Hi there everyone,

I have to get an engine out of my Mk1, some people suggest that it is better to get the engine through the bottom by way of dropping the front subframe. I've also heard that the engine can be removed through the top. What are people's experience of removing engines and how did you do it?

Thanks a heap!

 

I guess it would depend on your shop.
I removed mine from the top with the trans.
As the engine was raised, it has to come out at a steep angle.
Some place a dolly at the end of the trans.
Some times letting some air out of the front tires may be necessary _ depending on what type of engine hoist you have.

 

Out the bottom is easy, I can do this on my own, easier with 2 people but pretty simple.

Brake lines disconnect , V mounts disconnect, front sandwich mounts disconnect, jack up the car to clear the wheels under the front and roll out the front suspension.

Car on axle stands at the front, jack under the sump, disconnect everything from the engine, lower the engine to the floor with gearbox, then lift up the front of the car and pull the engine and trans out the front.

This is even easier if you have a ramp as you can raise the car off the engine.

Out the top as Jeff has said, you can get an attachment that goes on the top of the engine so you can change the angle it sit at on the hoist, this does make this job easier if your going out the top with it, and remove the radiator, I don't think it will come out easily with the rad in place if at all.

 

TilleyJon,
if removing engine through the bottom, what external items need to be removed first?

other than the obvious like draining fluids, disconnecting all heater hoses and electrical wiring, do the carbs need to be removed? the generator? power steering? fan?

 

It will come out with dynamo in place and exhaust manifolds, the carbs can stay on, but you do have a bit more room with them off, but the air filter pipe from the carbs needs to come off.
I am not sure re power steering pump as I didn't have one, but a quick look to see if it sticks out past dynamo and manifolds should tell you that one. If you take the rad out, the fan can stay on, I wouldn't try it with both in place.

You do need to remove the engine mounts from the chassis obviously, and take off the top bracket for the rear stabilizer as it can easily catch on the threads and bend that bracket (You'd never guess how I know that !) You can pull the exhaust downpipes to one side and tie them out of the way.

Basically if you remove the radiator and air filter assembly from the carbs to the filter pretty much everything else stays on the engine and the suspension is essentially 10 bolts/nuts and the brake pipes and that's off, so there is very little extra work to drop it down, and it is much less risky than dragging it over the front of the car in my opinion.

As I said I did this all alone, but as the car was being fully overhauled I wasn't taking a risk, I would want someone to assist if it were all done as the risk of scratching something is not one I would be prepared to take, I would always advise having some help, but just illustrating that it is actually a fairly painless process this way.

 

I have done both. Both work. Through the bottom is much less stressful. My exhaust manifolds are refinished so I do remove them, not because you have to, but I don’t want to scratch them.

Go with Tilley Jon’s instructions.

Lin

 

and who can rebuild or reseal a leaking steering box? I hear that no parts exist for these boxes. I want to keep the original setup, no rack & pinion mod.

 

Do a search on the forum, I think someone gave the details for a guy that does them.

PS does this help https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...ebuild-176913/

 

Vintage Jag works in Idaho is rebuilding my steering box. I don’t have it back yet, but everything I have had them do came out great. Obviously a little far from Australia...

 

Thanks Clyde, you have posted this before, that was the post I was initially thinking of.

It was Jose that was asking, has he moved to Australia ?

 

the problem in Australia is that the cars have the steering wheel in the wrong side.

 

Depends which continent your on my friend.

 

Thanks for your replies everyone. To give a bit of context, the car I'm needing the engine out of is my 1956 donor car that has a MkVII 3.4 engine in it. The car is far too rusty for economical repair in Australia, in fact it's the rustiest Jaguar I've ever seen with my own two eyes. The engine is also in a very bad way but there are a number of parts I can use on the engine I am rebuilding (it's already out of the Mk1 I'm restoring). My major concern is that the car is so rusty if I try to jack it up I'm afraid the car will just crumble, but I also don't have the space to get it out through the top with the gearbox attached.

 

AM1, sounds like all you need is a sawzall if its that rusty Just cut the body into small pieces.
And as per the fatory your steering wheel is definitely on the correct side!

 

I'd agree with Rob, cut the front out between the wings and take it out the front.

 

ok you said to put a jack under the sump, I assume you mean a hydraulic jack.

I don't think that engine is going to stay balanced on a jack, Wouldn't some kind of wood trolley be better? low, wide, and long on 4 to 6 casters?

if the engine decides to lean and fall off the jack, we are looking at serious damage, not to mention if it falls on someone's leg or arm. There is a lot of weight to deal with.

just trying to get feel for it before I even attempt to do it, even with a helper.

 

Jose, coming out from the bottom the engine stays on the sub frame so it can be wheeled out from under the car. Once out you can use an engine hoist or block and tackle to raise the engine onto an engine stand.

 

Rob, I don't know how you could possibly do that with a MK2, the subframe is not connected in any way to the engine, so I have no idea how that is possible.

Jose, what I did when I was doing this alone was after undoing the engine mounts, I put a smaller hydraulic jack (only because I had a smaller one) under the gearbox and the larger jack under the sump, disconnect the gearbox mount.

I could then check I was on the balance point on the sump by having the jack closer to the front of the sump to start, then take some weight off the gearbox, if the gear box kept dropping I was too far forward, move the front jack nearer the rear and check again, when on balance, lift the engine and remove the engine mounts, I then slowly lowered the engine down onto the jack lowering the rear jack first but leaving it in place (in case), due to the shape of my Jack (it is a low entry jack so low at the front and higher at the rear when down) I put a piece of wood on the jack so the engine had 2 points of contact.

The lifting pad on my jack is 4" diameter, and I would not attempt this with a jack that had a small pad.

If you have an engine hoist it is even easier, as you simply lift the engine slightly, remove the engine mounts, and lower the engine onto some form of dolly, this could be like a board with castors underneath. Bearing in mind that the unit is VERY heavy with the gearbox attached so not some cheap plastic castors.

Then with the engine on the floor, lift the car with either jacks and axle stands or use the engine hoist, and wheel the engine out from underneath. You do have to lift it quite a way to clear the engine, and make sure you have chocks behind the rear wheels.

The sump on my MK2 is quite flat at the balance point, so it was pretty stable, and I did not have any concerns about it falling over at all.

 

DOH! Thinking about the XJ40 I had Sorry I will now go and commit Hari Kari.
As you say you have to lift the body quite a way, it always amazes me looking at a jag engine out of the engine bay how the hell it fits under that bonnet.

 

No worries Rob, that makes sense, I thought you had some weird way to drop the engine onto the sub frame and drag it all out together !