Engine & transmission removal & reinstall general tips

Logbed · Dec 10, 2024

Hi,
I'm going to take a small block & Th700 out and put another similair set in.

Should I take them out / reinstall together or separately?
My carb plate seemed ok for lifting the engine, what about if I lift toghether with the transmission?
The hood is off but can the radiator stay in place?

All tips are welcome!

Rickf · Dec 10, 2024

The radiator & core support can stay in place IF your lifting device can pick it up high enough to clear. It's a little more work but I usually remove the entire nose because my engine hoist won't clear the radiator. If you leave the radiator in place, tape some cardboard to it in case you smack into it.

Camar068 · Dec 10, 2024

I would pull the engine/trans together. I've used my lift to pull the engine/trans/transfercase all at once too many times.

If in doubt about your lift, lift the engine off the mounts then put a hydraulic jack under the trans and remove the crossmember. If the lift wants to tilt (after removing the hydraulic lift).....you may want to separate them.

It's so much easier to install the trans to the engine out of the vehicle.....and put in the vehicle all in one motion.

Yes you can do it by yourself, just take your time.

Hood, fenders, radiator supports, etc can be removed in about an hour or less to get them out of the way. Probably need help with the hood.

YakkoWarner · Dec 11, 2024

I always prefer to install engine and transmission as a single unit, mainly because (especially with manual transmissions) it is so much easier (both on me AND the input shaft bearings) to get the engine and transmission mated together on the bench or floor. If you have a cast iron intake it should be plenty strong enough to lift both as long as you use all the bolts on the lift plate, I'd be a little more worried about an alloy or aluminim intake with that much weight on it.

I also like to keep the engine pretty bare until its in, add all the accessories/starter/manifolds/headers/whatever after its in, again just to keep the weight of the lift down.

Tonimus · Dec 11, 2024

I would advise pulling the radiator just to be safe. It's only two more lines if you're running the trans cooler.

The carb plate is fine to lift the engine and trans out. As far as the engine and trans coming out together via the carb lift plate, absolutely no problem. Engine with accessories is around 600 pounds, 700R4 is around 200. With the carb plate bolts tight, they're under tension with similar loading, that's only 200 pounds a bolt. Absolutely no problem. Pull out strength in aluminum is somewhere north of 1000 pounds. It's easy to strip aluminum because it's a wedge when tightening. Pulling out the fastener is MUCH more difficult.

Pull it out as one unit, set it on some old tires or something, then deal with it that way. When installing, I usually leave the engine hanging from the hoist, lower it to the floor, weasel on the trans, then lift and install in the car.

tsgs84 · Monday at 5:47 PM

Logbed said:
Hi,
I'm going to take a small block & Th700 out and put another similair set in.

Should I take them out / reinstall together or separately?
My carb plate seemed ok for lifting the engine, what about if I lift toghether with the transmission?
The hood is off but can the radiator stay in place?

All tips are welcome!

I always use a front head accessory bolt and a rear head accessory bolt on the opposite side with an adjustable load leveler attached to the engine hoist, I don’t trust aluminum intake bolts and always pull the radiator.

CalSgt · Monday at 6:53 PM

tsgs84 said:
I always use a front head accessory bolt and a rear head accessory bolt on the opposite side with an adjustable load leveler attached to the engine hoist, I don’t trust aluminum intake bolts and always pull the radiator.

^^^
I’m a fan of the accessory bolts in the heads and a chain

Craig Nedrow · Thursday at 9:47 PM

Six bolts a couple wires, and the whole front end comes off, what I always do. I also have a adjustable tilt lift that has four chains at the corners of the engine. I just don't want to damage anything getting the engine out. Speaking of such, It will take an extra hour of finagling and stretching to get at all the bolts, and with the front end off, none of that is necessary.

https://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/1973-k20-350-to-454-swap.29840/ start at post seven to see how easy it is, plus you can PAINT STUFF.

Camar068 · Thursday at 10:17 PM

Tonimus said:
I would advise pulling the radiator just to be safe. It's only two more lines if you're running the trans cooler.

The carb plate is fine to lift the engine and trans out. As far as the engine and trans coming out together via the carb lift plate, absolutely no problem. Engine with accessories is around 600 pounds, 700R4 is around 200. With the carb plate bolts tight, they're under tension with similar loading, that's only 200 pounds a bolt. Absolutely no problem. Pull out strength in aluminum is somewhere north of 1000 pounds. It's easy to strip aluminum because it's a wedge when tightening. Pulling out the fastener is MUCH more difficult.

Pull it out as one unit, set it on some old tires or something, then deal with it that way. When installing, I usually leave the engine hanging from the hoist, lower it to the floor, weasel on the trans, then lift and install in the car.

nothing meant, but I've always steered clear of adding bolts/chains on the intake especially aluminum. Younger days when intakes hit the wallet harder....didn't want to risk damage lol. I always use heads on a 350, and since LS I've got a plate that bolts to the block.

Not sure if they make a "multi" plate to use for LS, 350, BBC, etc....worth the money and not worry about scratching or dorking up threads on that "diamond to you and your wallet". One of those I wish I'd bought 30 yrs ago.

Just a thought.

Tonimus · Friday at 9:29 AM

I totally understand the not wanting to, but from a materials science perspective, it's fine. One of the early 383s I put together, we put Edelbrock Gasgacinch on the intake manifold gaskets and threw it together. About 6 months later we needed to pull the manifold again. We couldn't get it un-stuck. We had to use the cherry picker with the carb plate and it actually began lifting the whole front end of the car. It was super sketchy, but I use that as anecdotal evidence that those 4 carb stud threads in the intake are WAY stronger than anyone gives them credit for.

Do what makes you feel right. Sketchy is a perspective. There's about 6 billion ways to pull an engine, and the right one is the one that works for you.

Engine & transmission removal & reinstall general tips

Logbed

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Rickf

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Camar068

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YakkoWarner

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Tonimus

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tsgs84

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CalSgt

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Craig Nedrow

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Camar068

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Tonimus

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