I'm going to have to do this. I've read it can be done both ways. I found a site that has some pretty good pics and info about dropping it out the bottom.

As for the bottom, here's what I see...
PRO's:
1. Can drop the tranny with the engine, making taking the tranny off much easier
2. Can drop the engine as a whole unit, eliminating removing stuff in a cramped engine bay

CONS:
1. Have to pull all the wiring off the computer and out the firewall
2. Need to drop the entire K-member and front assembly
3. Need a lift, or Strut tower brace to lift the front of the car w/ an engine hoist (To do it safely anyways)
4. Looks like a PITA


And for the top:
PRO's:
1. Leave the K-member/suspension/wiring all intact
2. Can leave the wheels on so the car can still be rolled around (Essential for a small garage)

CONS:
1. Tranny more of a PITA to get off
2. Have to pull intake? and some other things off to get engine out
3. Radiator has to come out


These are my observations thus far, feel free to add more as you see fit. I'm leaning more towards taking it out the top. I read that one can do it with the hood on even, just take "stuff" off the engine, take the radiator out, lift it up, slide it forward, twist it 90* and it'll come out. I don't really have the means of using a lift. Well, I could bring it on base and do that, but this is the whole purpose I got a garage.

Thanks!
Dave

 

You just need to pull the intake off---if through the top. Of coarse, the radiator, water pump, accesory bracket, ac compressor, and balancer. You just have to be careful with the ac condensor. As for the trans, just run a piece of 2X4 under the car where the trans fluid pan is and tie the board with rope so that it cradles the trans when you pull the engine out. The trans has some area to be pushed back into the drive shaft. It gave me enough room to pull it back a bit and I didn't even have trouble aligning the motor to trans when I pulled the motor back in. It's all up to you---as to what way you want to do it--- hope this helps some.---email me for any other q's.

 

BTW: do you have a car that does run?? --just curious.

 

I would recommend and have done removal from the bottom - two weeks ago. I didn't even need a lift. This is how I did it.

1 - D/C everything up top. I even d/c'ed the wires from the PCM and the ones that run through the firewall and then layed them on the engine. This way, you don't need to d/c any wires from the motor - they all can go with it.

2 - Use a 3 ton jack under the k-member to raise the vehicle enough to roll the motor / tranny out once it's on the floor. Support the frame w/ jack stands.

3 - D/C the T/A from the tranny and remove the drive shaft and then unbolt the cross arm holding the tranny to the vehicle - You'll need another jack to put under the tranny when you remove the cross brace bolts.

4 - D/C the 8 bolts / nuts from the shock towers and the 6 bolts holding the k-member to the frame.

5 - After your sure you have everything d/c'ed, slowly lower the motor and the tranny to the floor.

To install everything back in to the car, I did it a little differently.

1 - Raise the tranny and motor about 1.5' off the floor and support w/ blocks.

2 - I then used the two jacks and lowered the vehicle down on the k-member. Some minor moving of the motor and trans was done to make sure it ligned up correctly.

3 - After it sat back down on the k-member, I basically did everything above in reverse order from step 4 through 1.

Taking the motor out, we had 3 people total (actually I could have done it by my self after seeing how easy it was). When we put it in, just me and my dad did it cause we lowered the car w/ two jacks. All in all, really not that hard to do. Any other questions, please ask.

~John

 

He's right, I pulled mine from the bottom a few weeks ago and it was SO easy once I figured it out.

 

If you yank from the top, the intake can stay on provided you take out the radiator.

 

No

And it REALLY sucks. One is here in TX, one is in RI, the other is in Germany!

Thanks for the tips guys keep 'em coming.

Where did you get 4' tall jackstands

Heh, It seems the car has to come up awfully high to clear it...

 

Another vote for out the bottom. I did it with a friend, 2 jacks, and some jackstands. Took about an hour and a half, 2 hours, with us screwing around a bit.

 

Nother vote for the bottom.
Me and a Friend did it to his car about 2 years ago, then my car about 4 months ago and then his car again about 3 months ago. We also helped a friend that did his from the Top. The Bottom is a MUCH easier way to go cuz once everything is out, you can access everything much easier. Plus You can brag that you changed all your plugs and put headers on your motor in a total of 15 Minutes with the whole motor pulled from the bottom

Thanks,

 

Do you have to get the front end re-aligned after dropping the k-member?

 

I took mine out the top and put it back in the top !
really no problem

just slide the radiator out and un hook the wire harness
i kept the intake on and hooked a rachet strap to the front of the engine to get the angle i needed to pull it out

wasnt that bad once i got going

 

I took it out and put it back in through the top without anyone even helping me muscle it around. LS1-3 is right about leaving the intake on. You need to strip the front of the engine down to the crank hub. Pull the engine off the bellhousing, twist it a little to the driver's side, and angle the front of the engine up over the front crossmember. I even left the headers on (shorty) which I had heard was not possible.
I'd be interested in pulling it out the bottom, but it sounds like you have to lift the car awfully high and deal with the trans.

 

Did mine through the top with the hood on, the accessories, and the intake still attached, stock exhaust manifolds even the serp belt still on. Remove radiator, fans, and ac condensor first. disco all the sensors and tag them. Dropped the tranny next that took all of an hour. Forget about using a happy hooker, theres not enough room under the cowl. I have seen some guides on dropping the tranny where they want you to disconnect the fluid lines and the wiring harness first. BS drop the tranny a good 4 to 6 inches first before you disco them. makes a whole hell of a difference to get to those lines and harness.

Did it the same way on installation except for the new hooker LT headers put them in first before the motor and tie them out of the way. I didnt do this and ended up lifting the motor on each side to get the hooker lt's to clear my canton pan/frame. The headers took me longer than the motor and tranny.

Whatever you decide to do good luck, It sucks to be without a ride.

 

I think the out-the-bottom method is dangerous without a lift... My opinion.


-Michael

 

Great info !
Have to do this anyway as i'm ditching the ol' 3.4 +5 speed in favor of a Lt-1 + 6 spd.

I do wonder about the strut tower brace method with a hoist ...
Wouldn't that twist both struts when lifting the car ???

At work i have ALL i need except for a lift We however have aa military 8 ton electrical crane so lifting ANYTHING uptop 8 tons is NO problem at all.
I however cannot see how you can lift the frontend of the car by using the STB without twisting/bending something.


Sergio