Engine install

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dartfreak75

dartfreak75

Restore it, Dont part it!
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I know Its a little early for this but like planning ahead. I just dropped off my engine off at the machinist so I'm trying to get a game plan for installing it. Here is my plan since I dont have a garage or any concrete to move the engine hoist I'm gonna get the engine lifted up and push the car under the engine. Iv done it before in the past and it worked. As far as the engine bay itself goes I want to leave out anything I can to make room that i can install after the engine is in. I'm gonna have my brake lines run but leave the master cylinder out. Have my steering gearbox installed but leave the steering column out. I'm gonna have the control arms and everything connected obviously so I can roll it. I know I have to leave the tie rods out for the headers but should I leave the torsion bars out too or put them in? Anything I'm forgetting? Any tips and tricks are greatly appreciated!
 
cudamike13 said:
If you take the torsion bars out, you will have a lot of trouble pushing it.
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I thought of that I figure I will have a lot of trouble keeping the wheels straight without tierods too. I will think of something. Maybe a ratchet straight thru the lower ball joints to keep them striaght?
 
Build it on the k member . Install everything including headers and then set the body on the complete suspension ,Engine and trans.' You can have the whole engine compartment done

Here is a trick I never saw anyone do. Remove the front bumper and take the seats out to eliminate weight in front of the rear wheels. Then add a lot of weight in the trunk behind the rear wheels. You'll will be able to lift the front and move it around very easy and set the car on the driveline by hand. A couple sets of iron heads on plywood in the trunk works. Add a little wood blocks below the housing bump stops if your springs are soft.


If you would ever install an engine from the bottom , You would never put one in from the top again. Most of the work can be done with wrenches .

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The body over method seems great, I have never used it but I have had my motor out a number of times and if you have some help it's not that hard dropping it in from the top. But I would encourage you to have all engine bay and firewall work complete in advance
 
Oldmanmopar said:
Build it on the k member . Install everything including headers and then set the body on the complete suspension ,Engine and trans.' You can have the whole engine compartment done

Here is a trick I never saw anyone do. Remove the front bumper and take the seats out to eliminate weight in front of the rear wheels. Then add a lot of weight in the trunk behind the rear wheels. You'll will be able to lift the front and move it around very easy and set the car on the driveline by hand. A couple sets of iron heads on plywood in the trunk works. Add a little wood blocks below the housing bump stops if your springs are soft.


If you would ever install an engine from the bottom , You would never put one in from the top again. Most of the work can be done with wrenches .

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I actually like this idea alot! I could use the engine hoist to lift the car then just set it down. Wonder how much trouble I'd have getting the k frame out? Thanks this is a great idea I appreciate it
 
K.O. SWINGER said:
The body over method seems great, I have never used it but I have had my motor out a number of times and if you have some help it's not that hard dropping it in from the top. But I would encourage you to have all engine bay and firewall work complete in advance
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Yea I'm gonna have it painted and all the brakes and fuel lines ran. I can put in the mc and battery tray and all that after
 
you will do a little bit of touch up at the top of the transmission tunnel and maybe around the shock towers by the time it's all over with it's been 15 years since I've had my motor out. I'm sure there's other members with suggestions.
 
If this helps I saw a video where a dude attached a chain to both sides of shock holes in engine bay. Lifted with cherry picker and engine out the bottom! It was kind of cramped because picker is quite close to front of car.
 
These comments have the wheels turning! I could drop the kframe build the short block attach it to the kframe finish the assembly. Have the k frame set up on a block in front of the car. Rig up an attachment to put the engine hoist in the hitch of my truck jack up the car with the hoist by the front bumper and drive it forward with the truck. Then lower the hoist down and bolt everything together. This isnt a horrible idea
 
if you're going to do it with a hoist, the legs are going to be in the way. combine the hoist with what Omm said. when you remove the front bumper, extend the frame rails 3ft or so with a couple 2x4's and cross brace them so you have place to connect the hoist. and once you get the car in the air, put something under it, in case the hoist collapses
 
kursplat said:
if you're going to do it with a hoist, the legs are going to be in the way. combine the hoist with what Omm said. when you remove the front bumper, extend the frame rails 3ft or so with a couple 2x4's and cross brace them so you have place to connect the hoist. and once you get the car in the air, put something under it, in case the hoist collapses
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I was thinking if I can attach it to my truck hitch I could take the legs off but the extension isnt a horrible idea. I gotta take the bumper off anyway. I'm gonna lighten it up and get rid of the shock mounts I'm gonna make some bumper mounts similar to the 69-71 styles
 
Oldmanmopar said:
Build it on the k member . Install everything including headers and then set the body on the complete suspension ,Engine and trans.' You can have the whole engine compartment done

Here is a trick I never saw anyone do. Remove the front bumper and take the seats out to eliminate weight in front of the rear wheels. Then add a lot of weight in the trunk behind the rear wheels. You'll will be able to lift the front and move it around very easy and set the car on the driveline by hand. A couple sets of iron heads on plywood in the trunk works. Add a little wood blocks below the housing bump stops if your springs are soft.


If you would ever install an engine from the bottom , You would never put one in from the top again. Most of the work can be done with wrenches .

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Unless u run an aftermarket k frame and a motor plate ------------
 
dartfreak75 said:
I was thinking if I can attach it to my truck hitch I could take the legs off but the extension isnt a horrible idea. I gotta take the bumper off anyway. I'm gonna lighten it up and get rid of the shock mounts I'm gonna make some bumper mounts similar to the 69-71 styles
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Truck hitch will handle it, other than truck suspension sagging under load.
I put 3 point hitch attachments on my shop crane. Super handy. if i built it to fit a truck it would need to be 3-4” from the ground,and use straps to tie top of crane to box tie downs. The force on hitch would be quite incredible without them.
 
I had a frame built to fit in my truck that had an I-beam at 8 feet in height,and went out the back about 5 feet. I have lifted stuff heavy enough to pick front wheels off the ground.
 
Tooljunkie said:
Truck hitch will handle it, other than truck suspension sagging under load.
I put 3 point hitch attachments on my shop crane. Super handy. if i built it to fit a truck it would need to be 3-4” from the ground,and use straps to tie top of crane to box tie downs. The force on hitch would be quite incredible without them.
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Yea that's a great idea I was thinking about reinforcing the top. I may try this I think it would better than trying to go from the top. Plus I'm gonna be doing it by myself. I think this would be easier with one person from the top seems like it would be all but impossible. Lol
 
You can install the engine on the K member and install it that way with exhaust manifolds, but I doubt it can be done with headers. In fact, any header I use there is no way you can do it that way.
 
yellow rose said:
You can install the engine on the K member and install it that way with exhaust manifolds, but I doubt it can be done with headers. In fact, any header I use there is no way you can do it that way.
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From the looks of those pictures he has headers on it. I got those cheap summit full length headers. That. Maybe something I gotta wiggle in from the top lol
 
K.I.S.S.....
Put the whole front end together. Tie rods and everything just make sure you slip the crossover bar through the driver side header. Tie the headers up with a piece of baling wire to the tops of the front shock sticking up out of the fender well. Put the engine and tranny in together..
End of story...
 
j par said:
K.I.S.S.....
Put the whole front end together. Tie rods and everything just make sure you slip the crossover bar through the driver side header. Tie the headers up with a piece of baling wire to the tops of the front shock sticking up out of the fender well. Put the engine and tranny in together..
End of story...
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So you dont think I should go from the bottom?
 
dartfreak75 said:
So you dont think I should go from the bottom?
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This guy's talking about this have big shops with rollers and concrete floors they can wheel their engine and k frame around on the ground that's going to be a big pain in the butt in the grass the way you're doing it pushing the car under it's going to be a big enough pain in the butt..
 
j par said:
This guy's talking about this have big shops with rollers and concrete floors they can wheel their engine and k frame around on the ground that's going to be a big pain in the butt in the grass the way you're doing it pushing the car under it's going to be a big enough pain in the butt..
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Yea that's something to consider. I have been thinking and formulating different strategies I will come up with something before go time. I just think it's going to be really hard to by myself.
 
dartfreak75 said:
Yea that's something to consider. I have been thinking and formulating different strategies I will come up with something before go time. I just think it's going to be really hard to by myself.
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Oh you won't be doing it by yourself LOL I never do.. inevitably my wife always gets involved... that's why I claim she knows more than about 75% of the people on this forum...
 
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