This may sound a bit silly but here it goes: I pulled the 360 outta my '71 F100 the other day and everything went pretty well but I have a question concerning reinstalling the engine and trans. later. When I pulled the engine I tried to pull the engine and trans. as a complete unit. It would not come out bolted together. I pulled the hump cover off of the floor pan and removed the shifter as well (duh!). I also pulled the trans. cross member too. As I tried to pull them out the raised area where the stick shift goes into kept hanging up on the front of the trans. hump and the tail shaft was sitting down on the permanent cross member behind the main engine cross member. I finally had to unbolt the trans. from the bell housing and drop it. When I put it back in I'd like to put it back in as a unit and not have to jack the trans. up under the truck and wiggle it into the bell housing and clutch assembly. What am I missing? And don't say "a brain" either!

 

You could remove the grille, the radiator, the radiator support and front bumper to take it out as a whole unit.

That would give you the clearance you need.

However, that could also cause a whole new can of worms...

You could also try and remove the cross member by drilling or grinding the rivets, then bolting it back together using grade 8 or better, bolts and nuts.

All I can think of to gain clearance...

 

I would also remove the crossmember right under the firewall. If it has never been removed before it will need to have the rivets removed and replaced with bolts. It is much easier and not a big hassle to remove the front cap.

 

Much easier to handle and quicker to seperate them.

 

I do agree, depending on youth and location.

I am getting older and find it much less of a pain to crawl under or over things to mate. As in life it is always easier to mate with everything taken off and usually more enjoyable than a quickie.

If you are not working in the grass or on a piece of plywood, if you have room to raise the truck, and if you have a jack that can roll around... it is easier to separate the two.

If you remove the front cap everything is accessible without a lot of underneath and reaching up. You also have no piles of fluid to lay in. The exhaust is easy to install and everything bolts right back on with very little re- alignment.

 

Lol getting old and slow now but in the 70's I could have the motor on the ground in 2 hours, always thought these were about the easiest rigs around. to work on.
Used to average 1 ring job a week at night after work on the fe without pulling the motor. Yea I'm getting old.

 

i have done the engine and trans removel and install in one pc. but i had the three speed man. trans.with the engine sling that you can adjust thr angle to clear the cross member then start to straighten it out.I don't remember if it was a tight fit or not.

 

I have also done it with the front end loader on the tractor after removing the hood. My biggest clearance issues are the radiator support. I have seen many bent up from pulling motors improperly.
Then again ... when is using a front end loader, proper?

 

They will come out and back in connected. I have pulled it off several times with front still intact.

Can't figure why you are having such a problem.

Separate the tranny from the engine and it will come faster.



John

 

I started to remove the rad. support and the whole front end but failed to. One of the rad. support bolts won't come out, it's really corroded, so I gave up. I noticed the rivets in the middle cross member and considered removing them but declined to. I didn't notice any way to remove the top plate on the trans. either. It's a T-18 I think. It's out so no problem there but I wanna put it back in in one piece. Looks like I'm gonna grind off some rivets. The only thing I can think of that would be causing all this trouble is the fact that this truck was originally equipped with a straight six. But it still doesn't make sense. I'm a decent mechanic so I'm surprised this was so hard.

 

The easiest way is to install the transmission first, with the bellhousing attached to the transmission.

All you have to do then is to drop the engine into place, line up the input shaft with the clutch, and "slide 'er home"!!

I've pulled MANY engines in my time, and I promise if you've ever pulled an 855 Cummins, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Because of the number of those I've pulled, I'll NEVER pull and engine and tranny as a unit.

A small (relative term) gasoline engine is a piece of cake!!

 

LOL generally more room with that cummins. while I would seperate it if it was me I have pulled them your way with out moving the crossmember. you ned the tranny angled down pretty good and if you need to after it starts use a comalong to start leveling her up.
Is there any chance your cab mounts are in bad shape and the sheet metal has sunk it wouldn't take much to cause complications.

 

Oh yeah, the cab mounts are crap! I'll still prolly grind the rivets off the intermediate cross member so I can install engine/trans. as a unit. I just don't wanna be under the truck messin around trying to jack the trans. up and wigglin/jigglin the darn thing around. Oh well, thanks guys!

 

Fordgery here is something that may work in your situation I used to do this with my dumptruck. I didnt have a jack and couldn't handle it by hand. If you dont have a splined pilot shaft mate it up while while you've got it out and on the ground anyway to make sure your clutch is lined up. Now take it apart and install your motor with the bellhousing all ready tightened now slide your tranny back under it and put your shifter back in just so you can steady and tilt it. Now run a 4x4 or piece of pipe through your windows to hang a comealong on and lift the tranny to the correct height it is pretty easy to stab with it swinging. this is easier if there are two one under and over but I have done it by myself several times that 427 in my dump truck blew up about every 91 days. I'm thinking this would be easier than grinding the rivits.
If you decide to remove the crossmember and you have access to a decent air hammer the rivits cut pretty good with one and then just punch them out I have done it both ways and the air hammer is easier.

 

One more thing when you remove that crossmember on these old trucks sometimes the frame moves and has to be spread or twisted to get it back in. I have done a couple that were a real pain.