AznDrgn

Well I dropped the engine out of my '83 today but I have yet to figure out how to get it out of under the car The jack I have is maxed out so the front end of the car isn't going to go up any higher than it is with that. I think I read somewhere that you can wrap a chain through the front tow brackets and lift the car using the hoist but when I did that I just bent them. Sunday I'm thinking about wrapping the chain around the actual frame rail and then lifting the front end. Anyone got a better idea? Oh and the motor is still attached to the crossmember since that is the way I dropped it out of there.

TIA

brad-cam

Use a set of jack stands (the 24" high 6-ton ones work best) and raise the car progressively by using wooden blocks between your jack and the car to get more lift from your jack. I used pieces of 4x6 from a piece of scrap lumber I had laying around. You'll want to raise the car a few inches at a time very carefully, raising the jack stands a little each increment.

Granite 944

This is how I did it the first time. Remember, the front of car is a lot lighter without engine in it. Take the crossmember off. It will give you more room. Concrete blocks, not cinderblocks. I now own and use a longframe floor jack for this instead. Make sure your car is very stable on jackstands or blocks (your choice).

joseph mitro

looks like ken has an excellent idea if your jackstands aren't high enough.

here's what i did: i used the jack at the jacking points underneath each door, and sequentially raised each jackstand by an inch until they were at their highest point of travel. I scooted the stands back under the frame rails as far as i could safely go for a bit more leverage and height. i also had the crossmember attached, but it adds a few inches of height you could use.

take off as much top accessories as possible - like the oil filler cap. i also came out from under the fender, seems there's a tad more room to maneuver there.

finally, when i reintalled the engine, i used the hoist to lift the car higher. i had a leveler with four L-brackets that i bolted to the attachment points where the crossmember attaches to the frame. that was a very sturdy location

lilredpo

Another suggestion....I dropped my engine onto a large piece of plastic, folded in half.

Slid like pulling on ice.

I also found I had the most clearance going diagonally out toward the right front.

Good luck.

Jakerx

first i dropped my engine down...then i used the hoist attached to the towpoints of the car to lift the car REALLY high, then just slid the engine out. you really bent the tow points? man. that really sucks. was the engine in the car or out of the car when you lifted it on the tow points? how i did mine was get heavy duty hooks on the end of two sides of a chain that went thru the actual hoist and then attached each hook to the separate tow points. i didn't wind a chain through the points. maybe that's your problem? i don't see how it could bend considering the car is so light at the front without the engine.

brad-cam

I used this same approach but used a 2x5' runner carpet. Probably won't be able to put it back in my living room now

AznDrgn

I just got the engine out. I ended up wraping the chain around the frame rails and through the tow points so it wouldn't slide then I used the hoised to raise the front of the car up so I could slide the engine out. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Azn the engine was sitting on the ground when I bent the tow points. They were bent a little to begin with but now they are both bent like 75 degrees in.

joseph mitro

congrats on getting the engine out. that's major progress. are you parting the engine separately or as one whole assembly?

Legoland951

I find the easiest way is to remove the head from the engine first. You have to do that anyways.