1997 donar car GTP. can the engine be pulled "out the top easily" ? (bad trans and don't need anything else off it) (usually get my engines already out) the 1 time I pulled one I dropped the cradle -(98 riviera) Can I just unbolt the trans and front engine mount ? Enough Room ? thanks
You can get a 3800 out of a Wbody from the top. There are a few things to get out of the way. Go under and remove the starter, flywheel/flex plate cover and torque converter bolts. On the driver's side. Take the nuts off of the bottom the the Transmission mount, going through the sub frame. Then use a pry bar to "pop" the mount outward, so the mount bolts sit on the frame. Outward of the holes. To give you room later. Rape the harness. Saving what you want. Then remove the Alternator/bracket with the elbows. The elbows will most likely break. Remove the power steering pump and set it down towards the rack. Some models had a reinforcement bracket on the rear of the engine bolting to the tail stock of the transmission. Remove the rear spark plugs. Then unbolt the rear exhaust manifold. Leaving it in the car if you wish. Remove the upper front motor mount brackets over the radiator, and the brackets on the front of the engine. You should be able to remove the front exhaust manifold, by then, without removing the spark plugs. Set up the engine crane. Remove the passenger side engine mount bracket, front charger belt tensioner bracket A/C compressor. Raise the engine about 2 inches. Set a piece of wood under the right inboard CV joint, between it and the subframe. This keeps the transmission tilted a little. At this point the trans mission should be resting on the left mount bolts, on top of the subframe and the block of wood under the right inboard CV joint. You should be able to pry the whole assembly a little to the driver's side. Remove the engine to transmission bolts. You may have to remove the water pump pulley and harmonic ballancer. It is tight, but I have gotten them out this way before.
FWIW, when i pulled mine (07 Grand Prix) i disconnected everything from the car leaving everything (wires hoses etc) on the engine, unbolted the cradle and struts and lifted the car right off. The car was going to recycle so i just wrapped a chain around the radiator support and hoisted it right off. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was and did it by myself in an afternoon. One benefit of me doing that was that i got the cradle from the GP too, which I believe is aluminum and should get me a chunk of change at the recycling place.....when i get around to bringing it there.
still, the steering column,... the brakes lines, ac lines,where does the engine harness (Hopefully UNPLUG) from the firewall ? I've taken LT1s out of camaro's from the bottom, but thats a little different. this thing with its headers and 3 " exhaust looks like it could be a PIA because there is NO "Room" to do anything to the rear Header( I cut my hand to shreds just doing the comp test on #2 !) a reg exhaust manifold is a piece of cake LOL. somehow got a feeling that out the bottom may be the way to go, owner says not needed. (but HE doesn't have to DO IT.
Sorry didn't know it had headers. 1996-03 PCM harness. Should be 2 connectors at the PCM in the air cleaner box. The other connector should go to the under hood fuse box at right fender in front of the strut tower. There may be a few wires going into the car for gauges. Most of the harness could be left on the engine. Don't forget to disconnect the transmission connector and the VSS connector on the transmission tail stock.
[This message has been edited by cmechmann (edited 11-12-2019).]
1997 donar car GTP. can the engine be pulled "out the top easily" ? (bad trans and don't need anything else off it) (usually get my engines already out) the 1 time I pulled one I dropped the cradle -(98 riviera) Can I just unbolt the trans and front engine mount ? Enough Room ? thanks
2 Grown Men, 1 Milwaukee Sawzall, 1 Lenox Diamond Reciprocating Saw Blade, some Common Hand Tools and about an hour or less. Call the Yard-Bird to bring the front end loader over to lift it up and into your truck. He then hauls the carcass to the crusher.
Spoon
------------------ "Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut
that'll work fine if the car was "actually in a bone yard". I'm working with both a chain hoist and a engine hoist. might just be easier to dis connect everything and lift the car off the cradle, done it before , but seems the older I get the less enthusiastic I am about working on front wheel drive . small block chevies in camaro's and chevelle / el camino's are so easy. LOL
------------------ "Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut
[This message has been edited by Spoon (edited 11-13-2019).]
