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Engine Installation Question

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The large engine shop towels work well as do matress pads.
 
Tony,
If you haven't already done so, go ahead and connect the engine and tranny so we can install it as a unit. Car should be on jack stands (all four corners)to allow me to get underneath to help guide the unit in when needed and connect the driveshaft, etc.
I will try and get to your place semi-early Tuesday.
Rik
 
tony barnhill said:
I'm not damaging THIS engine compartment!!

P6130044a.JPG
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That is beautiful.
 
Rik said:
Tony,
If you haven't already done so, go ahead and connect the engine and tranny so we can install it as a unit. Car should be on jack stands (all four corners)to allow me to get underneath to help guide the unit in when needed and connect the driveshaft, etc.
I will try and get to your place semi-early Tuesday.
Rik
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My plan for tomorrow (if everything works out) is to mate the engine/trans & remove the grille.

Thanks, Tom!

Another question: when I put an engine in an MGB, I always raise the rear end higher than the front - do you do the same with a Midget?
 
Not necessary.
 
A person underneath also helps, especially when installing engine and transmission attached. At that angle the transmission mounts and propeller shaft tend to hang up in the tunnel.
 
Shaft should be unbolted from the rear end. The front universal taped straight and the whole thing inserted from the rear after the engine and tranny are in.

Works for me all by my self.
 
I suppose that, after I hang the transmission on the engine, I should also hang the starter & clutch slave before stuffing in the car?
 
I think I installed mine with the starter on, but the clutch slave was off. The clutch slave is a pain to install afterward, but it'll be one less thing to hang on something in the engine bay on the way in.
 
jlaird said:
Shaft should be unbolted from the rear end. The front universal taped straight and the whole thing inserted from the rear after the engine and tranny are in.

Works for me all by my self.
Click to expand...

When I did mine (1098 in a '63 coincidentally) a few weeks ago I unbolted the universal from drive shaft at the rear too, but it never came apart there. I did mine alone too. When pulling it out, it just pulled off the shaft when going back in, I had the tranny about right for the shaft to go in and I crawled underneath and popped it in (can't see it but it went easy anyway). I think it helps to have the car pretty high in the air for starters, so you have more room to point the gearbox down, pretty close to a 45 degree angle isn't it? Only part I had help with was I recruited some kids to hold the hood while unbolted it. I'd rather have had help pulling and replaceing the motor.
 
So, I'm wrong thinking that, as the transmission slides in place, I hook up the driveshaft to it & allow it to slide through the channel to the rear end?
 
I installed mine after the engine/trans was almost home. I wrapped the front U joint with masking tape and inserted it from the rear. I worked it into place reaching through the shifter hole. Better to do it this way. Trying to push it all through the front is just too much stuff to go wrong. You are gonna have your hands full not hitting the heater shelf with the bell housing or the cowl with the pan or lower pulley. Remember that the trans mount has to go over that cross member inside the tunnel.

You will enjoy this. Trust me.
grin-0003.gif
 
If my engine bay was as nice as yours I'd concentrate more on getting the engine/transmission in without too many incidents. The drive shaft can go in later.
 
I left the driveshaft in place the whole time. Sliding it back into gearbox as the whole thing was wiggled in place (sliding engine/gearbox onto the shaft is a better way to put it, like Tom did too I think. I think I looped a rope under the driveshaft, up through the shifter hole to help hold it up in nearly the right location. Maybe I got lucky but it was easy. Getting the tranny mount bolts to thread back through was worse. Getting the engine mounts on during the whole process was also a trial. You've got WAY more experience then me though, this Midget was my first engine pull! Heck, the toughest part was the stupid radiator mounting bolts, I gave up on the bottoms and did the two top from the back as I recall. That seems like years ago already, was actually 2 months.
 
Yes to the starter and clutch slave, BEFORE installing in the car. exhaust manifold too. Put the stuff on that is easy to access NOW, and a PITA later and you'll be a lot happier in the long run. And when the time comes to attach the drive shaft, don't forget the --masking tape trick-- wrapping the front U-joint with tape to make it stiff enough to slide up onto the transmission spline.
 
jhorton3 said:
I think I installed mine with the starter on, but the clutch slave was off. The clutch slave is a pain to install afterward, but it'll be one less thing to hang on something in the engine bay on the way in.
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There's a old racer trick on the slave cylinder, been around as laong as these car have, that is to open the upper ey mounting on the slave cylinder, so you can start ther bolt for the upper mount and then just slip the salve into place. For you purist, it not like you can see the mod with the bolt in place, but sure does make this job easier, it's one of those things that the factory should have done to begin with, but seldomly to do design engineers actually ever have to work on the designs they create :smile:
 
Hey Tony, one more piece of advice.

Don't do what I did the first time I reinstalled the engine. Don't leave your throwout bearing on the parts shelf. Otherwise, you will have to repeat the entire process. :blush:
 
I totally agree with Hap on this one!! Makes a PITA job a breeze! The other PITA mentioned above are the bottom trans mount bolts. I found these easier to locate properly if the side bolts are installed just snug first and from below lining up the leading edge of the mount with the crossmember. A long drift will help in locating/aligning the bolt holes too!
 
A hint as far as protecting the fenders and cowl. I found that the foam water pipe insulation available at the local hardware store made a great protector for the paint. It's alread slit on one side so I just slipped it over the rear edge of the hood and around the corners and secured it with some masking tape. I can remove the hood of my Midget by myself using that without damage.
 
Bill! Great idea!! Think I'll use it for the edge of the battery shelf also.

Unfortunately, my exhaust manifold isn't back from powdercoating so it'll have to go on after the engine's in.

Like that tip, Hap - I'll start cutting this morning.
 
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