I've got an 86 GT parts car that I need to get the engine out of. I've heard people say that the best way to remove an engine from a fiero is get the car up in the air and drop the whole subframe out from below. However, I don't have any way to get this car up in the air that high. So... I need to know what the best way is to get it out of the car from the top.

It's mated to an auto transmission. Should I pull them both at the same time? If I remove it without the transmission, are there any tricks to accomplishing it? I'm assuming there's a plate somewhere on the transmission that I can remove to get access to the flex-plate bolts?

Just looking for some advice from people who have done what I'm trying to do.

PS - I've already got all the visible wiring and hoses disconnected. I've also got the alternator (and bracket) removed, as well as all the strange little pipes (cold air ductwork?) and whatnot from the back of the engine compartment,plus the airbox. I plan to just cut the exhaust pipe with a sawzall.

Thanks in advance.

If you have an engine hoist then you can get the car up in the air. It is much easier to pull the engine out of the bottom. Remove the dogbone and put the bolt back in. Hook your engine hoist up to that with the boom at it's maximum extension and you will get the back of the car high enough to clear the engine from underneath.

Make a wooden dolly with casters for the engine to sit on and just roll it away complete.

If you can get it high enough than you can drop the top of the struts and leave the wheels on to use to roll it out with.

Place a 4x4 wood post on the bottom of the car from one side of the car to the other just in front of the cradle assembly and a standard full size floor jack placed in the middle of the beam will lift the car high enough. Havent seen anyone pull one through the top.
Mike

I always remove engine from the top. Even have picture of doing it in GFC under "engine rebuild pics."

I no nothing about auto transmission so I can't answer the question about that. I do clutches by lowering cradle, engine removal from the top.

i've removed the engine from my 2m4s twice out the top, once with manual tranny attached, and have put the engine and tranny (as one unit) back in thru the top. i ass/u/me the auto trans would do the same.
it's probably not easier than dropping the cradle. you need a comealong (hoist), some chain, and something sturdy to hang it from. i'll try to make a link to pictures tonight.
ah, here it is!
http://www.mtsu.edu/~mkr2c/fiero.htm

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'84 2m4 se, a work in progress

[This message has been edited by lurker (edited 10-28-2002).]

It is easier for me to remove it from the top I have tried both. All you have to do is unbolt the torq converter from the flexplate and remove all of the bolts that hold the accessories on the front of the engine. Then remove the decklid and the exaust from the manifolds. Remove the front engine mount dog bone and little shock thing on the front of the engine. Lift it a little and pull it away from the trans. Watch the forward exaust because it will try to catch on the torsion bars lines and everything else in the front. But after that it is smooth sailing instillation is reverse of removal but with the auto jack the pass side of the trans at the tripot to make it easier to get the trans and engine lined up.

Remove the alternator and bracket. Drop the air conditioning compressor. It will come out the top - no problem.

It's your decision but if you do choose to go through the extra grief of taking it out the top then be sure to remove the decklid first. Use a scrib to mark the hinge locations and remove the 4 side bolts.