Engine back in - with gearbox or not

[richardthestag]

Hi folks

Took my tv8 block out, no heads or ancillaries. Left man o/d gearbox in place. Had one rope looped around the front of the crank and another around the back of the block but forward of the engine adapter plate. It was a bit of a bugger manoeuvring the sump past the cross member while getting the gearbox input shaft past the clutch cover plate. By shortening the rope to the front of the engine i got the angle about right. Still a pain though.

I plan to reinstall the complete short engine block and mate to gearbox, access is easier. Plus i dont have any space to build up the engine outside the car.

My crane is the static gantry type so i am reliant upon being able to roll the car back and forth under the hoist.

To put it all back together do i drop the crossmember slightly? Is it possible to do this by simply leaving all suspension in place, and the car on the ground, supporting cross member on trolley jack and removing 4 bolts? Will it lower the 3 or 4 inches that i think i need? Or is this going to be another world of pain for me?

Or

Do i get the gearbox out and assemble block and gearbox to install together?

Cheers for your help

[stagmuffin]

you can install with box in car ,I do it this way and think its a fairly straight forward task on my own but a helping hand would not go amiss . I do jack the box up at the front though to aid installation a spanner on the front pulley bolt helps to try and gain alignment by a bit of rotating as you enter if you get my drift. the engine mountings are a doddle this way as well. I don't drop my member.
Steve

[richardthestag]

Cheers Steve. I guess my approach angle might need slight adjustment. Gearbox is right at the top of the tunnel and held in place with a nice rat**** lol strap

If my piston rings ever arrive i am going to be a step closer.

Be nice to get it running again before the summer finishes

[grumpy2]

I got my engine back in on my own with the box already installed. Wouldn't describe it as easy but with the box jacked up and the x member lowered everything went together steadily.

Gary

[richardthestag]

Hi Gary

So you did lower your cross member? Was it as i described? Undo the four bolts with everything else in place and lower it on the trolley jack?

Cheers

[Westfaling]

Popular wisdom and the way I've done it several times (twice in the last month) is to put the engine and box in together. Same applies for removal. Starter motor and exhaust manifolds on. Don't need to touch the cross member but raising the front of the car a few inches aids getting the assembly in.
As long as you've got an engine hoist with enough height it's not too hard. If you've got an engine tilting device as well it's a one man job... if you've got no friends like me! If you are using a fixed lifting point the car needs to stay mobile so you can roll it out of the way. That doesn't give the same clearance for the gearbox. The assembly is close to vertical at one point in the lift.
Nick

[andy p]

ive done it all in one each time ive ever had to do this, I find it easier and less work this way

[dasadrew]

I stand in admiration at you guys who pop gearboxes onto engines under jacked up cars! When I fitted my clutch plate, I used a gearbox input shaft to line it up. It took me about half an hour to get the input shaft in one hand into the clutch plate in the other hand. I was beginning to doubt that the clutch plate was the correct one!!

[edd]

Popular wisdom and the way I've done it several times (twice in the last month) is to put the engine and box in together. Same applies for removal. Starter motor and exhaust manifolds on. Don't need to touch the cross member but raising the front of the car a few inches aids getting the assembly in.
As long as you've got an engine hoist with enough height it's not too hard. If you've got an engine tilting device as well it's a one man job... if you've got no friends like me! If you are using a fixed lifting point the car needs to stay mobile so you can roll it out of the way. That doesn't give the same clearance for the gearbox. The assembly is close to vertical at one point in the lift.
Nick

Aww no friends Nick ! I would have given you a hand ( as long as you cover travel plus expenses )
Edd

[richardthestag]

Finally found some me time this evening. Struggled for nearly 2 hours and treated the neighbours to a fine display of anglo saxon expletive before hauling the block out again.

45m later and the gearbox is also out. I shall mate the two and then install as one unit. For some reason, probably due to approach angles i cold not get the splines to engage. I will find out in the morning if the clutch plate is correctly aligned. But for now it is most definitely gin time

Should have the whole lot installed tomorrow

[andy p]

when fitting both together you might have to jack the rear of the car up a bit to get the clearance

[Westfaling]

I've always raised the front slightly but this is more because my engine crane won't fit between the wheels if they're on the ground. I suspect you can remove the engine/box with the wheels on the ground. If you take the gearbox crossmember off and allow the gearbox to slide along the ground that might work.
If you've got a North American model with the vacuum accumulator tank on the bulkhead - that needs to come off.
Nick

[Nambo]

The first time I rebuilt my engine, I left the gearbox in place, built up the short engine which I then somehow managed to move from my hall to the car without a hoist!, (no wonder Iam now in bed with a bad back!), I removed the cross member and steering rack, jacked up the front of the car and slid the short engine in from underneath the car on a jack and then jacked it up into position, seemed to be a doddle as I remember.

[richardthestag]

Clutch plate was out of alignment!!

I removed every other bolt from the clutch cover, and loosened the remaining three, offered up the gearbox and it went straight on. Removed it nipped up the clutch cover with all bolts and then refitted the gearbox. Probably took about 30m with my helpful son. The other two arse about so i don't bother asking them anymore.

Bearing in mind i have a short engine and box to fit and a 4 leg gantry, i opted to lift as close to the front of the block as i could. Ran a steel cable under the forward part of the sump and behind the engine mounts. Lifted it clear of the ground and scratched me head as to how i get he gearbox over the front panel. Quick call to mate down the road who brings along his son. Two two ropes around the output shaft of the gearbox and threw them over the top of the gantry. I then lifted the tail of the gearbox so the it was horizontal and two visitors took the strain on the ropes.

Rolled car forward with son in car steering it under the gantry. Lowering the end of he gearbox as we went. Got the end of the box onto a trolley jak and removed the rope out of the way. The lowered the whole lot in. Maybe 15 mins total.

Didnt need to lift either end of the car, it remained on its wheels throughout.

Secured engine mounts, lifted the gearbox cross member but had to get carpet out to allow access to captive bolts which shifted out of the way as i raised it into place, took maybe an hour from the start of the lift o block and box secured on mounts. Celebrated with a beer.

Spent rest of day getting prop back on, bleeding clutch. Gravity and open bleed nipple did it eventually. Refitted starter, oil pump, water pump and have just finished new chain install.

Heads are all ready with exhaust manifolds to drop on tomorrow. I plan to use wellseal on the head gaskets and with a stroke of luck should have it started and running. Yay

Only issue i have is that i need a tap for the crank bolt. The thread is dirty. Anyone near high Wycombe have one?

Richard