I need to remove my engine for a rebuild, and the workshop manual I have says to remove the engine and transmission together and then seperate while it is out of the vehicle. My job would be a lot easier if I could seperate the transmission from the engine and lift just the engine out of the car. Is it better to remove the engine and transmission together from the car, or is it fine to remove just the engine? Will I run into any problems doing this? If anybody has any tips regarding this, they would be much appreciated. I have done an engine and ransmission swap (all in one go) before, so I just need to know about seperating the engine while it's in the car and also how to go about re-attaching the engine to the transmission.

dude it is a nightmare trying to do that. remove both together

tell me bout it!! done it not 2 long ago!! remove both 2getha will take less time

I agree, do them together. Getting to the top bell housing bolts sucks!

I agree too together dude will make it hell of alot easy for yourself Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

Agreed, I just did mine again 5 days ago. Its much easier to take the whole lot out in one.

yer i removed the motor seperate... as said earlier, top bell housing bolts are an ABSOLUTE PRICK to undo and redo up, not to mention trying to get the motor to line up properly with the trans so the torque converter fits

i would disagree i would take the engine out seperatly u just have to drop the rear of the gearbox down and use a long extension to get the bello housing bolts, and considering i can have a engine out of a car and on a stand in 1 hr ..... i know what i would be doing!

i agree completely with osk also if u have small enuf hands u can get a spanner down behind the head and undo the top bellousing bolts , or just use the long 2ft long extension and get up to it from above and behind the box. engine in and out by itself , easy as

small hands aye??? smell like cabbage??? damn carnies

so how do you guys reinstall it.thats where the problems lie

Dunno bout an auto but with a manual just use a clutch alignment tool, bit of wiggle and in it goes. I have access to a hoist though, so it makes the job soooo much easier!

I have pulled motors out and left the auto still bolted under the car. Not hard at all.

So which one is the bigger bitch transmission to leave in the car,auto or manual?Soon i will have to swap motors in a manual without help of a hoist,whats the best way?

Considering both ways (i've done it both, turbo manual), to leave the box in you still need to undo the rear x-member, then you need the support the front of the box when the engine is out. Taking the box out with the engine only requires the shifter, 1 wiring plug, speedo cable and clutch fluid line extra removing, all easy stuff. Tail shaft can be slipped off and on while your going. And u dont have to stuff around with the bellhousing bolts in the confined space. Worst thing is you loose some g/b oil. The trick is to attach the lifting points just right so u can angle the box over the x-member by hand. Just lift on the engines lifting points with hanging point closer to the front.

i think can run into more trouble than its worth leaving the box in.auto or manual.

I'd have to say it is very easy to take the auto off the back of the engine once it is out of the car. It is too much stuffing around trying to get the box off the back of the engine.