tell me about installing engines.

[jpsmit]

My son is around for a couple of weeks - which means I have an extra set of hands. I am thinking about dropping in the engine while he is here.

1. Is it easier to install from the top or the bottom?

2. The K frame - I haven't yet installed the brake lines that go along the frame - nor the "bump" bar that sticks out front. - will these be a PITA to install after? (ie should I do them first?)

thoughts

[lord13]

OHC out from the bottom, OHV out from the top was the way we always did it. both can be done either way but it was always easier to drop the subframe on a OHC because of the weight of the engine and box together, and it is the factory way
Pipe up the frame first, but be careful you don't crush anything whilst manhandling the engine in, you should have no trouble at all, the OHV lumps are quite light and easy to move about.

[droopsnoot]

I put my engine and box in recently (OHC) and did that from underneath. I fortunately had a long, narrow pallet that I could put some castors on, so I put the subframe on first, then lifted the engine onto that, fitted the clutch and gearbox and bolted it all together, then ran it all under the front of the car. I then lowered the shell onto the mountings.

Some things that you find: unless you can get the car very high (higher than I was prepared to lift it) you should only have the short engine in place, not the head; don't fit the starter motor if your steering column is in place (on a HC, they will foul); leave the subframe upper mounts off until you've got it behind the front panel (or leave them so they can be turned). Also as David Maxwell showed on his build thread and I shamelessly stole to good effect - feed some thin tube down through the holes for the upper mounts onto the tops of the bolts, to stop them catching on the way through the chassis rail.

I didn't have the brake pipes in place when I put this lot back in. Not least because they were all going to be new, and I didn't have any lengths for them until I could measure along the route up to the master cylinder. If you have the lengths already then it would probably help to fit them first, though watch the ends in case anything drags along new paint.

[1972nail]

Mike has just about covered it. Although I would build the suspension after fitting the engine and subframe to allow you to get it all a bit lower and lighter, and also use the weight of the car to compress the springs when building the suspension.

I would also fit the gearbox crossmember which will make it easier to bolt up quickly as the gear box mounting to cross member bolts can be akward when in place.

[droopsnoot]

Looking at one of the photos in the restoration thread, it seems the engine is already complete with head and cam box, so the shell will need to be pretty high to clear the front valance. Probably do-able, my pallet-on-castors was a good way to do it, but did add about 8-9" to the height.

Fitting the gearbox crossmember is a good point, I can't remember why I didn't do that.

[1972nail]

Thinking about it now, I fitted the gearbox crossmember after positioning the assembly under the car but before jacking it up. The axle stands were forward of the crossmember and it would have fouled on the way in.

Another tip, If the shell is fairly light due to having no glass or interior, it's worth adding quite a bit of weight in the boot to add stability to the jacked up shell. The axle stands have to be near the c of g so adding weight further back keeps the balance point well behind the stands.

[jpsmit]

Thanks for all of this - I think I should be able to slide the engine under - the front end needs to get about 8 inches higher. I am contemplating reinstalling the rear axle first and then putting the jack stands under the axles - then the rear axle can function as a sort of pivot. I do have six stands under the car so, it should be solid.

I may have to wait on the brake lines - as I don't have patterns to work from - but, will see what I can do.

thanks again!