351C 4V / C6 auto trans removal advice needed

[baz70]

hi all, i am planning to remove my engine and C6 auto transmission from my 72 Mach 1. Long overdue, i've bitten the bullet and am around 60% there with removal steps followed using a number of written sources, although they miss steps hence my questions.

I am hoping the more experienced of you out there who have done this before can help and possibly save me a heap of pain and $...

first and most obvious, can you remove the whole lump, engine and trans in one go ? i have read that its too heavy and should not be attempted ? although i have seen on youtube videos the whole lump come out, any advice here ? i have a 1 ton engine removal hoist/crane which should cover the load.

also, power steering removal, what are the steps for this ?

starter motor, should this be removed or can it stay on ?

C6 trans - do i drain the transmission oil by removing the pan cover bolts ? that simple ? any other advice when removing trans ?

lastly, and this could be the most challenging , the car is located in a garage with front wheels and suspension off, and hence the garage door clearance means i won't be able to lift with the engine crane at the front of the car in the traditional way due to height restrictions (I think). Is it therefore ok to lift the engine and trans sideways ? i.e. engine lift at the side of the car ? i would have thought this should be ok but has anyone tried it ? any concerns ?

thanks in advance.

 

[Don C]

It is easier to remove the engine and transmission together.

You will need to raise the front of the car to be able to get under it and remove the driveline, remove the shift linkage, remove the transmission mount and crossmember, speedometer cable, remove the bolts on the motor mounts, remove the exhaust pipe to exhaust manifold bolts, and disconnect the starter cable. And having some space under the car is necessary to drop the tailshaft down to get the angle needed to remove the engine and transmission.

So, put some jackstands under the torsion boxes when you are working under it and leave them there when you pull the engine and transmission from the front.

 

[baz70]

It is easier to remove the engine and transmission together.

You will need to raise the front of the car to be able to get under it and remove the driveline, remove the shift linkage, remove the transmission mount and crossmember, speedometer cable, remove the bolts on the motor mounts, remove the exhaust pipe to exhaust manifold bolts, and disconnect the starter cable. And having some space under the car is necessary to drop the tailshaft down to get the angle needed to remove the engine and transmission.

So, put some jackstands under the torsion boxes when you are working under it and leave them there when you pull the engine and transmission from the front.

thanks Don, this is most helpful. I will follow your instructions. I already have jack stands set up there.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I myself prefer to remove the transmission and then the engine. That is a lot of weight for that small lift. It also makes a difference how far you have the boom extended.

A C-6 has lots of fluid in it. Yes you have to pull the pan to get the fluid out. You can get a plug to go into the tail shaft but even with that make sure you tape it in good.

The torque converter also has several quarts of fluid in it.

When you go back together you have to run the engine some to pump the converter full of fluid or you will too low on fluid.

I drain all fluids and pull the drain plugs in the side of the block also. There will still be a  mess in the floor when you get it all out.

As far as pulling from the side. You will not have to tilt the engine as much without the transmission on. If the transmission is on you need one of the balance arms to go on the lift so you can shift the load.

I do not know your lift might not be able to roll sideways.

I am pulling a 351 Q out of my Mach 1 in a couple days. It is a 4 speed and I will pull the transmission first. I think my lift is a 3 ton. I also pull the fenders and grill so I am sure not to damage them. Only takes about 30 min. if you have an air ratchet. Mine broke so I had to do with regular tools on Saturday.

Yes the factory put the engine and transmission in together but they had special lifting tools that put the engine right were it needed to be.

I would also suggest you have extra hands. Three people work great one on the lift and one on each side.

Pull the starter with the transmission.

I would go back as just engine also. So much easier.

Do not use any kind of hooks to attach the engine to the lift. Put bolts through chain links or get the lift balance and it comes with 4 chains and attaching tabs. Be sure your bolts engage at least 2 times their diameter to insure full holding capacity.

Always go slow be safer so what if it takes you 30 mins. longer and you do not crush anything or break anything.

I have pulled them by myself several times just go slow and be easy with the valve on the lift pump. Saw them bump one on TV show and made a mess when it dropped.

 

[Don C]

I left a couple of steps out, drain all fluids. If you don't drain the transmission you'll need to plug the tailshaft, you can pull the yoke off the driveline and use it.

Remove the shock tower braces and hood.

You can pull the power steering pump off, with the hoses connected, and set it on the fender.

 

[baz70]

thanks, I have front end and fenders off for easier removal plus I'm rebuilding suspension once engine is out. I'll likely take off the power steering pump completely as i want to paint the engine bay and want to remove all components that are in the way.

I'm now worried my newly purchased 1 ton engine hoist is insufficient for the load, i thought it would cover it ok. It is made by Clarke and is foldable so decent enough quality (although manufactured in China, the quality of Clarke is usually good).

I'll try and post some pics during week.

 

[Don C]

Even if you leave the stock cast iron intake manifold and all pulleys on your engine it should weigh less than 600 pounds and your transmission less than 200 pounds.

 

[baz70]

I'm going to buy the load balancer with the 4 chains and attempt lift from the side fenders, should work. i have a couple of helpers to assist with adjusting the movement, will see how it goes this weekend

 

[Don C]

A load balancer helps a lot, and is a necessity when doing it alone. With two helpers you shouldn't have any problems.

Like David said, make sure the bolts are long enough and screwed in far enough.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I went to Harbor Freight and I think my lift is 2 tons but with the boom all the way out it drops it to 500 lbs. I believe. They get very shaky and can tip but someone can stand on it.

I have an A frame but someone borrowed and never brought back along with a chain fall. That is a way better system. I have to go get mine next week to pull mine out. Chain fall will not just drop like a hydraulic cylinder does.

You having several there will help lots.

I have pulled mine out of the Mach 1 twice. Once to change the core plugs and once to just clean and detail. When young and not in pain would do over the weekend with no help. Going to need an electric lift to pick me up soon.

 

[Hemikiller]

1 ton hoist is sufficient. I've pulled and installed completely dressed and assembled 351Cs plenty of times with one.

Given your limited overhead space, I'd unbolt the engine from the trans, leave the tranny in place and pull the engine. You can remove the trans afterwards.

 

[baz70]

I took some pics this morning as i waited for some parts to arrive (they didnt). Our garages on this side of the pond are not as luxuriant as yours, but mine's pretty ok by our standards.

As you will see, engine disassembly is in progress. One side of under wheel arch is primed and the other to finish.

Plan is

1) engine and trans out

2) clean and paint under wheel arches

3) refurbish engine and trans (both were running ok so not doing rebuild)

4) replace all pipes/lines

5) refit engine and trans, fenders, hood ancillaries and fire her up !

 

[baz70]

more pics...,. anything noticed ? anything not look right ? does sway bar look after market ? PO would have painted it if it didnt come in blue..

also should i mount grade 8 bolts on the plate on top of the aluminium plate you see in pic which i presume was a base for the carburettor ? or remove it ?

any other advice more than welcome !

 

[baz70]

oh, i forgot to mention, there's my bright shiny new 1 ton engine lift !

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

So if you extend your lift boom out as far as it goes then you are down to 250 kg. Not sure of total weight of 351 but pushing limits.

The aluminum plate on the intake is an adapter to make the butterflies clear the stock manifold. Must be using a different carburetor.

When lifting the engine most people use the four outer corners of the intake manifold. You would need to get 4 bolts longer to use when lifting. I think they are 5/16"-18 but check for sure.

Looks like you are getting things done. Heck I use to have to work in a dirt floor garage. To keep things cleaner I use to go to furniture store and get the huge cardboard boxes and put down to cover the gravel and dirt.

 

[baz70]

So if you extend your lift boom out as far as it goes then you are down to 250 kg. Not sure of total weight of 351 but pushing limits.

The aluminum plate on the intake is an adapter to make the butterflies clear the stock manifold. Must be using a different carburetor.

When lifting the engine most people use the four outer corners of the intake manifold. You would need to get 4 bolts longer to use when lifting. I think they are 5/16"-18 but check for sure.

Looks like you are getting things done. Heck I use to have to work in a dirt floor garage. To keep things cleaner I use to go to furniture store and get the huge cardboard boxes and put down to cover the gravel and dirt.

thanks for the advice on the bolts for the plate. I've been trying to source grade 8 bolts and learning loads, when i google it here (in UK) the images and link come up with 8.8 markings on the bolts but apparently that is not an indication that it is a high tensile grade 8, should have 6 line marks on the bolt. I am trying to see if i can reuse any bolts off the engine that are grade 8, if not i will need to make some calls this week. Will also check the bolt sizes.

On the carburettor, correct, an eidelbrock carb was fitted to replace the stock factory one by PO. I'm going to likely replace that at some point as well....

As I plan to lift engine from the side i should be able to minimise extension of the lift boom to the 750kg point..... We'll see if it can be done....

 

[tony-muscle]

I know there are different opinions but removing in two steps is also relatively easy but with a lot less weight and angle to worry about. The transmission then can be easily slid under the car through the front

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[mjlan]

You may want to add up the heights of everything that you'll be picking up with the engine crane- it looks like you may be real close on being able to get the engine high enough to clear the inner fender before your crane hits the door. Maybe you could close the garage door or lower the car.

Just thinking out loud as it would be my luck that I would get the engine part of the way out and then realize that it won't clear things or the crane stroke is too short or something like that...

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

You can pull the front wheels off and sit on drums or put something under the disc or spindle. If you have disc brakes be careful with the dust shields they stick down farther.

I worked on my old 69 ford van in old garage had to put 4 bare wheels on it to get through the door.