them or were just simply a vibration dampener that was simply a form of resistance in either direction.

[GAboySVO]

I find it easier to remove the engine less the tranny. Removing the tranny first is easy peasy if your remove the gear box first then the bell housing. The long nose of the SVO can hinder the engine hoist reach or scratch your paint.

Note: you never get all of the coolant drained due to the routing of the oil cooler lines. Be prepared.

[canyonsvo]

Finally got around to trying this today. Decided to unbolt the bell housing and pull the engine so that we wouldn't have a transmission sitting on the floor. I must be missing something, somewhere. Took off the 6 bellhousing bolts and the trans plate bolt. The engine simply won't come out. I can see that the bellhousing has separated from the engine a bit, but the engine just won't slide forward to pull it out. What else could still be an issue?

[svono50]

So long as the dowel sleeves in the block have cleared the bellhousing, you sometimes have to gently rock the engine back and forth with some light prying between the bellhousing and block to get the tranny input shaft to pull out of the pressure plate, but it should pull apart.

[canyonsvo]

So long as the dowel sleeves in the block have cleared the bellhousing, you sometimes have to gently rock the engine back and forth with some light prying between the bellhousing and block to get the tranny input shaft to pull out of the pressure plate, but it should pull apart.

Winter storm moving in over the next couple of days, so we'll have to wait a bit. Pry with what? A pickle fork? Thanks.

[MIKESVO]

We are getting the snow too. Use a pry bar or a long, thick screwdriver. You'll need to have about an inch gap between the block and bellhousing.

[SVOeric]

remember that bell-housing is aluminum, it will mar..

once upon a time, I had a throw-out bearing that had 'welded' itself onto the input shaft.
that took a LOT of effort . I was young and dumb at the time, but the solution involved a come-along. Not saying it was a good idea, but amazingly it worked, and didn't break anything.

when it finally came apart, the inside of the throw-out bearing was stuck on the input shaft, and the outside of the bearing was still stuck in the crankshaft.. the rollers were stuck everywhere

[svono50]

But if you are pulling the engine off the bellhousing, you don't have to worry about the TO bearing, only if you try and pull the tranny off the bellhousing. Make sure you use something as flat/wide as possible, so as not to chowder up the bellhousing. A couple thick cold chisels on opposite sides of the housing, tapped in slowly should get enough wedge force to get you the separation. I guess if the pilot bearing rollers have welded themselves to the tranny input snout, that could cause some issues getting things apart, but that is generally a low probability.

[canyonsvo]

Something has to be holding this up. Does the starter need to come out? The alignment dowels on the bell housing are clear, but the motor will not come out. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

[svono50]

Yes, the starter needs to come out, so I think we found your issue. I completely frosted on that detail, since that is one of those things you always do, but forget to mention when someone asks. The aluminum spacer plate that is sandwiched between the bellhousing and block...and sits between the flywheel and block...is being held captive to the bellhousing by the starter and trying to come with the engine with the flywheel.

[canyonsvo]

We actually did pull the starter. There is now a large space between the bellhousing and the transmission. I can clearly see the clutch but the entire engine just wants to twist to the side instead of coming out. I'm going to get some additional chains to try to get a different angle on it.