Motor swap tricks and tips?

superpoop

Registered User
Hey guys.

Motor on the SC went last august and we are just about ready to swap it out. Any tips and tricks? Possibly a write up? We have never done an engine swap before. Its a complete motor we are swapping out.

Neill
 
OFirst, the obvious 
Take the hood off

Next remove the driver and passenger windshield wiper cowlings.
Then the windshield wiper motor and plastic tray. Remove the passenger plastic tray as well.

You will need to do this in order to be able to access the two top screws connecting the transmission to the engine. Trying to get those screws from the bottom is nearly impossible.
It will also give you an easier access to the two bolts located on the back of the driver side cylinder head. One bolt is for a ground of some sort, the other one has the fuel injector wiring harness and the fuel rail with the fuel regulator.
Of course, before to get to the bolts you need to disconnect the vacuum lines and remove the super charger and the throttle body. If your car is a1989, there is a coolant hose hooked up to the bottom on the throttle body. It is a pain to get out but it is not that bad. Do not forget to drain the coolant before disconnecting any cooling lines and disconnect the top and bottom radiator hoses.
I usually leave the throttle body attached to the supercharger. The upper inter cooler tube needs a special tool to be disconnected from the super charger. Just disconnect the inter cooler and remove the super charger, the tube and the TB as one piece. You might as well remove the intercooler, you will need the room to remove the steering pump pulley.
The supercharger has three long bolts, one on the front and two on the side. The connecting collar on the back( black rubber 2 to 3 inches long) needs to be disconnected too.
Obviously remove the wiring, connecting brackets and belts.

You will also need to remove the two front engine black brackets.
For the passenger side bracket:
Before you remove the supercharger and the water pump belts you will need to loosen up the bolts from the pulley. The pulley needs to be remove to accces the nut attaching the bracket the engine. If memory serves me right they are two more bolts needing to be remove. Then you will need to remove the four bolts connecting the a/c compressor to the bracket. Of course discionenct the DIS and AC wiring.

For the driver bracket
You need a pulley puller to remove the steering pump pulley. That is only way to acces the three screws attaching the steering pump to the bracket. There is a secondary bracket connecting the primary bracket tothe engine, it easier to remove it in order to access the nut attahching the main bracket to the engine. agian there are two more bolts to be removed, k=like the passenger side. Or you can leave the pump on the bracket and disconnect the evo, but you also need a special tool for the evo. The tool is not required, but it is a real pain without it.
FYI: it is likely that no matter what, the evo unit will start leaking. This is a good time to change the evo internal seals. The seals are hard to get, the easiest is to buy two steering pump rebuilt kit and get the two seals from the kits, otherwise do a search on the site for the thread takling about equivalent replacements.


Remove the alternator and the ignition coil as well.

Once you removed the brackets, you will be able to access the nut located near the motor mount that connects the ground to the engine. there is one on each side.
On the driver side you will also be able to remove the bolts connecting the lower inter cooler tube to the engine.

Once you have all of that stuff off you will get an easier access to the long bolt connecting the motor mount to the chassis on each side of the engine. The driver motor mount has a second short bolt connecting it to the chassis.

You will need to remove at least one of the headers. Disconnect the exhaust system from underneath. Then remove the bolts connecting the header to the head. You will have to disconnect the coolant hoses on both sides as well.

While you are under the car, it is good time to star working on disconnecting the transmission from the engine. I will assume that the car is a auto.
Disconnect the starter, the low level oil sensor and the knock sensor wiring on the oil pan.
Remove the starter.

Next disconnect the torque converter from the flex plate. The four bolts can be accessed through the inspection panel located on the bottom of the transmission behind the oil pan ( looking from the front of the engine toward the transmission). Do not forget to mark the position of the flex plate in regard to the torque converter. Because it is balanced you need to reinstalli it exactly the way it was. When you remove the flex plate from the engine you will notice that the bolt pattern is off center. There is only one way to make them line up.
Line up the first torque converter bolt with the openning by turning the harmonic balancer clockwise. I usually use a ratchet on the harmonic balancer bolt. Much easier if you someone is there to help you.
Next remove all the bolts connecting the transmission to the engine, there is a dove tail on the driver side for sure and may be another one on the passenger side that might be hard to brake loose. I use a crow bar if need it.

I'm sure i have forgot a few things, but you will see the obvious stuff. I would highly recommand that you get the manual before you start the tear down.
 
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there is always this video series.... its been a while since I watched it. Not sure how efficient he is, but he gets it out.

 
Lots of good pointers here. One thing I will say though, is don't waste your time removing components off the engine. Deal with all that after the engine is out of the car. There is no need to remove the supercharger, intercooler tubes, fuel rail, throttle body, coolant lines, wiring harness, sensors, front accessories, etc. Disconnect the fuel lines where they go into the rails. Disconnect the wiring connectors to the harness near the passenger side firewall. Disconnect the battery cables from the battery and the underhood fuse box, and leave all the wiring and everything attached to the engine. Next get under the car and drain the coolant and the oil. Remove the radiator and cooling fan together as a unit, leaving the upper and lower hoses attached to the engine. For the bell housing bolts, a 3ft extension and a swivel socket make quick work of the hard to reach bolts. Remove the starter completely rather than letting it hang, otherwise it can get in the way when trying to wiggle the engine out. If the car is an automatic, make sure to unbolt the trams cooler lines from the motor mount. The power steering return line is easy to get to with the engine in place, but the pressure line is much easier to get to with the motor lifted up about 6 inches. For the motor mounts, a swivel and short extension help to get the bolts from underneath, but don't forget the one on the passenger side that goes into the k-member from the top.
 
For the motor mounts, a swivel and short extension help to get the bolts from underneath, but don't forget the one on the passenger side that goes into the k-member from the top.

Might be easier to pull the two horizontal long bolts that run front/rear?
 
One could just drop the front end with the engine still on the mounts. Then you'd have wheels to move it around on too. Only trick is you'd have to levitate car!
 
One could just drop the front end with the engine still on the mounts. Then you'd have wheels to move it around on too. Only trick is you'd have to levitate car!

And disconnect the steering shaft and the suspension. I've done it this way on a few cars that I was parting out where I wanted the engine and trans, but for a motor swap, I usually find it easier to just remove the engine by itself, leaving the trans and subframe still in the car.
 
Woah. What a write up. Thanks guys

Car is an 89 auto. Motor is from a 90 5spd. Apart from the pilot bearing removal, are there any other steps . We'd to take?

Neill
 
Woah. What a write up. Thanks guys

Car is an 89 auto. Motor is from a 90 5spd. Apart from the pilot bearing removal, are there any other steps . We'd to take?

Neill
I have done the exact same swap. The pilot bearing is it.
Reuse all the accessories from the original engine.
 
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