Hawk1061

I'm at the point where I can rent a cherry picker to remove the engine/trans from my car (455 with TH400 combo).

Page 6B-4 of the 1972 Chassis Service Manual has a figure in the upper right corner (fig 6B-105) that shows where to attach three 3/8" - 16 x 1" bolts to lift the engine from. The problem is, the picture is so small it's hard to tell where exactly these "three existing holes" are located.

It appears that there are two on the rear of the engine, possibly one on the RH cylinder head and one on the LH cylinder head. The third appears to be on the LH side of the front of the engine, but again, it's nearly impossible to tell exactly where.

SO, the point of this post is... where should I install the bolts that will let me safely remove the engine/trans with a cherry picker? Will 3 points be sufficient to lift both the engine and trans? Or should I find 4 attach points (or more)?

If possible, could someone post a response with pictures that give me a good idea where exactly to look? The numbers on the block match the car and I suspect this is the original trans too, I really don't want to drop them and screw something up.

BTW, any idea what the engine/trans combo weighs? I've removed the alternator and starter rom the block in order to reduce the weight and reduce the liklihood of interference, but I've left the heads, intake, carb on the engine.

Thanks!

Steve

MDchanic

Two diagonally opposed intake manifold bolts are always good.

There are neat devices that pretty much mate right up to the carb. flange and let you pitch the engine to different angles, too.

I'd bet the weight of both together is somewhere around 800 pounds.
I'm sure one of our members had weighed a set .

- Eric

2blu442

Hi Steve
I've used the bolt holes in the heads and I've pulled four intake bolts and used those holes too. I like to use grade 8 bolts, may not need them but I like the extra insurance. I like to pull the engine first, then drop the transmission out the bottom, but thats me. You will need to tip the tail of the transmisson downward pretty steep to pull the engine up and out to clear the core support. Unless you've drained the transmission really well plan on a pretty good puddle of fluid during the project. If you've not removed the crossover exhaust pipe, if you have one, that will hit the crossmember when you try to pull the engine forward. If your engine has one I'd advise you remove it before pulling the engine.

I believe the engine is around 660 pounds, I've never heard the weight on the transmission but I'd guess between 100-150 pounds.

I've got a 455 on a cart, if it would help I can take pictures of the areas I'd suggest putting bolts through a chain. What model of car is it in? John

2blu442

Well... I decided it would only take a minute to get some pictures so here they are. The first two are of a 1971 455, the holes in the back of the pass side head and the ones in the front of the drivers side head. Then one of a 350 engine with a chain still attached from corner to corner. I've got the grade 8 bolt there, but it really should have a good flat washer too just to make sure the bolt head doesn't pull through the loop in the chain. The chain in the pic is likely more heavy than it needs to be, but there's the extra insurance. And buying a few feet of chain at the feed supply store, the price between the smaller and larger chain is not very much

P6151047.jpg

P6151048.jpg

P6151049.jpg

MDchanic

In the last picture, there's a nice bolt with a big washer on it on the front of the driver's side head - that'd be fine to use, too, in that hole, or any of the other holes pictured.

- Eric

BILL DEMMER

i'd stay away from the outboard holes that don't go into the heads, per se'. i use the same overkill method as mentioned above with grade 8 bolts and battleship chain. i've done the opposing corner intake bolt holes as well. i've always found it easier to separate the tranny from the engine before pulling the engine. engine out the top, tranny from underneath. it saves what could be a big tranny fluid mess and a lot of dinking around with guiding the tranny out while dangling ~750 pounds of motor and tranny. i've done it all in one piece too, i had a spare yoke to wire into the tailshaft. i prefer the separate piece method though, it's just safer, imo. just fyi, olds motors are a little nose-heavy. you would also want to remove the distributor and fan.


bill

oldcutlass

I like using a motor lift plate on the carb studs. I can get a better balance.

boese1978

I've always found it beneficial to insure the car is "mobile", nice to be able to move the car from under the hoisted motor & tranny ( I always have removed the tranny and motor as one piece) as opposed to being limited to being able to only move the cherry picker.....