ERA FIA2108: Final assembly dumb questions thread

[Snakebit]

Dropped the motor in with out the bell housing from the side of the car. The boom on the engine hoist would not reach from the front. Set the bell housing on the floor, between the frame rails just infront of the transmission mount, before you drop the motor in.

What trans are you using? I have a Richmond 5 speed. I bolted the bell housing on the engine (20 or so bolts) and could not figure out why the trans would not seat flush with the bell housing and stuck out a 1/2 inch. Pulled the trans out only to find The 2 small bolts holding the clutch fork bracket to the bell housing were hitting the trans. Lots of choice words! So I had to unbolt the 20 bolts to remove the bell housing in order to tap the holes for the clutch fork bracket so the bolts fit flush. More choice words! Then bolt up the bell housing again (20 bolts) and re install the 95 lb trans. Lots more choice words!

[Pete Munroe]

Guys,

My ERA 289 FIA 289 engine, a 289 block complete with bell-housing installed went in from the front of the car using the standard auto parts store "shop crane".

The bell housing/clutch was ALL installed. We attached a chain "sling" of sorts between the intake manifold lifting plate and the front of the cylinder heads...this allowed the engine to just about be vertical to go in...maybe a 60 degree angle...(lost all the photos with my f'n ZIP DRIVE).

There were three of us...one working the crane at the front...he was back and forth moving the headers up and down, watching to see the crane was not bumping the nose...(padded with card board and moving blankets).

The other was under the car using blocks and a floor jack to stop the block as it descended and then help rotate it back...I was running around checking everything and finally sitting in the car pulling the bell housing back as the floor jack moved the rear end of the block/bell housing up/back and the front of the block dropped down.

The firewall had a layer of cardboard box and padding but it wasn't really hit...do NOT leave it off or it will be hit.

OK, a juggling act, but with the crane dropping a controlled 1/2 inch at time no drama...

We did the same thing on my friends ERA 427 with 427 center oiler...bellhousing ON. BUT, we used a "dead fall" chain hoist...PERFECT!

The BEST situation is to find a garage where you can hang a "DEAD FALL CHAIN HOIST"...the engine will then go vertically up and down...NOT swing in an ARC as it will with the a "shop crane" where the boom scribes an arc as it goes up and down. On a rough asphalt driveway like mine the crane can be a bear to move because of the rough surface...do it on smooth cement if possible.

Pete

[cobrajeff]

I installed the engine and transmission in my ERA FIA as a unit (351 Cleveland with a C4 automatic). Just for practice (well, not really, some issues with way too much compression) I pulled it out a year later, and installed it again (again with the tranny attached). I did have to have the boom of the engine hoist pretty well extended to clear the nose of the car.

I bought an "engine tilter" bar assembly at Harbor Freight, that allows you to adjust the angle of the engine installation as you install it. It worked very well. Used the same setup to remove and install a 312 with an automatic in a '57 T'Bird I recently restored. IIRC, the rotator was only around 30 bucks at HF.

regards,

Jeff