Engine removal. HELP!!!

[MORTUNDEAD]

everything now works on my corvair. All i have left is to pull the engine and fix the bad flywheel. But how does one go about pulling an engine? I have all the tools i need, but i really dont know what needs to come off. The engine runs great, so I dont want to mess anything up. So please, school me on engine removal in my 4-speed 1962 monza, all stock drivetrain.

[bbodie52]

I have uploaded a good reference for you to look over that explains the powertrain removal process from a 1961 Corvair. It is not that difficult, but you will need a service station type hydraulic floor jack and a piece of three-quarter inch plywood to isolate the floor jack lifting head from the underside of the powertrain. Removing the powertrain is basically a process of working your way around the perimeter of the engine and the transaxle to disconnect everything. Then you support the powertrain with the floor jack and plywood – carefully positioning it to obtain a good balance. The powertrain is held in place by 3 nuts – two in front of the transmission and one at the rear engine mount. With the nuts removed and everything disconnected the power train is slowly lowered. Left/right balance is easy to obtain (lining up the hydraulic jack with the oil drain plug), but the front/rear balance point is a little more difficult to get right. The manual below shows the approximate balance point on page 10. If you start to lower the powertrain slowly and find that the front or the rear is coming down first, this is an indication that one end or the other is heavy. This can be corrected by simply raising the power train back up and temporarily reinstalling the mounting nuts. Then the floor jack can be repositioned for another try. Eventually you will get the jack location correct so that both ends of the powertrain come down evenly. Of course it is helpful to enlist the use of one or two assistants for safety purposes. But I did manage to remove my first powertrain for my 1963 Corvair by myself when I was only 16 years old. I was nervous and sweating a lot, but I managed to do it without dropping the powertrain on the floor!

Corvair and Corvair 95 Power Train Removal & Installation.pdf

Corvair and Corvair 95 Power Train Removal & Installation

(3.35 MiB) Downloaded 1576 times

Having the proper reference materials – including the factory shop manual – is important. You can download all of these references at no cost onto your computer in Adobe Reader format from the links below. You can then read through the procedures and print the appropriate pages that you will need to refer to as you go through the procedure. Of course, you can also purchase hard copies of the shop manual from Clark's Corvair Parts or other sources.

Downloadable Corvair Shop Manuals, Parts Manuals, Service Manuals, etc.
http://1969corvair.com/techpages/Corvai ... Index.html

Early Model Corvair Shop Manual & Other Useful Manuals
http://www.corvair.org/chapters/corvanatics/manuals.php

Once you have the powertrain lowered you can wheel it to a couple stacks of wood or blocks to support the engine so that the transaxle can be separated from the engine to permit access to the clutch assembly.

When you perform the repair you should completely examine the clutch assembly for excess wear or other problems. The condition of the pressure plate, clutch disc, and throwout bearing should also be checked, and any worn components should be replaced. The input shaft seal should also be replaced, and the crankshaft seal should be checked for oil leaks. The throwout bearing shaft that protrudes from the differential should be carefully examined for cracks or damage, as damage to these components can occur, and the crack can result in an oil leak from the differential. If you are doing this work yourself, be very careful when separating the transaxle from the engine. The input shaft is long and may remain embedded in the clutch disc as you separate the two components. If this happens the other end of the splined input shaft may pull free from the transmission. When the two components are separated by several inches you may be able to reach between them and pull the input shaft from the clutch assembly. It is important to maintain the alignment of the engine and transaxle so that the input shaft does not act like a lever against the differential throwout bearing shaft, because such leverage against the throwout bearing shaft could potentially cause damage to the throwout bearing shaft or to the input shaft if it is bent. A damaged throwout bearing shaft can only be replaced by completely dismantling the differential.

[jennirw]

METHODS MY BROTHER & I HAVE USED TO REMOVE THE POWERTRAIN - The hardest one was the grocery cart frame- we had to lower the car putting the powertrain on the frame before finishing unbolting it - then jacked the car back up leaving the powertrain on the cart.

USING AN OLD GROCERY CART FRAME

USING A FLOOR JACK AND JACK STAND - WAS BALANCED BY HAND WHEN REMOVING

USING A FLOOR JACK WITH A HOMEMADE CRADLE FOR POWER TRAIN - ONE MAN OPERATION

IN THE 1970's MY NEIGHBOR HAD A TRANSMISSION JACK - That worked super - one man operation, I also borowed one from a friend in 2007.

THE STEPS FOR DISCONNECTING THE POWERTRAIN AND RE- INSTALLING ARE MUCH THE SAME AS Brad STATED.

[MORTUNDEAD]

I have a motorcycle jack that should hopefully work for this. What parts of the engine need to come off before I can drop it down?

[MORTUNDEAD]

by the way, bbodie, this is my first time with this and im 15!

[UNSAFE]

Read and believe --
.
Click here -- viewtopic.php?f=225&t=5673" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;"

Motorcycle/atv jack works fine and I often just use a regular floor jack.

[MORTUNDEAD]

upon inspection of the bottom of the car, it looks like theres a leak coming from between the engine and trans... i sure hope I dont have to replace that throwout bearing...

[bbodie52]

As I said, work you way around the perimeter of the engine compartment and transaxle and disconnect everything that is tied to the body and chassis, such as heater ducts, fuel line, clutch linkage, throttle linkage, ignition coil wires, axles, etc.

All of this is described and illustrated in a step-by-step process in the manual I attached. I recommend you read through the pages and try to get the steps clear in your mind. If any steps are unclear after reviewing the manual and the shop manual, let us know and we can try to provide clarification.

by the way, bbodie, this is my first time with this and im 15!

I believe that I know how you feel. I was 16 and alone in my parent's garage the first time I did this. I was in northern California in 1969 and my father was about 400 miles south of me. I had a shop manual, tools, and a floor jack. I WAS SURE I WAS GOING TO DROP THE POWERTRAIN ON THE FLOOR, AND MAYBE ON ME! I was breathing fast and sweat was pouring off of me. Each time I started lowering the powertrain from my 1963 Corvair the balance seemed a little off, so I raised it back up, reinstalled the three nuts, and shifted the position of the jack a little for another try. Ultimately the powertrain cleared the three engine mounts evenly and started coming slowly down, nice and even! I got it all the way down, and there it sat on my floor jack. I was happy, took a deep breath, smiled, and wheeled the whole thing over to a couple stacks of 2x4 lumber. I raised the powertrain a little, positioned the stacks of wood under the engine sheet metal on either side of the oil pan, and lowered the engine onto the wood. SUCCESS!

By the way, as you are lowering the powertrain, the transmission end cross mount tends to hang up on the shift linkage that is protruding from the tunnel under the body. This could cause the whole powertrain to tip and slide off of the jack. Be careful to work the transmission mount around the protruding shift linkage and anything else that is still sticking out of the car body.

It is little more difficult to separate the transaxle from the engine. Invariably the 24" splined input shaft stays embedded in the clutch and begins to pull free from the transmission. This would mean that you need to pull the heavy transaxle STRAIGHT BACK 2 FEET before the other end of the input shaft clears the throwout bearing shaft that protrudes from the differential. If it slips or falls it could damage the input shaft, clutch disc or throwout bearing shaft. I have done this alone, but it is difficult. It is best to do the whole thing with a couple of strong friends to provide assistance if you need it. This is the best way for safety and to avoid personal injury or damage to your Corvair.

When separating the transaxle from the engine, I would recommend the following procedure: With the engine resting on two stacks of wood or some similar support, the jack is now free. Place it under the differential and raise it just enough to support the transaxle weight. Remove the bolts that hold the clutch housing to the differential. Assuming you have a couple of helpers, have one person on either side of the transaxle, and a third person will control the jack. The people on either side of the differential will steady the transaxle (weight: about 150 lbs). The person manning the jack slowly pulls the transaxle straight back while the two helpers keep it straight and aligned with the engine. As the differential moves away from the clutch housing, your helpers can look inside to see if the input shaft is staying engaged with the clutch and engine. If it is, one person can reach inside and pull the input shaft toward the transaxle to release it from the clutch disc and clutch assembly. Doing so will eliminate the possibility of the long input shaft from applying pressure to the side of the throwout bearing shaft, which can crack or break that piece that protrudes from the differential. These throwout bearing shafts, which the throwout bearing slides back and forth on , are a cast component that is machined smooth. Because it is a thin casting, applying lateral pressure on it from the input shaft, or possibly even a screwdriver when attempting to pry the input shaft seal and ring out, can potentially crack or break a section of the casting out. If that happens, the throwout bearing shaft must be removed from the differential and replaced. This is not an easy procedure, because it must be removed from the inside of the differential, which means that the differential would have to be disassembled. This is something you want to avoid, so treat the differential throwout bearing shaft gently!

The pictures below will help you to visualize the components that are inside the clutch housing...

Flywheel-Clutch Disc-Pressure Plate Illustration.jpg (40.08 KiB) Viewed 6162 times

Again, read all of the references and look at the shop manual procedures. If you have specific questions, ask for clarification before you start. Get some helpers, and go over the steps with them. You will be in charge of the whole operation, which may feel a little strange, but if you do a good job of research, planning, and directing your helpers it will turn out just fine!

This whole thing builds self-confidence. My father bought that 1963 Corvair for me to learn on and to rebuild, and to help me to build self-confidence. When I was done, I felt great about what I had accomplished by myself! I certainly didn't realize at age 16 in 1969 that I would be telling someone about my experiences 44 years later on something called the Internet! But here we are!

You weren't born knowing how to do this... neither was I. All I can suggest is to do what I did. Read the manuals, look at the pictures, ask your questions, get some helpers, take your time, don't rush, be safe, and fix your Corvair! Take some pictures along the way, and post them on the Corvair Forum when you tell us about your successes. Your experiences might just help several other Corvair owners on the Forum learn how to do a similar job on their Corvairs!

[bbodie52]

upon inspection of the bottom of the car, it looks like theres a leak coming from between the engine and trans... i sure hope I dont have to replace that throwout bearing...

This whole process involves a fair amount of time and work. Your clutch assembly is old enough that it has developed a loose flywheel. That means wear is a possibility on the entire clutch assembly. It is entirely possible that you may discover other worn parts when you have it all apart. What you don't want to do is ignore worn components and reassemble a worn-out clutch after only replacing a bad flywheel. If the clutch disk surfaces are worn out, replace the clutch disc. If the pressure plate surface appears damaged, you may have to replace it. Be prepared to have to replace worn oil seals or a throwout bearing if it feels rough. Certainly any worn-out parts cost money, but reassembling your clutch using worn-out parts is a waste of time.

The factory shop manual describes how to examine each component to ensure that it is still serviceable. If you find a small pool of oil collected on the bottom of the clutch housing, you need to determine where the oil came from. If it is engine oil, you may have to replace the seal and gasket in the clutch housing. If it is the heavier 90 wt. oil from the transaxle, you need to examine the throwout bearing shaft for cracks or missing pieces. Hopefully the throwout bearing shaft is fully intact and you would only have to install a new oil seal. If the oil leak was significant, you may find tht the clutch disc friction surface is soaked with oil and may need to be replaced.

When you reassemble your transaxle and mate it back to the engine, you want everything that is inside of the clutch housing to be in 100% first-class operating condition, with no oil leaks, so you don't need to do this job again anytime soon!

[Bobby65]

yeah i was 14 (2 years ago) when i dropped my first engine out of my 67 500 i used to have, i used a floor jack and managed just fine all by myself, now i use a engine crane to lower the whole drivetrain onto a dolly i made out of wood and heavy duty casters, but you should be able to manage with a floor jack just go slow,

[Swngaxl]

Back when I was in practice, I could pull the car in the basement, and have the drive train sitting on the ground in half an hour. That included time to put the car on the jack stands.

Start by pulling the rear wheels. Then look at the hub, and the hole in it. That hole will line up with four nuts that hold the axle in place. Remove those, and slide the axles out. I say this as a first step in case you are tempted to try to take the U joints apart, because that is not necessary.

Remove the engine to body seal sheet metal on each side from underneath, then the front and back of the engine from up top. There are strips for this made of sheet metal.

From there, remove heater ducts, disconnect the fuel line at the hose joint above the axel on the driver's side, and disconnect the accelerator rod from the bracket at the diff, and clutch rod/spring on the other side. And don't forget the speedometer cable where it attaches to the diff. With all that done, make sure the jack is stable under the drive train, and remove three bolts. Two at the front on the cross member, one at the rear motor mount. I'm sure I've forgotten something, so go slow, ease the jack down, and as soon as it starts to hang up on something, stop and disconnnect whatever it is. Wires for one thing, such as to the coil and temp/pressure sensors.

It is pretty much as simple as that. you don't have to remove the mufflers or carbs to do this, it all comes out as one unit.

Good luck, and have fun!