So a friend and I were discussing our upcoming engine/transmission removals, and were wondering on the best way to do it.


The traditional way is to get an engine hoist, and lift that 900lb mass high enough to get it over the front of the car without destroying anything. Is this something you can do with a normal lift from the local "rent all" center?


The other method is to lift the car, and drop it out from the bottom with the front suspension. Since we both need to re-do our front suspensions, that seems like a logical method. Any tips on raising, supporting and bracing the car while this is done? Even jack stands by the front jack supports seems a little unstable. Perhaps a combination of jack stands and heavy wood like 6X6s to make sure the front end remains stable?

I assume that you can drop the front suspension, then use an engine hoist to hold the engine while your remove the engine and transmission mount? That still requires a pretty good sized engine hoist, but I guess the nice thing is that after removing the front suspension, you could set the engine and transmission on a heavy duty rolling cradle, and roll the whole thing out from under the car.

Thoughts, suggestions or warnings from those that have done this before? We have both dropped a lot of engines before, but not ones that weigh 900lbs!

 

A few years ago, I removed my V8 Daimler engine from the top using a hoist slung from the beams in the garage roof. It was a big lift since I took the engine and gearbox as a single unit. I would guess we had it at an angle of some 45 degrees before we could clear the radiator surround. The radiator and ancillary fittings were removed prior to the task. It needed three men, one on the hoist rope, and two others guiding it out - one each side. Putting it back in was as much fun.

 

When I took my engine and gearbox out I jacked the car up and put it on axle stands (under the main 'chassis' rails rather than the jacking points as these were rotten.

I then put a good trolley jack under the front axle, undid this and then lowered the subframe out of the way.

I then put a metal trolley with wheels under the engine and lowered the car and enginer onto this (with the rear gearbox mount removed and the engine supported by the two front enginer mounts and the rear mount).

I removed the engine mounting bolts with the body shell on a jack and then lifted the body off the engine, I found this method easier as the empty body shell is realitivly light compared to the engine and gearbox so lifting the body off the engine made sense.

I did the same for refitting and it worked very well.

 

Thanks- that is an excellent description- answered all my questions!. I like the idea of lowering the car and engine, and then lifting the car off the assembly. That sounds like a very low risk way to do it.

 

Mike Eck, owner of Jaguar Clock, has pictures of engine removal from the bottom while the MK-2 is held raised on jacks and 2 by 4s.

write to him and tell him to send you pictures.

jaguarclock.com

 

I removed and replaced a 2.4 litre Mark 2 engine from the top. As I recall, that is how Jaguar did it, and I believe the reason was that with carbs and exhaust manifolds in place, there isn't enough room to take it out from below, but I may be wrong. You do need the front of the car up in the air a bit so the gearbox end will go in. Space in a Mark 2 engine bay is very restricted !!

 

Chuck,
I pulled mine out from above. Engine and gearbox came out together. It is very helpful to have a screw adjuster to vary the angle between your rented lift and the engine. As I think you know, I reinstalled from below. Engine Mounting ? Valve Chatter

If I were doing it over I would probably remove the engine and gearbox by dropping it and raising the car. You do have to "strip" the engine of many of its ancillaries but it just seems to be much less stressful for those of us who are hobbyist. I admit this is a little easier for me since I have a four post lift in my garage, but I think it could be accomplished easily enough with your engine hoist.

In fact, I will have to do this as in my restoration process I will need to remove the engine again before paint and then reinstall after paint - crazy I know.

Good luck.
Lin

 

Chuck, I'm with Lin here, its much easier to drop it out from underneath, you don't actually have to raise - lower - raise etc.

Take off the inlet and exhaust manifolds, remove the radiator shroud and radiator also the dynamo/alternator plus disconnect all electrics and fuel etc, also take of the distributor (just to make sure you don't accidentally damage it. and remove the stabilizer at the rear of the engine and clutch line too.

You can jack up the front enough to clear the wheels under the front bumper, put axle stands under the chassis rail as far forward as you can. Make sure you chock the rear wheels.

If you have 2 jacks this is much easier, the car is quite front heavy at this point compared to where you can sit the axle stands, so leave a jack or something at the front for the moment.

Put another jack under the front suspension beam, and remove the brake lines, disconnect the steering and undo the front suspension from the body, you can then lower the front suspension down, and now the car is lighter at the front you can remove the front jack and simply roll the front suspension out on the wheels.

You can then jack up under the sump, remove the gearbox cross member, don't forget to pin the spring arrangement, remove the engine mounts and you can then lower the engine down and your good to go, watch the stabilizer on the way down as it can snag on the bracket and bend the bracket.

I did this on my own, but it is a little safer to have someone else to steady and guide things out, but I did this single handed with no issues, I just had to be careful balancing everything on a jack.

A hydraulic motorbike jack would be a lot steadier, someone else on the forum recommended that.

good luck

Jon

 

I disconnected each item per the steps in Jaguar Heritage Trust manual on the disc I purchased from Welsh in Ohio. Pulled the engine and trans out the top as one piece, using a chain fall and trolley. Process went smoothly.

 

It seems to me from all the responses, that if you have an overhead hoist like Clyde's, that is probably relatively easy as you can pull out the whole engine. Otherwise, and particularly if you are doing a restoration where you are pulling out the front end anyway, going out the bottom is a lot easier.
What I had not considered is what Lin mentioned about using the four post lift. I hadn't considered that because I didn't know how I would get the front suspension off of the lift. But I guess I could put the car on the lift, support the body on jack stands on the lift, disconnect the front suspension, and then roll it off the front of the lift when it is down on the ground. Then it would be pretty simple to disconnect the engine and gearbox cross member, and then pick the car up with the lift, leaving the engine and transmission on the floor.

 

Oh I wish I had a lift, life would be so much simpler !!

And more room in the workshop and ......

I'm not sure Santa would oblige me with my wish lift, whichever way you choose hope it goes smoothly.

 

I jack the front end up, remove front subframe then sling engine and drop onto a homemade dolley, then take the engine hoist and raise the front high enough to roll engine out, then lower car back onto jacks.

 

Bottom method of removal documented here step-by-step: 50 ways to leave your engine - Jaguar Mk2 Restoration

Also photos here: Engine removal - Jaguar Mk2 Restoration