Did anyone ever make a DIY for this? I'll be replacing my engine soon and would greatly appreciate any tips.

 

I know this is an old thread but if you detach the engine harness from the ecu instead of taking each connector off with the engine in the bay its a lot faster to pull the engine out since you dont have to remove the plenum and what not. If you dont have a lift Just pull the front off it takes about 3-4 hours conservatively (if you dont have to fight with rusty exhaust bolts) to get the engine out that way. It is possible to pull the motor out through the top WITHOUT the tranny but its worth the time to pull the front off. Theres honestly no reason for a diy its pretty straight forward just disconnect the battery take the harness connectors off from inside the cabin and stick them trough the firewall disconnect anything that connects the engine to the chassis and pull it out.

 

For those that have pulled the motor, where did you lift it at? Not seeing any good places to bolt the chains, everything is on tabs or is 10mm.

 

I ended up lifting it by the idler pulley bolts on the front and the water journal studs on the back of the heads, no apparent damage. Pulled it separate from the tranny.

 

Reason?

 

Not sure exactly what your asking?

Rod knock, 195,000 miles, replacing with rebuilt, not enough room in the garage to pull engine plus tranny without taking it off of the stands and moving it. Maybe not the best idea to leave the tranny in, will have to see how hard it is to get it to mate up.

Answered?

 

You knew what I meant see?

Sounds like the engine threads say it's best to disconnect the two anyways, so no issue there.

 

How long should I expect it to take to swap an engine?

 

IF you have all the tools and there's no surprises it shouldn't take more than a couple of days. Do you plan on taking the engine straight through the front? Preparing the car before the engine is ready to come out may take an entire day.

As for connecting chains to the block, I used the larger bolts towards the center of the timing chain cover and the two upper bolts for the bell housing.

 

Are there any special tools? I have a full socket set, and torque wrenches. I didn't run into anything I didn't have when I changed my cams.

 

You will need special tools for removing the AC lines, which a pack can be bought at most auto stores. 1/2" tools if you don't have them already. I needed an engine leveler since I left the tranny attached to the block. Not sure if one is required for just the block. Don't think there was anything else.

 

So the flex plate doesn't have to be unbolted? I don't see any access