engine stab question

[Mike Simard]

I don't know if there were changes but on car #298 the tunnel is removable and the trans can but lifted out that way.
I've had my moder out a million times with the trans in the car. It would be nice to have them mated beforehand but it would require the car being high enough off the ground for the assembly to go in at an angle and steer up into the tunnel. Since many engine hoists are barely long enough to reach from the front of the car, I didn't want to complicate things. A Cobra has a long distance between the front of the car and where the engine sits. For aligning them mount a floor jack under the front of the trans, you can then raise and lower it easily. measure the angle of the trans before you start. A protractor level is nice but if you don't have one use a regular level and cut a cardboard wedge or something to be able to hold against the engine with the level as it moves into place to set its angle. For fine tuning the engine angle you can wrap a nylon strap with ratchet clamp arount the engine pulleys and the hoist beam, if you have a lift plate where the carb goes it probably leaves it conveniently front heavy.
Once you've set the engine in, take a break before you mate them fully, it's easy to be in a brute force frame of mind by this point but you want to gentle and methodical for the final mating.
With the spark plugs out you can turn the engine until the trans splines slip into the clutch.