Ready to pull engine - tranny on or off?

[767Jockey]

I'm pulling the 351C from my Contemporary tomorrow. It's got a Ford automatic hanging off the end of it. Should I pull the engine with the transmission on or should I drop the automatic first? If I drop the trans first, what kind of mess is the fluid in the converter going to make? I can't wait to get rid of this slushbox. Throwing it in the trash will be a high water mark in the project so far.

While I'm at it, two more questions - whats the likelihood that I'm going to have to do some welding on the trans mount going from the automatic to the toploader or tremec 600? Is the auto longer or shorter? I have no idea what automatic it is.

Second, when I put things back together, do I slide the engine back in with the trans attached or put it in from underneath later?

Thanks!
Doug

[Dwight]

We have done it both ways. If you have someone helping and you are using a engine leveler, pull both together. I have extended the arm on my engine lift so I can pull a motor with out getting to close to the front of my Cobra. I do wrap a towel around the lift, just in case it gets to close to the nose of the Cobra. I had to counter balance the engine lift with a 130 lbs of lead. We have used this set up 10 or 12 times with no problems. Slow and easy. We have pull 351w and FE's with TKOs attached. Slow and easy.

Dwight

[double ugly]

It's so easy to pull the tranny, why not do it to prevent the possibility of body damage especially since the tranny is coming off anyway.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by double ugly

It's so easy to pull the tranny, why not do it to prevent the possibility of body damage especially since the tranny is coming off anyway.

Yeah, I'm sort of thinking the same thing. I dread the huge red oily mess that darn automatic's converter is going to make when I drop it, but that gets cleaned up, my car getting messed up won't. You're 100% correct. I think I got the "so deep in the forest I can't see the trees" syndrome on that one. Thanks.

[Excaliber]

In my case the input shaft of the trans is a VERY VERY tight fit into the pilot bearing in the back of the crankshaft. Once I finally managed to get the trans to mate with the engine no way in hell I was gonna separte them again! So I installed engine\trans combo and thats why!

[ffindling]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

I dread the huge red oily mess that darn automatic's converter is going to make when I drop it, but that gets cleaned up, my car getting messed up won't. You're 100% correct. I think I got the "so deep in the forest I can't see the trees" syndrome on that one. Thanks.

It shoudn't make a mess provided you unbolt the converter from the flexplate
first. Pull the starter as well. If the converter stays seated in the transmission,
no problem. Some people bolt a strap across the front of the trans made from
some flat steel stock after separating the engine and trans just to make sure
the converter doesn't slip out if the front of the trans gets tilted downwards.
But if you keep the front of the trans supported when you separate it from
the engine, the converter will usually stay put.

...Fred

[Rick Parker]

Be cautious to not overextend the boom on the lift and overload the boom. It gets real ugly, real fast.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by 767Jockey

It's got a Ford automatic hanging off the end of it. Should I pull the engine with the transmission on or should I drop the automatic first? If I drop the trans first, what kind of mess is the fluid in the converter going to make?

Second, when I put things back together, do I slide the engine back in with the trans attached or put it in from underneath later?

After taking the tranny off, you can also drill a small hole near the bottom of the converter to drain the fluid before pulling the engine, or like previously said, you can remove the torque converter itself.

I installed the engine without the tranny. It was easier manuvering for me. I also installed the engine from the side, that is brought the cherry picker in from the side, actually with the hood on. It would depend upon how high your hood opens, whether you can fit the engine through the opening. Definitely fit the tranny, align the clutch and tioghten the pressure plate down before installing the engine, as then installing the tranny is simply sliding it in later, no alignment issues.

I don't know about what you will need to do, modify the crossmenber, if at all. I would say, if you can find another contemporary car close to inspect, or take some measurements from the engine mounts back, on a car with a small block.

[Ron61]

I don't have the automatic, but in my case it is a no brainer. I take the transmission off first as I can have it out of the car in 20 minutes easy. Then lifting the engine is much easier as I don't have to worry about the long transmission hanging on there to maybe swing around and hit something. I also have a small block so that helps.

Ron

[1blackbb66]

The problem is not the converter leaking.......it will always stay in place unless you really tip the tranny forward. The mess comes from it pouring out the tailshaft when you take the driveline out. Go to your parts house and get one of the plastic plugs they sell to keep this from happening. And yes, if it were me I would take it off. There are to many things for it to bang into and cause you a lot of grief.

Ray

[767Jockey]

Engine is out - I took the automatic off first and promptly threw it right in the garbage. Thanks for the help guys.

[Shelboss]

Hi Doug, have you modified your crossmember to be removable and also to fit the Tremec? I just put a TKO 600 behind the FE motor. I had to cut a few inches off the pad on the crossmember and the transmission mount holes come real close to the tube. I had to take a little bit off the mount so it clears the tube. Anyone else with a Tremec in a Contemporary have the same experience?

[Shelboss]

Sorry, I studdered on the send!
Art

[767Jockey]

I haven't modified the crossmember. I'm still many months away from reinstalling everything, and I'd like to do the crossmember before I do. I'm not great with welding, so I'm not sure how I'd go about doing the job. I can easily cut the tunnel out and make it an easy job to remove and install it whenever I need to. I was hoping that a removable tunnel would be an acceptable alternative to a removable crossmember. What exactly did you have to cut on your crossmember to adapt the TKO 600 transmission? Thanks.

[RACER X #99]

Doug,
Modify the rear crossmember to make it removable. I have had engines and transmissions in and out of my Contemporary more than a dozen times in the last 20 years. I first went with the removable tunnell but that sucked. Transmissions have no reason to be traveling thru the passenger compartment.
Just before Burtis called it quits I got one of the last removable trans mounts from him and retrofitted it.
If you like I can snap a photo of it (just so happens the engine and trans are out again) and send it on for your viewing pleasure.

RD

[767Jockey]

A photo would be great - fabrication is my weak point and I can use all the help I can get. Thanks!