Need to remove engine from salvage car ASAP, limited time, please read and offer info

90SCinKC

Registered User
1990 SC was totaled (owned it since it was new Oct. 1990, was rearended at 50 mph by a Tbird LX, what irony!) Need to remove engine ASAP. Here is my plan. please offer any suggestions in addition to my current plan.

I will remove the top strut bolts from the inner fender, seperate the upper ball-joint pinch bolt and seperate a-arm from spindle. Then I will seperate the rag joint(steering coupler at the rack). I will jack up under K-member subframe, then remove the transmission mount, seperate the driveshaft at the transmission output shaft. Next i will loosen all eight E18 inverted torx K-member subframe mounting bolts, then at that time lower the whole subframe, engine, and tranny a few inches and decide what wires and harnesses to remove. Once i am sure all wires, hoses, and lines are disconnected or cut, i will lower the assembly the rest of the way, then i will use a forklift to lift the front of the car up high enough to allow me to slide the whole subframe/engine/tranny assembly out from under it. Is this the easiest way to quickly remove this engine? Any addition info or insight into my plan would be greatly appreciated. thanks for taking the time to read this.
 
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Unless you are going to torch the driveshaft, sawzaw or whatever. you need to drop/tilt the rear to get the drive shaft out.

Unless I missed something on the tranny install the last time on mine.
 
HAHAHAHA thats ingenuity right there if I ever saw it.


Your gonna have to take some accessories off to lower that engine, I'm sure you know which ones, since it says you've done headgaskets.

I think you would need a sawzall too. I remember reading though that the K-member is a stronger strength of metal. Do a search, might be better to plasma cut it. Hell plasma cut everything you dont need, its a junk car anyways. Why not just cut the harness at the firewall?

Be careful, what your doing sounds very dangerous.
 
Thanks for the replies, keep them coming...

I assumed the driveshaft could be seperated at the universal joint, but if i need to cut it, i will. Will probably use an acetaline torch or sawzall. As far as removing accesories, i should have been more clear in my plan when i described it on here. I plan to remove the cooling fan, radiator, innercooler. And the idea to remove the main harness at the firewall is is an excellent idea! This may sound dangerous, but it will be executed very safely, using a forklift from my dad's machine shop, all this being done on concrete. Also have access to a Ford 5150 Backhoe also if need be to lift the chassis off the subframe assembly once loosened. Im pulling this engine out of one of my SC's to store and build up for replacement into my other SC at a future time. The SC im removing it from is a 5-speed, the car it will go into eventually is an automatic. I am planning on keeping the center console for the 5 speed, the clutch pedal/master cylinder, ECM, ABS pump assembly(was a new Prior Reman. unit hardly used). Please let me know if there is anything else i should consider keeping from the 5-speed SC to use on the automatic later on when i convert it to a 5 speed. I already noticed that the 5-speed has EGR and my automatic doesn't, other then that, i think i've got all bases covered to do my planned future swap. Im excited to see how the 5-speed conversion will do in the automatic SC considering the more aggressive rearend gearing used in the automatics. correct me if im wrong, but isn't the 5-speed rearend a 2.73 and the automatic is a 3.23 rearend ratio? Thanks for the speedy replies guys, it been years since i posted on here, and as usual, im blown away by the friendly responses. Thanks again!
 
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Most likely yes it will be more agressive. Dont forget about the coolant lines for the heater core, lines for the a/c, and fuel. There are harnesses at each side of the firewall for the electronics. And watch those vacuum lines. You don't NEED the computer for the 5-speed but if you want it to be exact you can.
 
If it's a manual trans...knock the ujoint out and keep the slip yoke in the back of the trans to stop it from pouring fluid all over.
 
It all sounds pretty good except for the part about "drop the subframe a few inches and find out what wires need removed." I wouldn't stick my head under there without some real solid support.
 
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