Want to rebuild my engine

[janey6152]

Hi everyone ... Janet again
I'm gonna TRY to see if i can rebuild my engine , fix the carb, Water pump. and clutch..

Question will this 2 ton Capacity Fold-able Shop Crane from Harbor Freight be Ok. or can i get away with the 1 Ton ?



Also what else will i need to pull out the engine..
Thanks

janet

[cholmes]

Hey Janet,

Not sure what you mean. But I assume you mean hold/carry/ move your engine for dismantling.

With out viewing a picture or not being familiar with the company, I can say that if what you are trying to achieve is to remove the engine & gearbox. 1 tonne capacity should be enough. But as any wise man will tell you, it is better to be safe than sorry. So if the 2 tonne is not much more expensive, go that one.

Hope my muddlings help.

[janey6152]

Hi clay .
Thanks also i was reading about the bolts , Not sure if it comes with it .
Do i need the 5/6 ths x 3.5 inch x 24 TPI ??

[busheytrader]

It's been a long time since I removed the engine and gearbox from my 7.

The engine / gearbox is a lengthy unit and has to be lifted up and over the headlamp panel. I'd go for the larger crane for the extra reach. I found that the crane needed as much reach as possible plus an engine leveller to angle the unit out of the engine bay. I raised the rear of the car as high as possible (ramps) and the front as low as possible (let the tyres down) but still needed help to manhandle the gearbox tail over the headlamp panel.

Alternatively many of the guys in the UK drop the engine /gearbox / subframe or K frame out the bottom after raising the car up. I never had the space for that.

Hope this helps.

Adam

[darrellw]

As Adam said, the engine is quite a ways back from the nose of the car, I'm not sure either of the Harbor Freight units will have the reach. Most rental yards will have engine hoists, either a knock-down version or a towable version, which will be much more sturdy than the Harbor Freight unit.

When I took the engine out of my TR8, however, I went out the bottom.

[FI Spyder]

Pretty sure they rate them at maximum load with arm in shortest position but you will need maximum reach plus a load leveler will help as well (they aren't expensive). You do however need more height than most garages have unless you are doing it outside. Taking it out the bottom seems less problematic, need less height and slipping it in from the top is touchy business lowering moving it etc. as the combo units are heavy, bulky. I'm taking mine out from the bottom. Especially if you want to clean, up the front suspension, replace worn parts, bushings, check the inserts out of the struts etc. While the engine is out I would go over everything while it's out. It can be done with the engine in as I did with the Spider but it's easier while the engine's out.

[john 215]

Hi,

The factory way and the way we done it at the dealership is out the top, raise the rear of the car up, so levels everything up and pull box and engine out as one.

The way I do it at home is underneath every time.

I have crane load leveller, that does what it says on the box, allows to adjust the angle of the engine.





As far as the bolts into the adaptor plate to attach to that engine, I think they are 5/16", been a few years since had a 4 cylinder hanging on mine, been V8's lately.


Cheers John

[john 215]

Hi,

Sort of on the subject of engine removal but not our car's, we remove a lot of our bigger engines at work ( 6,8 and 10 cylinders ) from underneath. We use a special lifting platform that will wheel under a two poster ramp. It can pumped up to rest under the subframe and gearbox, there a dedicated set of pins will locate in the subframe and gearbox, you then all bolts holding the trans and engine and lower the whole assembly. It even possible to separate the engine from the box by undoing all the bell housing bolts and sliding the section of the bed apart.

Here's picture of a M4 engine I had out last year -






Cheers John

[janey6152]

i was planing of doing it outside..
Ohhh Sounds Like i'm getting myself way over my head.. and I'm a Women lol , @ FI Spyder

When you do start .. Please Take pics or video it..

[FI Spyder]

Janey don't sell yourself short. There are a lot of men that would do worse than a woman. When I worked at IBM there two women that were customer engineers (IBM's term for people that fixed office machines). Not in my office but apparently competent and the only problems they had was getting the women in the offices to let them work on their machines. Go figure. Always handy to have some one around with some knowledge (car clubs are good for that) but with an OEM manual it's pretty much step by step and a little common sense. Don't know when I'l get to removing my engine (it's another TR7) as there's a Tercel Wagon 4WD and a round window replacement (and other things) ahead of it.

[busheytrader]

Janey don't sell yourself short. There are a lot of men that would do worse than a woman. When I worked at IBM there two women that were customer engineers (IBM's term for people that fixed office machines). Not in my office but apparently competent and the only problems they had was getting the women in the offices to let them work on their machines. Go figure. Always handy to have some one around with some knowledge (car clubs are good for that) but with an OEM manual it's pretty much step by step and a little common sense. Don't know when I'l get to removing my engine (it's another TR7) as there's a Tercel Wagon 4WD and a round window replacement (and other things) ahead of it.

If it's broken down into lots of little jobs, removing the engine isn't that difficult with the proper equipment which is needed to stay safe. Once the engine / gearbox was unbolted from the car I rested the tail end of the gearbox on a trolley jack which prevented it from being dragged across the floor as I manoeuvred it forward, up and out of the engine bay. Once out it's easy to break the gearbox away from the clutch and engine. As per F1 Spyder, if you've got a recognised manual then it's a step by step process. I still wish I had the workshop facilities that John has at his workplace.......

[Beans]

When buying an engine hoist make sure it fits underneath the front subframe with the rear of the car jacked up ...



So smaller might be better here. 1 Ton should be fine.