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Installing an engine when trans is in place

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T

tdskip

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Hi guys - so wasting no time here on getting the plan in motion on the "new" '66 TR4a I have a question on installing an engine when the transmission is already in place.

The donor TR4a has a strong/health engine and clutch on it already ready. The '66 TR4a I just picked up supposedly has a good O/D and drive train but the engine was skunked. So the idea is to pull the good engine and put it in the better car. So I know that I need to get the splines aligned, but not sure the right way to do this correctly. Any tips or coaching for me?
 
Tom -

If a trans had been mounted up the the donor car engine with the current clutch, then you don't need to do anything to align the clutch. If not - Reminder #2 - Remember that disassembled trans I gave you that included the input shaft????

As far as stabbing them back together, then lots of wiggling the back of the trans around is in your future. I'll help.
 
No more time than it takes to remove the trans, I would pull the trans, mount it to the engine and drop both back in the car. You can have it bolted together outside the car and spend less time fighting it to match up and then stretching around to bolt it back up.


Marv
 
Remove the pressure plate and the clutch. Slide those two onto your input shaft and then align your engine and trans. After your engine is installed then just slide your clutch into place and bolt up the pressure plate. I've done this many times and have never had a problem with it.
 
Tom, If I was in the area ,I's help you muscle that thing in!
 
I've installed a new transmission with the engine in place, and I'd be comfortable placing the engine on its mounts, then sliding the transmission up to it, after using the clutch alignment tool of course.

If I had a good engine stand or engine table, a good hoist, and good chain and some guts, I'd do it all together as indicated.

I suppose the drill is to remove the hood (in any case) and hoist the engine from the eye hook forward of the distributor and from the passenger side head bolt? That's stong enough to hold the engine and transmission?

Does it all fit easily, or will there be a lot of horsing around, trying to get the transmission in place? How high on jack stands must the car be sitting?

Many years ago a mechanic dropped my old man's Citroen transmission, saying his chain broke. What a sick feeling that was. The housing cracked and the car suffered a nice large dent. Of course, that was just a French car.
 
I'm with Marv : mate the transmission and engine with the engine sitting on the floor (you do have one of those, don't you ? :devilgrin: ) Installing all those bolts & nuts with the engine in the car is a PITA; especially the ones where you need one wrench in the engine compartment and the other wrench under the dash. Don't forget that both engine and transmission must be supported until they are bolted together; neither one can be left to hang on it's mount(s) without risking damage. This also makes it more difficult to wiggle things around to get the angle just right.

If you're willing to drive down here to pick it up (and return it!), plus promise not to laugh at the mess in my garage at the moment; you can borrow my engine hoist. It will break down small enough to carry in a SUV; station wagon or small pickup truck. Or they aren't too expensive to rent (about $20/day, last time I checked). Most rental units come with a trailer hitch and wheels, tow them behind anything with a trailer ball.
 
OK guys - will pull the trans. Not much more work and agree it will save a bunch of hassle. I have access to a hoist at the hanger, which happily is where both cars are at this point.

Good coaching guys - thanks!
 
Its really not hard to install the engine with the trans already in the car like I said just slide your clutch and pressure plate onto your input shaft and then all you have to line up is the pilot bearing. The pressure plate is very easy to torque down once the two are together.
 
waltesefalcon said:
just slide your clutch and pressure plate onto your input shaft and then all you have to line up is the pilot bearing. The pressure plate is very easy to torque down once the two are together.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you are thinking of a different car? On a TR4A, there is no way to access the pressure plate bolts once the input shaft is inserted through the clutch plate.

Or are you just talking about how to align the clutch plate using an input shaft that is not attached to a transmission?
 
TR3driver said:
Perhaps you are thinking of a different car? On a TR4A, there is no way to access the pressure plate bolts once the input shaft is inserted through the clutch plate.
Click to expand...

Randall,

That would be true for any Spitfire or TR2-TR6 as well correct? (not sure about TR7 or TR8 since I've not dealt with them but I'm guessing they are of a similar design)

Scott
 
Just next time you rebuild your trans, if you come up with a bad input shaft/gear, save it.

Best alignment tool available.
 
Walter must be thinking of a Chevy or Ford for that type of trans installation. I wish it would work for a TR.

Skip - I usually remove the shifter cover on the trans when setting engine/trans back in. Gives me a little more room. You can get by with just removing the shifter rod. I like removing that whole cover so I can oil up the trans easier once its in place. Do have the trans out of gear so you can line up the drive shaft.

Marv
 
I'm not sure about the Spitfire, but definitely applies to all TR2-6 and Stag.
 
TOC said:
Just next time you rebuild your trans, if you come up with a bad input shaft/gear, save it.

Best alignment tool available.
Click to expand...
:iagree:
The plastic tool I got bordered on useless, as it did not fit snugly; but a ruined input shaft works perfectly.

If absolutely necessary, though, it can be done with no tool at all. Stick your finger into the hole and feel the gap between the clutch plate and the pilot bearing hole. If it is even all around, the clutch plate is centered well enough to mate the engine & transmission. That's what I did after discovering the hard way that the plastic tool was useless.
 
TR3driver said:
If absolutely necessary, though, it can be done with no tool at all. Stick your finger into the hole and feel the gap between the clutch plate and the pilot bearing hole. If it is even all around, the clutch plate is centered well enough to mate the engine & transmission. That's what I did after discovering the hard way that the plastic tool was useless.
Click to expand...
...and that's all I ever did until I realized one day that I had an otherwise useless gearbox that could donate an input shaft to the "cause"!
 
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