How to remove a 95 420a manual engine

[Papajohnspimp]

I own a 1995 GS N/T and have been having a huge problem getting the motor out, it was going fine until I tried to separate the engine from the bell housing.

I have removed the a/c bracket, alt, harmonic balancer, power steering pump/bracket and I still cannot get the motor over far enough to get it fully separated from the trans. I have about 1 - 1 1/2 inches of room in between the engine and trans until it hits the passenger side strut tower. I have an engine hoist with a leveler and have twisted the motor towards the front but still no avail. I can wiggle the motor all around independently from the trans, so it seems like its fully apart it just won't come out completely.

I'm afraid that I'm going to have to remove the trans along with the motor but I really don't want to do that. I was hoping that I missed something and that you guys could point out an error that I've made. I have never removed a manual trans motor only automatic so I'm not sure if there is something in the bell housing that I should have removed? I know on automatics you have to take out the flywheel bolts but that isn't the case with a manual.

Thank you for any response

Mark

 

[96 420a-t]

You have to lower the driver side of the engine to separate the two. When I did mine I loosened the flywheel from the flex plate. I found it makes it easier to do it that way.

 

[Papajohnspimp]

I am manual trans ignorant to be completely honest, I'm sorry but I really don't know which part of the clutch is the flywheel or the flex plate I thought that automatics have flex plates and manuals have flywheels?

Thank you

Mark

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

Just drop the whole thing out the bottom, lift the car up and slide it out.

 

[Papajohnspimp]

I don't have a lift there's no way I can get the car far enough up in the air to get the motor/trans out. The motor has to come out the top, I am using simple jack/stands to do this.

Mark

 

[dsmcrzy]

If the transmission is totally unbolted you can slide it over to the drivers side more and that will give you the room you are looking for. It makes it easier with the radiator out too because as you lift up i have found you have to angle the engine a little bit.

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

What are you using the lift the engine out then?

 

[dsmcrzy]

^ very good point . I used a chain fall the first 2 times. other 2 times I used a lift and sooooo much easier! dropped the engine and trans in about 3.5 hrs!

 

[96 420a-t]

Most trans' are at you put it. Our cars have both. The flywheel bolts to the flea plate.

 

[Papajohnspimp]

96 420a-t had it right, I needed to loosen the bolts to the flywheel.

It popped right out, I didn't know there was a plate that went half way between the flywheel and clutch that wouldn't let it come out.

Black Widow 97 -Not sure why I would want to take it out through the bottom, and if I did I surely wouldn't use my 1 1/2 ton hoist to lift the car up. I just don't see that as a safe decision. I'm not saying your way isn't better for you but for me I never like taking motors out through the bottom unless there is no other choice.

In all if you don't count the head scratching, it took about 5 hours of solid work to get the motor out. Not too bad considering I've never even owned an import before and I've never even driven an eclipse before (including this one). I bought this car for 400.00$ and pushed it into my garage, it looks like I might get it running in the next few weeks now ($ willing)

Thank you to all who posted

Mark

Edit: Good info 96 420a-t, thanks again

 

[Anubis_4_99]

i've dropped motors out of the bottom with nothing more then a floor jack, jack stands, and a stack of old rotors to use as shims on the jack.

jacked it up far enough to almost sit under the front end, use the jack with a piece of wood under the oil pan/transmission, unbolt all the mounts and anything holding the motor in, and hopefully at this point you have two or even three people to help steady, but i've had to do it solo as well. not fun but hey it worked.

otherwise if you have a cherry picker or something your using for the block, just bring the transmission with it.

regardless of the car, 90% of the time it is easier to pull the engine and transmission as one assembly.

 

[Papajohnspimp]

There is more than one way to skin a cat, what's right for you might not be right for some.

I don't like pulling the entire assembly out, it seems like overkill

5 hours to pull the motor out of the top and I don't have to worry about balancing anything or using shims, just a hoist and a leveler with no one but me seems like the right way to go. I respect your experience but I don't feel like it suits me very well.

If I wanted to take the transmission with it I would have had to take off the calipers, steering knuckle, CV axles, transmission mounts, linkage etc.. VS 4 bolts on the flywheel. I cannot for the life of me see how that is easier than what I did.

Mark

 

[Xtreme Legion]

Just drop the whole thing out the bottom, lift the car up and slide it out.

Agreed drop whole bottom brace and just dismount passenger side mount from block to drop straight down with out having to angle engine.

Wish I nina this way before pulling engine. Would have dropped it

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk

 

[Xtreme Legion]

Just drop the whole thing out the bottom, lift the car up and slide it out.

Agreed drop whole bottom brace and just dismount passenger side mount from block to drop straight down with out having to angle engine.

Wish I knew this way before pulling engine. Would have dropped it

Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk

 

[2GbTalonGuy]

There is more than one way to skin a cat, what's right for you might not be right for some.

I don't like pulling the entire assembly out, it seems like overkill

5 hours to pull the motor out of the top and I don't have to worry about balancing anything or using shims, just a hoist and a leveler with no one but me seems like the right way to go. I respect your experience but I don't feel like it suits me very well.

If I wanted to take the transmission with it I would have had to take off the calipers, steering knuckle, CV axles, transmission mounts, linkage etc.. VS 4 bolts on the flywheel. I cannot for the life of me see how that is easier than what I did.

Mark

You will likely have to remove all of that just to be able to move the tranny enough to get the engine to clear the tranny to pull it out. Another thing that makes it a lot harder to remove just the engine is unmounting the engine and tranny in that cramped engine bay. It is going to be even harder to remount them and line everything up in the bay. I mean if you really want to do it the hard way, be my guest. But I assure you it is easier to just drop the whole assembly, separate the engine and tranny, and go from there. Take it from the guy who's done it a time or two. With both the 4G63 and 420A.

 

[Anubis_4_99]

There is more than one way to skin a cat, what's right for you might not be right for some.

I don't like pulling the entire assembly out, it seems like overkill

5 hours to pull the motor out of the top and I don't have to worry about balancing anything or using shims, just a hoist and a leveler with no one but me seems like the right way to go. I respect your experience but I don't feel like it suits me very well.

If I wanted to take the transmission with it I would have had to take off the calipers, steering knuckle, CV axles, transmission mounts, linkage etc.. VS 4 bolts on the flywheel. I cannot for the life of me see how that is easier than what I did.

Mark

well from your first post you had to remove the a/c bracket, alt, harmonic balancer, power steering pump/bracket, then the bolts on the flywheel.

so you be proud of your 5 hours just to pull it, when I've completely swapped the entire assembly before, and drove it away, in 7 its not just about removal, its about reinstalling to. it is a royal bi*** to line everything back up when dropping the motor back in and trying to mount it to the transmission.

 

[97 Demon]

i haven't tried dropping or pulling my engine yet, but last year i pulled the tranny out of 2 cars and put the good trans back into my car, i can tell you that it is a royal PITA to do it all in the engine bay, at least in a backyard setting it is. when i pull my engine out for the swap i plan on doing down the line i am defiantly going to be pulling the entire assembly out as 1 so i can work in the open.

 

[TallestHERETIC]

Wow! You guys did a ton of work to just remove the engine. Tough job, but it is doable. I removed my very first engine (420A!) just using a hoist, engine leveler, impact gun, a block of wood and a cheapo Autozone jackstand. I'd say it took my a solid four hours all together.

In retrospect, I think I did mine the really hard, long way compared to all of you guys. I removed the hood and proceded to remove every piece of the engine, hoses and anything in it's way to make room. Then I just removed the rotating assembly from the bottom to the top, piece by piece, just leaving the block all by itself attached to the mounts and transmission.

I finally unbolted the mounts and the bolts connecting the tranny. Then I tapped it a few times with a hammer to release it from the tranny and lifted up slowly.

I found the block to be VERY light and easy to move out of the car and onto my engine stand.

Man, i should've researched engine removal way more!

 

[Papajohnspimp]

whatever makes you feel better man...

I've tried dealing with a FWD engine replacement your way and its horrible, I'll never do it again. Say whatever demeaning things you would like, if that's what makes you feel better. It doesn't change the fact that I was able to do it comfortably, that counts for something far more than your opinion.

I appreciate everyone's responses up until my last post, after that it just seems like everyone jumped in to tell me how I was wrong and how they were awesome. I'm not condemning anyone over this it just seems unnecessary to go about the way it was and beat a dead horse.

I am not a mitsubishi enthusiast so I'm trying to not make it personal, I've been on other forums before where this has happened. Its offensive and no one likes a braggart.

Sorry if I'm being offensive but I feel slightly offended, so in my eyes its deserved.

Thanks guys

edit: I just wanted to say that not everyone's comments were rude but the few that were can obviously see where I'm coming from. I'm sorry to anyone who wasn't offensive and feels that they have been wronged that is not my intention, but to those that have been rude I kind of hope this stings a little..

I ask this question to all of those involved: How does your comment positively influence this thread? If it was informative then you have your answer but if it was only to call attention to your accomplishments then they have no purpose in here and should be discarded as such.

 

[Anubis_4_99]

your comments don't sting at all, especially a month after the fact.

you came here, asked for advice on pulling your engine because you were having trouble, and when everyone told you the easier way to do it, you continued on the way you were and didn't heed anyone's advice from the experience they have.

and that doesn't matter to one person here. some random guy blowing off our advice on the internet is the least of 90% of peoples worries.

while my comment seemed like i was bragging about my "accomplishments" i was far from it. believe it or not they dont give out trophies for swapping a motor.

i was simply putting my experience out there for you to benefit from. i have pulled a motor exactly the way you did yours, and i can tell you from multiple personal experiences that pulling the entire assembly, was always quicker and easier.

hopefully your swap went well, and sorry you felt you were being attacked or whatever, but that wasn't the case. you asked for opinions, you got them and decided to continue on your way. that's your choice.

 

[Papajohnspimp]

If it didn't sting you wouldn't reply...

didn't ask for opinions, just insight which you were unable to provide

there was no factual information with what you said, I had already posted that someone resolved my issue. regardless of whatever you think all you did was toot your own horn. be honest with yourself.

" so you be proud of your 5 hours just to pull it, when I've completely swapped the entire assembly before, and drove it away, in 7 "

if thats not demeaning I don't know what is

appreciate you setting me straight

thanks bubba

 

[Anubis_4_99]

thanks for the concern about hurting my e-feelings but I can assure you I'm loosing no sleep over it.

while that one comment was somewhat cocky I can agree, it was in no way intended to be demeaning. and I infact did provide insight into the issue you inquired about. I've swapped over a dozen fwd motors on multiple platforms and the one way I would never do again is leaving the transmission in the engine bay. it simply takes too much time, too many additional things need to be removed, and too complicated to line up and reinstall.

if you're going to post on the internet asking for people's help, you need to grow some thicker skin. because regardless of your question, someone is going to call you an idiot because you don't already know.

once again, I hope your swap went well and that the way you chose to do it worked out. since I've made my point I wont post anymore here for fear of you feeling bad about hurting my feelings.

 

[Shake_Zulla]

Blah blah blah blah.

Blah blah.

Blah blah blah.

Blah blah blah blah.

no one cares

heehee Kesha