Connecting engine and gearbox...!!! Grr!!!

[jps]

Spent about 2 hours last night trying to get the engine and gearbox into my chassis...

Chassis completely bare and up on axle stands about 18 inches off the ground.

Put the Ford Type 3 box in first with an axle stand under the bell housing to hold it up. Nice and easy - did it in about two minutes.

Dropped the Pinto in using the engine hoist. Also nice and easy - hardest bit is pushing the hoist forward on the rough concrete floor of my workshop :-D

Could I get the damn things to line up so that I could bolt them together? Could I hell!!!

I reckon i'll resort to putting them together outside the car and lowering it all in in one piece. Which is considerably harder as the chassis has to be moved around by one (or more) person as more helping hands assist with dangling the engine/gearbox downwards then lifting it up as it is threaded into the tunnel......!!!

Any tips before I resort to this?

[K4KEV]

I fastened my gearbox in first so no need for jack underneath....then I loaded my engine in from the side as it was much easier to move the hoist from the hydraulic ram end those last few mm until it "clicks" patience is also need tho;)

[flyerncle]

Put it together on the floor and lift chassis over the top,then lift up with crane,or put together and lift in as you said at a high angle,it will go in that way done it twice,make sure there is no oil in the box or seal the end it makes a stinky mess on the floor.

[jps]

Put it together on the floor and lift chassis over the top,then lift up with crane,or put together and lift in as you said at a high angle,it will go in that way done it twice,make sure there is no oil in the box or seal the end it makes a stinky mess on the floor.


I have done the dropping it in from above before - i.e. gearbox output pointing at floor - then lift it up as it goes under the scuttle...

I will try it the other way round and see how I get on... I can picture it in my head as possibly working quite well!!!!

[SeriesLandy]

I put mine in whole on my own but I do have an I beam running down the centre if the garage and a electric hoist.
The only bit I normally struggle with is the getting the gearbox back up to the right height. I found a bit if rope around the gb end helps a lot.

[alga]

I've first put in the engine and gearbox as one, but later I had the engine out and back in, twice, no major problems.

Are you sure the clutch is centered properly?

[tkpm]

I used one of these https://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cll500-load-leveller on the engine hoist

Terry

[onedayTM]

I to have had to put engine/box in by myself, it is a pain but if you dont have one of those levellers I used a ratchet strap round end of box and back up to a bar thro one of holes in hoist beam. Then as you move forward and get close to scuttle area drop box by loosening ratchet strap and then back and forward push in lower down and so on. Mine is still up on trestles but if mine was on floor I think I would lift chassis up an over!
tony

[jps]

I to have had to put engine/box in by myself, it is a pain but if you dont have one of those levellers I used a ratchet strap round end of box and back up to a bar thro one of holes in hoist beam. Then as you move forward and get close to scuttle area drop box by loosening ratchet strap and then back and forward push in lower down and so on. Mine is still up on trestles but if mine was on floor I think I would lift chassis up an over!
tony

I'm going to buy a load leveler and go for it that way - reckon it'll be the easiest solution. Thanks guys!

[jps]

Update, the load leveller is worth its weight in gold! Got the engine and gearbox together, with gearbox already in situ, in less than 5 minutes!! Plus it was less than £20 off eBay!