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I've got everything drained, unhooked and unbolted except for the engine mounts. I've never pulled an FE only 289's and 302's. I've got 2 questions:
1) Do I need to unbolt the engine mounts at the 2 spots top and bottom of the engine mount on the block or just the single bolt that goes through the frame brackets or both or both plus the four bolts holding down the frame brackets?
2) Where do I bolt on the chain to lift the engine? There is no threaded hole on the firewall side of the engine, not on the heads and not on the block. It has the OEM intake manifold and it appears to me that the carb bolts are pressed in and not threaded, so I don't feel good about using a carb plate.
I've got everything drained, unhooked and unbolted except for the engine mounts. I've never pulled an FE only 289's and 302's. I've got 2 questions:
1) Do I need to unbolt the engine mounts at the 2 spots top and bottom of the engine mount on the block or just the single bolt that goes through the frame brackets or both or both plus the four bolts holding down the frame brackets?
2) Where do I bolt on the chain to lift the engine? There is no threaded hole on the firewall side of the engine, not on the heads and not on the block. It has the OEM intake manifold and it appears to me that the carb bolts are pressed in and not threaded, so I don't feel good about using a carb plate.
Any help will be appreciated, Thanks.
My 360 (which is the same as 390) has carb studs that are threaded in, they just look pressed in. Carb side is fine threads, manifold side is coarse threads.
1. Just the nut (not a bolt) that goes into the frame bracket on each side.
2. You can take out 2 intake manifold bolts at each end (not on the same side of course).
I've also used axle straps threaded through the exhaust manifolds.
You only need to take off the nuts on the bottom of the engine mount studs, you will then be left with the studs to navigate out when you get pressure on your hoist... Then when the block is out you can replace the engine mounts on the block. See pic below, also mine had an aftermarket intake so im not much help, but word to the wise, make sure those threads in the intake are in decent shape, otherwise you may have a nasty surprise under-load, seeing yours are still cast iron your prolly alright... If your attached to an auto trans, dont forget the flex plate nuts....starter....
This engine is heavy. My engine stand did not care for it. I am not sure if I had the plate at the time, I would take the chance of using it to pull this motor. But, I would drather be safe then sorry. As for the motor mounts, I usually pull the nut off the stud, then pull bolts from the engine side, just one less thing to fight with.
I let the bell and clutch on every time. I'm not sure how many I pulled like that now but have done a few. Most of those little cheap engine stands won't go wide enough to hold a FE so that's another thing to look out for.
OTC has a tall stand that's really good. With Fe's and my 460 it doesn't change at all.
For pulling the engine: If you have OEM heads, there should be holes on the front and back sides that you can thread into and span the chain across the engine. You can see the holes on the heads in the picture above my post.
You for sure can use those holes just watch your valve covers if they're nice or they'll be dented. Using the heads is safer but I like the control from the intake.
This little plate from Summit is rated for way more than the weight of an FE long block. The intake manifold is cast iron. I trusted it to hold and it did.
I've pulled a lot of engines with the carb plate. Don't use the little nuts that held the carb on and make sure it's snugged down good. It still always made me a little nervous lifting that big hunk of pig iron high enough to clean the core support. The best cherry picker should have fixed front wheels, but they seldom do. I never did use an engine plate on an aluminum intake. Also, I always leave the bell housing on the transmission, it's easier to stab going back in as you don't have to line up the throw out bearing on the sleeve or risk knocking it off the arm.
You only need to take off the nuts on the bottom of the engine mount studs, you will then be left with the studs to navigate out when you get pressure on your hoist... Then when the block is out you can replace the engine mounts on the block. See pic below, also mine had an aftermarket intake so im not much help, but word to the wise, make sure those threads in the intake are in decent shape, otherwise you may have a nasty surprise under-load, seeing yours are still cast iron your prolly alright... If your attached to an auto trans, dont forget the flex plate nuts....starter....
Mount with stud
Thanks for the pic it's helpful. But I'm not getting any engine lift. It's just lifting the truck front end, I know it'll come up some as the weight comes off, but it seems hung up. This truck seems to have been worked on in town from Deliverance. There are threaded studs welded on the head for exhaust manifold and oversized bolts in drilled out holes for exhaust bolts, as well as gasket maker smeared over the outside of every mating surface. So I'm not sure that I'm not dealing with some rigged up deal. Which is the main reason I want to pull it, clean it up and replace all the gaskets. It's a 4 speed, but the steering column has been sorta replaced with one from an auto and the floor was cut to add for the shifter. I suspect it was originally a manual column shift and someone added the 4 on the floor and hacked a new steering column in. So anything is possible.
If you have all the bolts out of the bellhousing and the bell crank off it will come out. It's normal for them to get hung up in the towers a little. The drilled out exhaust for bolts doesn't surprise me either. A lot of things happen over the years.
Even after you replace all the gaskets within a little time is not going be perfectly dry. That's the one thing I feel like a 400 and 460 have over the FE.
Its frustrating I know, mine was hung up for a bit, I ended up loosing the trans mount and slowly working out, then bam it broke free.... Double, triple check every possible connection, work it up and down, she will break free !
