Easy engine re installation

[Doherto]

<t>Hi, after completing the re installation of my drive train over the weekend, I thought i would pass on a tip that made life very easy. I took the drive train out by the book hoisting on the four cylinder head bolts biased towards the rear of the block but found that the gearbox would not pass over the radiator grill and it took four of us to lift and pull her out. In an attempt to avoid that situation When re installing I purchased an engine leveller on e bay, brand new for £25, and in conjunction with a large hired hoist completed the job in under an hour, WITHOUT any part of the drive train touching any part of the car on the way in. Hopefully the pictures attached show the position of the leveler in use during the tilting and positioning process and may help someone with the same job to do. Another small tip, I put the car on max height axel stands at the rear and on axel stands at the front but at their minimul level, thus tipping the nose slightly down which i believed helped with the process. Anyway i hope this helps someone.</t>

[J44EAG]

Yes, they do work well.

Nice looking engine!

Mike K

[davidr]

Looks a useful bit of kit. I think professional workshops would usually take the engine/gearbox in and out from underneath using a ramp but if you don't have that then your method looks a decent alternative. It's probably not as quick I guess and there will be some care and worry needed to make sure that the paintwork isn't damaged.
That engine looks immaculate! What's the story? Has it been rebuilt?

[Doherto]

David, the story is that, like many i assume, i fell foul of a burst of enthusiasm for a dream about fifteen months ago. I spent many years building a Royale Sabre but always wanted a Mk2. I stumbled across my 240 which was 50% restored by someone who seamed genuine but had to sell due to health reasons. However, after purchase i found that his standard of restoration fell well shot of mine. Therfore since purchase, the drive train and diff have been removed and all completly rebuilt. The chassis has been througherly checked and repaired and leathered in underseal, i have rewired the complete front section of the car and will be renewing the back soon, and introduced a six bank relay panel and twenty way fuse strip. Everything perishable has been renewed on reinstallation so hopefully, when i have dressed the engine and have her running again I have the body to prepare for spraying and a complete renewel of the interior. If all goes to plan i would hope to "finish" this year in time to join the Manchester region tours and club meetings in 2018. Fingers crossed

[lornemalvo]

It's easy to see how the leveller works, that's a clever piece of kit. Your procedure also looks well thought through, tilting the car slightly. Definitely a case of working smarter, not harder. Is it easy to adjust the centre of balance while the engine is suspended?

[Doherto]

Lornemelvo. The leveller has a handle at one end, nearest to be car in the pictures, but this catches on the chains and is difficult to use. However if you look on the image ‘coming in to kand’ You can just see a ratchet spanner on a large nut on the opposite end. Very easy. A little heavier at each end and as you would expect very easy in the middle, so overall simple.

[J44EAG]

Application of force times distance combined with clockwise equaling anti-clockwise moments is a wonderful thing!

Mike K

[Tango401]

Hi,

Thanks for posting this - I need to take my engine out and was going to bring it out underneath but your post has changed my mind.Can I ask what type of hoist you used? Did you need a long reach type ? (Cant be sure from your photos). Thanks.

[Doherto]

Tango401, i just hired a large hoist from a local hire shop although i did have to extend to boom to the middle position for reinstalation because the legs could not pass the wheels. As an approximation the jib would need to reach a height of 2.7 or 2.8 metres. I know this because my car port is 2.6 and when i took the engine out i damaged a panel in the roof. As i said in my post, think it through, take your time and good luck, let us know how you get on. At least its the weather for working outside.

[Tango401]

Thanks Doherto, I don't intend doing this job until the winter so that I still have use of the car through the summer but thought I would start planning now and your tips seem to make a lot of sense. Thanks again for the extra info. Tango 401