18. Disconnect the wiring connectors at the cowl panel. The number of connectors will depend on whether your car is auto/manual.

19. (If you have power steer) Disconnect the hoses to the power steering pump (careful these will leak everywhere), remove pump mounting bolts and remove the pump. Remove the power steering line from the oil pan bracket (see step 5 for picture).

20. (If you have air con) Remove the air conditioning compressor mounting bolts (4x13mm) and tie the compressor out of the way. DO NOT remove the hoses to the compressor, as you will leak air con refrigerant everywhere which is illegal and pretty dangerous.

21. Remove the brake booster and heater vacuum hoses from the intake manifold. Disconnect all hoses from the carbon canister, and remove carbon canister. Also remove the vacuum hoses from the fuel pressure regulator, surge tank, fuel pressure solenoid. I have included some pictures of how the vacuum hoses for the fuel reg and stuff go back together, in case anyone gets lost.

More pictures!

22. Loosen the clamps and remove the heater hoses from the firewall connections. Alternatively, get a big knife and cut them and save yourself the fuck around. Remember to get new ones though.

23. Remove the fuel feed and return lines from the fuel rail and fuel regulator.

24. If you haven’t already done so, jack up the front and rear of the car and put it on jackstands. Jacking up the rear is not absolutely necessary to remove the engine, but it makes it a lot easier to work under the car and I would recommend it.

25. Remove the tailshaft. Before doing this, ensure that the handbrake is off and, if the rear of the car is not on stands ensure the wheels are chocked. If you put the rear of the car on stands, it makes it a hell of a lot easier because you can put the car in neutral and rotate the tailshaft to make it easier to get to the bolts. First loosen the handbrake cable adjuster nuts (2x13mm), and get the handbrake cable out of the way. Then undo the 4 bolts at the diff end of the tailshaft (15mm nuts 14mm bolts). Remove the two centre bearing support bolts (2x13mm), and then you should be able to compress the tailshaft slightly and remove it from the diff, and then slide it out at the gearbox end.

26. Disconnect the speedo cable from the driver�s side of the gearbox. It is held in by a 10mm bolt or you can use a philips head screwdriver.

27. Disconnect the shifter linkage to the gearbox (22mm nut), also on the drivers side, and secure it away from the gearbox.

28. Remove the bonnet (2x13mm bolts each side), making sure its position has been marked with a pen. If your calais has the underbonnet light, then disconnect that before removing the bonnet.

29. Attach the lifting chain to the engine lift points at the front left and rear right of the engine. Jack up the engine slightly to take the weight off the mounts, and remove the engine mount through-bolts.

30. Unbolt the fluid pan from the gearbox, and drain the fluid. Replace the pan to protect against contamination/damage to the gearbox during removal. Alternative step: Leave the fluid in the box, and when it comes time to raise the engine, the gearbox will tilt backwards and tip all the fluid out the extension housing. This is a faster way than removing the pan, but it usually gets very messy. As holdonV8 suggests, if you have an old yoke lying around you can jam that in the end of the box and use it to stop the fluid coming out. I assume most ppl won't have one, but it's a great idea if you do.

31. Support the gearbox with a jack, and remove the gearbox to crossmember bolts, and also the crossmember to chassis bolts. Do not put the jack under the transmission pan to support the gearbox, or the pan may be damaged. Remove the gearbox crossmember from under the car.

32. Whack the hoist on the lifting chain, and go for it! Make sure that when you are lifting the engine & gearbox out that the gearbox does not damage the steering rack.

looking good jordy... i gotta take my engine out to replace the sump and sump gasket... and i could probably put my VLT gearbox in at the same time Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

OMG thats ****ing great work bro, nice..

step 30 use an old yoke in the gearbox saves you fluid and time.

****in awesome write up dude. one question though, when bolting the exhaust manifold back on are those numbers the order you tighten them back in or is it backwards. thanks mate