getting engine lined up with trans?

50/50 deal if you've got a transmission jack

I've done it both ways. The disadvantage to installing the transmission on the engine is you need to be more careful not to scratch the car going in, and you definitely want a jack screw on you chain setup. Also Take the carb off and tape over the intake do to the severe angle your chain rig is going to be at. If I'm in a hurry this is the way I do it. Sometimes I'll just put a fleece over the trans to help ward off the scratches.

I don't mind help on the engine install but prefer to do the transmission install myself. A lot of it is just a feeling you get as it starts to go in. Two people make it dificult to get that feel.

As for doing them separate, I prefer to pull the transmission back away from the engine compartment. And definitely use a transmission jack. Drop the engine in and install the motor mounts and export brace, with the car on the ground. Sling the back of the block to the export brace with a truckers knot in a stretchy soft nylon 1/2" rope then get all four corners of the car up as high as I can on jack stands. I like the engine to have somewhere around 5-6 degrees tilt to the rear, that gives plenty of room to get to all the bolts, and the angle helps keep the torque converter fully seated in the transmission. Just a light touch of grease on the alignment dowls. The stretchy nylon rope will allow some wiggle room, and all should "pop" shut. Install the housing bolts with a 1/4" looseness, and make sure you can line up you flex plate to your torque converter. If your torque converter has a drain plug make sure it fits in the correct hole of the flex plate. Tighten the torque converter hand snug, then finish up tightening the bell housing bolts using a star pattern, like you would on a wheel. Do the same for the torque converter bolts. I prefer a torque wrench, even though I've done plenty. In fact after almost three decades of turning wrenches, my torque wrench still gets a whole lot of usage. Finally lift the rear of the housing up and install the rear mount then remove your rope sling.
Doing it this way, I have never fought an install. Maybe I'm just lucky, I've done more than my share though.

When I was young and stupid I'd lie the trans on my chest and bench press it into place with my head facing the rear of the car to help me align the transmission . Now I'm old and a little smarter. $90.00 for a transmission jack beats the heck out of a week off work with a bad back or dented ribs.

You can always buy some longer bolts or all-thread and make some long alignment dowls. I've never had to do this, but have heard others use it successfully.

Good luck!

Scott

Might want to take off your fenders if they are painted or in goo shape, so they aren't scratched or dinged.

Man, everyone's getting their cars going lately. I just got mine running last monday.

blackjackbender said:

well was wondering any trick of lining up the trans to the engine, with the trans installed currently. i have had no luck, trying to get someone with more experience to help me out soon, have a goal to get her started by sunday. Think itd be easy with only having 2 guys to pull the trans and hook it up goearther, and drop it in togeather and then hook it up.

Click to expand...

You shouldnt need more than one other person. My dad and I have installed four Ford engines and one Toyota together and none took more than an hour and a half(the latter half wasnt even two-person work really). I've pulled two engines by myself also. This last time I we put the engine and trans in my '68 as one unit. If you do it that way, you must have a load-leveler to tilt the engine. This method poses its own inconveniences, but its easier than installing the trans from under the car.

Take four long , older small block head bolts, remove the heads from them, cut a slot into each one's head. Screw these into the back of the block where the bellhousing bolts attach the trans to the motor ( two per side), then lower the engine into the bay, guide the bolts ( now they're alignment dowels ) into the corrisponding holes in the bellhousing and shove the two together These will also work to align a manual trans such as a Toploader into a std trans bellhousing. Use the slots to unscrew them ( using a large flat head screw driver), if they're too tight to go by hand.

I prefer installing the engine and trans already attached. If you do decide to attach the trans to the engine with both out of the car, jack the rear wheels as high as you can get them. This will lessen the angle that the engine/trans combo will need to be tilted for it to go in the bay.

OMG!! you didn't need to turn the car on it's side!!!!!



Great job. Looks really good when I turn my monitor sideways

Is it just the picture or did you paint the engine compartment with a charcoal grey color. I like it!

Scott

Not sure if you know this or not, but if it were me i would move your fuel filter to the line after the fuel pump. Just a quick tip

You can install them either way but if you do them togather you will need a good "cherry picker" and a high ceiling. Don't use the engine to transmission bolts to pull the two togather. If they don't slide togather by hand something is not right. The most important thing to remember is the torque converter needs to seat two times onto the front pump. If you do not do this step the engine and transmission will not go togather and if you try to force them you will just lock the torque convertor down so it will not rotate freely to align it with the flexplate mounting bolts.

thehueypilot said:

You can install them either way but if you do them togather you will need a good "cherry picker" and a high ceiling. Don't use the engine to transmission bolts to pull the two togather. If they don't slide togather by hand something is not right. The most important thing to remember is the torque converter needs to seat two times onto the front pump. If you do not do this step the engine and transmission will not go togather and if you try to force them you will just lock the torque convertor down so it will not rotate freely to align it with the flexplate mounting bolts.

Click to expand...

You left out the part about forcing the two together without the pump seated properly, breaking the front pump too.

pretty sure that you will need a reg fuel line and clamps to go onto the end of the line coming from your fuel pump, then install a filter inline from there, thats what I did.

jbuening said:

Not sure if you know this or not, but if it were me i would move your fuel filter to the line after the fuel pump. Just a quick tip

Click to expand...

whats wrong with having it where it is now?

dawtips said:

whats wrong with having it where it is now?

Click to expand...

All fuel pump manufacturers recommend the fuel filters after the pumps. The pumps are made to push the fuel and the fuel filter will create some restriction in the line. Similar with newer cars, they have the pump in the tank and the filter is after the pump. Old mustangs that is all original has the filter right at the carb. May not have convinced you, but that is what i've always been told and what i've always read. Not sure if it is a restriction problem or just having the filter as close to the carb as possible

dawtips said:

whats wrong with having it where it is now?

Click to expand...

Particulate matter from a fuel pump wearing out will be stopped by the filter if it is between the pump and the carb.

EDIT: And yes the pumps are meant to push fuel not draw it.

Blackjackbender, all you have to do to move it is cut out a section of fuel line with a tubing cutter then flair the ends slightly with a flairing tool and use the short hoses and clamps that come with almost every new filter to install it inline. Make sure you get a 3/8 filter and hoses for 3/8 fuel line or 5/16 if your car has 5/16. You may just want to take the fuel line in with you to buy a filter since you will have to remove it anyway. The tubing cutter and flair tool are available in a kit that will allow you to do brake lines as well.

It appears that you may have an Edelbrock carb on there. I don't think the factory steel line will go to the same spot where the fuel inlet is on the Edelbrock. On my stock 2bbl that came on my mach, the fuel line went up near the carb and had a rubber hose attached to the end of the steel line and had a fuel filter that screwed into the carb. You may just add the rubber line to the end of the steel line and put your fuel filter there. Then plumb the rest in rubber to the carb. Its totally up to you though

Only electric pumps were designed to push fuel, the mechanical, diaphram pumps do both, push and pull. There is a thing to having the filter before the pump, it does add a restriction, but I've always used a filter both before and after a mechanical pump. Trash in the pump leads to a short life.