• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Can anyone offer engine removal input?

Share this page

VelodromeRacer

VelodromeRacer

Jedi Trainee
Offline
Hey gang,

I need to know..Do I need to remove the radiator in a bugeye to pull the engine/gearbox?

Planning on the removal Friday and I am trying to do all of the other work before hand.
 
Be safe and pull it, it is only four bolts.

Pat
 
i think I had mine out before I yanked the engine/tranny...it would atleast save the backside of the radiator from being damaged when you pull the engine forward to clear the tranny tunnel.
 
Good idea..Might as well as pressure check it too!
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]watch out, that list can get pretty long pretty fast![/QUOTE]

Seriously!
 
I think this came from Frank C.

Engine Removal / Reinstallation

To remove the engine.....remove the filter bowl and the starter motor from the right hand rear of the cylinder block. Take the weight of the gearbox on a suitable jack and remove the set screws securing the gearbox to the engine crankcase remove the left-hand front engine mounting complete with its bracket and the right-hand front engine mounting RUBBER together with the front exhaust down pipe support bracket from its fixing on the gearbox bell housing.

Take the weight of the assembly with suitable lifting equipment and remove the engine from the vehicle..

REFITTING.
Refit the engine by reversing the sequence of operations detailed for removal.

ENGINE MOUNTINGS.
Support the engine assembly with suitable lifting equipment and remove both the left- and right-hand mounting rubber securing nuts and mounting rubber bracket-to-body securing set screws.

Release the exhaust down pipe manifold clamp and remove the front down pipe strap from the support bracket. lift the engine approximately 3/4", ensuring that the fan assembly will not foul the radiator fan cowling. Swing the engine to the LEFT as far as possible and remove the right-hand rubber mounting together with its body bracket. the left-hand rubber mounting and bracket assembly can now be removed.

REFITTING.
When refitting, the right-hand front rubber mounting and bracket should be positioned FIRST. Both mounting rubbers and brackets should be fitted BEFORE any set screws or nuts are replaced.
 
the motor will need to tilt as it
comes out...be prepared...
2 people is best,... have at least one
that isnt drunk /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif ....z
 
No kidding on the list!

I started with this car and of course HAD to do some of the following...

New Sparco seat
New 6 point Belts
New Taylor-Race gearbox
New Tilton CLutch/Disk/Flywheel
New Clutch hose
New Hoosier tires
New Header, custom exhaust, oh and jet coat the header..
New Gilmer belt drive under-pulley for water pump
New coil
New plugs/cap/wires
New fuel regulator
New rollbar padding
New ignition/fuel switches
New dead pedal
Paint touch-up
New numpers..from 77 to 71

I am also going to place some alum. along the firewall..
Hmmmm...oh of course,

I replaced 2 front shocks
replaced rear gearbox seal,
replaced all existing heim joints...

Where does it end....
 
Just finished my first engine pull a week ago, so now, naturally, I'm an expert. Much less difficult than I expected. I didn't need two people, either to remove it or reinstall it, but removing the bonnet did require some help. I put straps around it, lifted it with the crane. I recruited my wife to steady it and prevent it from banging on anything while I pulled the crane back from the car.

Having a fixture that allowed me to tilt the engine easily was absolutely essential.

Do a search through the archives--plenty of information.
 
Thanks Steve...You have 1 on me, at least on a Bugeye, makes you an expert to me!

Hood is certainly an issue...
 
As Jim wrote what I wrote many times before, on a bugeye you do NOT have to pull the bonnet unless it's a forward tilt.
Open it, remove the radiator, jack the engine up and slide it out. Works for me.
Or you can remove the bonnet and hoist it out.
This system will not work on a 61-79 Spridget unless you remove the front apron assembly.
 
I also removed mine last week. One thing I can recommend is be prepared to disconnect the drive shaft at the rear diff. I got mine on the hoist and had a tilt. It just would not slide out until I disconnected the drive shaft. More info in Wiki when it is working.

Paul
 
Good advice, I add the following, since this is a race, if both engine mount perches are slotted do so in the future, this makes this a easy job, and I don't think I've seen a race car with out it in years. Doug both the engine and the tranny together, especailly for what you are doing. On the slave cylinder, which you won't be using anymore with the Taylor gear box, but if you were, slot the top bolt eyelet, for easier removal and installetion.

Doug as I told you on the phone, and I tell every racer this, this is a chore you will get quite good at, it's part of racing, we can make engine changes at the track now in under 1 hour. You need to educate yourself to every nut and bolt on that car, and get yourslef where you can do a engine change in your sleep. How about Tucker, will he help you in learning to do this, he has a solid racing background?
 
As I am in the process of retrofitting a Bugeye Bonnet to my '68, I've discovered that a pulley system hung from the rafters is very useful in manuvering and fitting the Bugeye Bonnet. Two eyebolts with backing washers, placed through the fender mirror mounting holes, with a rope tied between, will allow one person to pick up the bonnet and it is an almost perfect balance point.

Central pulley hung from ceiling rafters with a hook, brng rope over to some type of cleat so you can secure the rope. Rope from pulley goes to center of rope from two eyebolts and voila, easy to manuver Bugeye bonnet.

For a rear hinged bonnet this would be really simple to set up and adapt. I'd recommend two people just so paint doesn't get scratched but I'm far, far, away from paint at this stage.
 
Thanks gang. Yes, it is a foreword tilt bonnet, so it goes. I'll take the radiator out as well, if not just to check it, car ran hotter than I like last October.

Hap, Tucker is working on his MGA right now, complete restore for a MGA event this spring. Tucker will start next on freshing up his ELVA for the VSCDA racing school in May. You are right, I am trying to educate myself on this car, and with the help of this forum, I have been able to make some big gains! I will have an some help from an ex SCCA Datsun racer by the name of Chitwood though...
 
Just remember the most forgotten bit when doing an engine removal is the ground strap!!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
Yeah, that was in response to my posting. The only problems I had were when I didn't follow those recommendations. Still, got it apart and then--amazement of amazements--back together and running. So, I can vouch for the suggestions.

As for removing the bonnet--I put two straps around it, one front to back and the other side to side behind the headlights. Then put the crane's hook at the point where the straps crossed and lifted it off with the crane. I needed some help to steady the bonnet as I pulled it away with the crane. Actually, getting the bonnet off was the trickiest part of the whole job.

I got the Oberg tilt lift, as suggested, and it was a godsend!
 
Back
Top