Anyone ever replace main bearings with the engine still in the car?

Guys I just want to know if it is possible to replace the main bearings on our cars with the engine still in it. I''d also like some tips at how to roll the bearings out of it once I get the pan off of it. I imagine what I would have to do to get the oil pan off is remove the four bolts the mount the kmember to the frame and hopefally that will give me enough room to pull the pan so that I can get to the mains.

Shane

Why just the main bearings?

If you have main bearings going bad it's one of two things ONLY. Either there isn't enough oil getting to the mains (pump's fault or not enough oil in the pan), or the clearances are too tight on the mains. If it was the rods, then it would be more acceptable in doing so. You have a problem on your hands.

I always say, "It takes a fool to try the same thing twice and expect a different outcome."

In car main bearing change

While I don't know if there is enough room to do this job in the car, to get the top half of the bearing out if fairly easy. Loosen all the main caps then use the lower bearing half to push the upper out until you can grip it to remove it completely.

Dude....SERIOUSLY....Why would you even try this? Im all about tying new things and finding short cuts but this is rediculous (sp). You can unbolt the harness, take the four bolts/nuts off of the exhaust, unbolt the tranny WAY before you could even figure out how you are going to be able to have enough room to see what the he11 you are doing in there with the k-member in the way. THEN, after its all bolted back up, you may have to get it aligned from moving the BASE for the LCAs. Think of it this way...
1)unbolt the K-member
2)lower ball joint
3)steering knuckle
4)strut rods.
From just off of the top of my head, that is what I can think of as the LEAST amount of work you have to do just to have it ready before you unbolt the mounts. That aside, this will leave the K-member in the way. You have to remove the tierod ends from the spindle and the rack from the K-member just to be able to swing it out of the way and you may not have enough room with just that. Now...at this point, from what I have typed, if the car was already on jack stands, You could have already unbolted the tranny from the engine AND had the harness seperated. Stop trying to cut corners, it isnt saving you any time.

Chris

For those who are wondering what the heck he's doing, a little background.

Shane had the motor on a stand at which point in time he changed the rod bearings but since he couldn't find any main bearings (he didn't call me, I have them in stock) he didn't replace the main bearings.

So then he put the motor in the car and got it running but now it won't dissengage the clutch. After asking him some questions, it came out that the motor came out of a car that previously had the same issues with clutch engagement. So I asked Shane how much end play the crank has and he didn't know. If the thrust beaing is bad enough it could be that the crank is walking forward preventing proper clutch release. I suggested to Shane that he check end play on his crank to veryify that it is within spec. If he has checked it and it is out of spec, then the thrust bearing is shot.

Anyway, that is the reason he's asking. The motor really needs to come back out so he can check the rest of the things that affect clutch release at the same time.

Things like this are why 2 months+ later i still haven't put my SC back together.... I like to take my time and make sure things are right! I NEVER repeat NEVER want to have to pull the engine out of my SC again!! what a PITA once was enough so its going back in right! not worth the time and frustration to have to pull it again!! I had my short block built for $828 by a reputable machine shop!! i'd happly pay that again to NOT have to dick with pulling the engine out! Get the damn thing out and do it right so you don't have to do it again! its not that expensive and will be well worth it in the long run!! Expecially if you are going to beat on it!

Sigh

Well I guess it was worth a shot. I didn't really expect the type of responces that I got but you'll have that sometimes.

Dave, I'll give you a call later today.

Shane

CMac89 said:

Why just the main bearings?

If you have main bearings going bad it's one of two things ONLY. Either there isn't enough oil getting to the mains (pump's fault or not enough oil in the pan), or the clearances are too tight on the mains. If it was the rods, then it would be more acceptable in doing so. You have a problem on your hands.

I always say, "It takes a fool to try the same thing twice and expect a different outcome."

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And here I thought after running a motor for about 100 odd thousand miles the bearings would naturally wear out, especially the front ones on a motor thats driving a blower....

Yeap, done that but . . .

It was on the '76 Dodge D100 pickup I got from my son. High mileage old truck, did a valve job, oil pressure went south, so I took it over to the auto craft shop on post where I worked. Dropped the oil pan and carefully did the main bearing replacement. Truck was fine after that, drove it long time then sold it to a guy and never heard from him again, about 15 years ago, wouldn't try it on a boosted motor, probly come apart under boost and wreck hard pieces. My thoughts,

Don

at one time when i was much more motivated and had more time and less money i did a basic rebuild on a 460 without pulling it from my 78 4x4 f250 i used to have... Didnt have anything to pull the engine with so i dropped the pan pulled the heads replaced rod and main bearings and rings even honed it (very carefuly) also had to do ALOT of cleaning to the crankshaft (as i couldn't remove it with the tranny bolted up) god what a PITA it took over a week of doing nothing else but that!! ran fine for another 30k or so i look back now and it wasn't worth it since 30k later i had to pulll the engine and do it right!

Here's my thoughts summed up in a saying we had at the engine shop...

"Never time or money to do it right, but ALWAYS time and money to do it again"

While sometimes not sounding like the best thing at the moment, will save alot of grief in the long run.

I'm thinking I might need to do this (rebuild the lower while in the car). While not ideal shouldn't be impossible. Thinking just need to remove tranny, lift engine and place spacers under the mounts and go at it. I had to return the cherry picker I was borrowing.

See other posts to see why I think this.

Thats ridiculous, your gonna remove the transmission and the engine crossmember, "block" the engine up and hope it doesnt fall, instead of just yanking the engine and doing it properly. If your overhauling it in the car, your doing a half ~~~ job....my .02

Myself personally I am about to give up on my car. I am at my wits end with the 3.8L, I dont want to deal with them anymore to be truthful. I am at the point where I am either going to sell it or put a 5.0L in it and part all the performance parts and engine parts out in it.

Shane

Shane don't give up on it ya just gotta soldier on.You'll get everything straightened out in the end.Then you'll have a car that makes you happy.Plus it's always more fun to beat someone with a V8 with only a V6.

Jay

Shane,
Before you give up, see if you can find pablon and hear the sob story of his 3.8.

I don't believe you can get the mains out without holding the motor up, and dropping the k-member so you can get the pan off. Once you do that you can get them.

quick35th said:

Myself personally I am about to give up on my car. I am at my wits end with the 3.8L, I dont want to deal with them anymore to be truthful. I am at the point where I am either going to sell it or put a 5.0L in it and part all the performance parts and engine parts out in it.

Shane

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So what is the current status, I thought it was running, but running like Poo! Per your sig before.

Sam Woodson said:

So what is the current status, I thought it was running, but running like Poo! Per your sig before.

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Well it was running poo rich before. Now I've removed the chip and reset the computer and it starts up better then its done since putting the new engine in but as soon as you touch the gas peddle it acts like its got a huge vac leak (shows almost no vac on the gauge at idea) and idles at 500rpm. It refuses to rev after this point on. This vac leak symptom started after swapping out the 90 degree silicon couplers on the IC tubes with metal ones. I've taken it all apart since then to make sure that I really didn't have a vac leak in the tubes but it still runs like poo.

All this plus the never ending clutch issue that I have. I finally broke down and bled the clutch, still wont disengage the clutch. So at this point I don't know what to do anymore. I am just getting tired of the 3.8L. I think having a 5.0L is whats causing me to loose sight of the little 3.8L and want a simple carbed 5.0L under the hood of this 35th.

Shane

frdlvr30 said:

Thats ridiculous, your gonna remove the transmission and the engine crossmember, "block" the engine up and hope it doesnt fall, instead of just yanking the engine and doing it properly. If your overhauling it in the car, your doing a half ~~~ job....my .02

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I already have the tranny off, and as for supporting the engine do it the way Ford says to remove the pan from up top. While not easy should give enough space to work.