Engine and gearbox removal

[Tant]

Hello all...hope the nice weather is getting a few Ss out and about..

My car is SORN at the minute, and I have set about a mini refurb. The main reason for this is that the gearbox is noisey, so I want to get it out and have it reconditioned.

While I am about it, I thought I may as well get the engine out as well, and freshen the bottom up with new oil pump, mains and big ends, even though there is nothing wrong in there as far as I can see (oil pressure dropping to about 30 psi at idle is my main reason for having a quick look in there).

I have all of the ancillaries stripped off of the engine, so it is pretty much ready to come out once I get the exhaust off, but I have one question....is it best to split the engine and box, and take out the engine followed by the box, or is it best to lift them out together and then seperate them?

Also, I'll probably take off the heads and do the head gaskets as I could see a slight trace of oil in the water. Where is the best place to get such things as the engine bearings and gasket sets etc?

Andy L...if you are on here, we must catch up soon...been a bit bogged down with work for the past 6 months.....

Cheers

Ant

[lou4010]

Hello Tony,

Been out on a test run today after new discs,pads,brake servo, bulkhead bearing, chassis paint and waxoil.Oh what fun, cant decide which I enjoy more working on the car or driving it.

You can pick the bits up I believe on the bay and Burtons etc.
Have you thought about sticking a second hand engine in. Rebuilding one could get quite pricey plus new clutch gearbox recon etc.

Whatever you decide mate if you need a hand let me know, quite good at catching Type 9 gearboxes

I have voluntered myself to do a three day audit at your place in June,try as I might I cant seem to be able to find a hire car and SWMBO wont let me use hers so it only leaves the S.

Cheers
Andy

[lou4010]

lou4010 said:

Hello Tony,

Been out on a test run today after new discs,pads,brake servo, bulkhead bearing, chassis paint and waxoil.Oh what fun, cant decide which I enjoy more working on the car or driving it.

You can pick the bits up I believe on the bay and Burtons etc.
Have you thought about sticking a second hand engine in. Rebuilding one could get quite pricey plus new clutch gearbox recon etc.

Whatever you decide mate if you need a hand let me know, quite good at catching Type 9 gearboxes

I have voluntered myself to do a three day audit at your place in June,try as I might I cant seem to be able to find a hire car and SWMBO wont let me use hers so it only leaves the S.

Cheers
Andy

Ps might be worth reading this thread about oil pressure and Tivs.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Gerald-TVR]

lou4010 said:

Ps might be worth reading this thread about oil pressure and Tivs.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Are we discussing V6 or V8?

[lou4010]

Sorry Norman Tants is a V6.

I know the bible says ours should be 50-70psi but as the post says it could be something simpler than the mains or oil pump.

Edited by lou4010 on Saturday 6th March 20:46

[Jed-S]

The idle oil pressure for the 2.9 V6 is 1 bar (14.7 psi) so I don't think you have an issue based on that figure.

Regards the oil in the water - are you sure it isn't rusting causing a scum on the water? Replace the coolant with some good anti freeze and it may sort your problem. The ford V6 is a solid robust unit so yuo may be wasting time over what you imagine is an issue when it is fine. I've been there and know how easy it is to believe that there is an issue when in fact it is fine. However if you d want to strip the engine down then fit a fast road cam while you're at it. It does make a difference.

Jed

[phillpot]

If you do decide to strip it down for a look these guys very good for gaskets, head bolts (should not be re-used) etc.

www.gasketsforclassics.co.uk

[dixieflatline]

Hi Ant

I took the engine and gearbox out of my S a few weeks ago. We jacked the front of the car up, put a jack under the gear box so that we could adjust the angle and used an engine lift. We had one person under the car checking for clearance on the bottom of the chassis (and making sure the gearbox didn't crash onto the floor!)and another operating the jack and engine lift and checking for clearance in the engine bay. Once the angles are right it's quite easy to get it out. It was a lot easier than I was expecting, and didn't take as long either.

Tom

[Tant]

Thanks for all the tips chaps...I'll let you know how I get on...photo diary started, so should be a bit to report back..

It would be good to catch up soon Andy...hope the S3 is still going well..

Cheers
Ant

[paul.deitch]

dixieflatline said:

Hi Ant

I took the engine and gearbox out of my S a few weeks ago. We jacked the front of the car up, put a jack under the gear box so that we could adjust the angle and used an engine lift. Tom

How high did you have to jack it up and how long did it take from start to out?

[dixieflatline]

paul.deitch said:

dixieflatline said:

Hi Ant

I took the engine and gearbox out of my S a few weeks ago. We jacked the front of the car up, put a jack under the gear box so that we could adjust the angle and used an engine lift. Tom

How high did you have to jack it up and how long did it take from start to out?

We used a big trolley jack and lifted it reasonably high up - I'm 5'11" and I'd say the top of the engine bay was about halfway up my rib cage (I don't have a very good memory for these kind of details though, so take that with a pinch of salt). There still had to be enough room for me to reach in and move the engine when necessary. I would say take it as high as you can, but make sure you leave yourself a bit of breathing space for when you're adjusting the engine lift - you don't want it coming out at too steep an angle. The really important thing was having the gearbox supported by the second jack. It wasn't taking any of the weight, but it gave us the opportunity to adjust the angle at which it was coming out of the car, as we could raise both the engine and the gearbox. It was a pretty tight fit but once the angle was right it was pretty straightforward.

It took us about two hours, and that included the time it took for one of the mechanics to go home to retrieve the chains he had borrowed. The removal itself, once the engine was secured, probably only took an hour. On the other hand by the time we came to remove the engine we had already disconnected everything else, such as the bolts holding the gear box and the prop shaft. We'd dismantled a lot of the engine in situ, as it was being rebuilt anyway. This made it easier to get out, but it's probably not a good idea unless you're rebuilding the engine as well. Also, as the car is being completely stripped down there was nothing left in the engine bay except the engine. The brake servo, master cylinder etc. had all been removed.

I should also point out that although I'm right on the bottom rung of competence (if this was my day job I would probably be making the tea for the first day apprentice), this wasn't really a DIY job as it was being done at a proper workshop with professional mechanics and equipment. That's not to say you shouldn't be able to do it at home with the right gear, but I'm aware that the only reason this seemed like a relatively straightforward process to me was because I was doing it with people who knew exactly what they were doing.

Finally don't forget to disconnect the fuel line; sounds obvious but we almost missed it as it's quite well hidden. Out of sight out of mind etc.