Rob Roy

I just undid the motor mount bolts and the lower bellhousing bolts (there should be 4 bellhousing bolts - right??? 2 upper and 2 lower which also hold the manifold brackets?????). The pinch collar is as loose as it will go

The engine will lift but not separate from the bellhousing - I've tried some good hard tugs forward and a rubber mallet where I can reach around the bellhousing but no go.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

the flyin' scotsman

With the lower housing off to check the flex plate I thought I saw points where you could pry on the housing to seperate............I'm in there in another month or so and would like to know the answer.

mark kibort

Did you remember to remove the clutch?

actually, there are dowel pins near the bottom. they could be stuck. grab the intake and shake the engine. it should come loose.

mk

Rob Roy

Clutch-damn it!

Actuallyits an auto (88)-sorry that would have been helpful information!

the flyin' scotsman

Come'on Ken..............the auto clutch

Perhaps some sharp wraps with a brass hammer..........be carefull though.

mark kibort

also , on the clutch models, if you break the bell housing free, the bell housing and torque tube fall. you might want to string the torque tube up or put the cross bracket back on, as it will fall on that when the engine breaks free.

SeanR

Long wrenches. It's all I've used.

Rob Roy

Its hung up at the pinch collar - should that rotate freely or is attached to the shaft on the flex-plate side?

SharkSkin

You should probably unbolt the flexplate from the flywheel(after marking its current orientation). But yeah, the drive shaft may have a groove, in which case you need to completely remove the pinchbolt -- I don't recall exactly what it looks like on AT cars.

Rob Roy

Pinchbolt is loose. The splines on the shaftaregetting hung up on the collar. I had a half-hearted attempt at removing the flexplate, but it wants to rotate.

Just thumped my head on the exhaust so I am calling it quits-probably till the weekend

SharkSkin

I'm saying take the pinchbolt OUT. I think it sits in a groove in the splined shaft.

SeanR

Pull pinch bolt out, push torque tube back away from engine.

The flex plate bolts are pretty easy to remove, grab a long screw driver or a pry bar to counter hold.

bkingdon

The pinchbolt groove is at the torque convertor end. The front pinchbolt does not sit in a groove - if it did maybe we would not have so many thrust bearing failures.
Could this one appear tight because someone used loctite on the splines?

If you unbolt the flex plate from the flywheel you should expect to be able to gently pry the bell housing away from the engine, the locating dowels only insert about 1/4 inch IIRC.

Brian

Rob Roy

Thanks guys-gonna go have a beer and some shrimp - will retry this weekend

Sailmed

3 days wait for a 928 - for a thumped head.......
there go your man points