Pulling engine/trans together?

[LanceM]

I'm working at taking the engine and trans out of a 280zx, my question is can you pull them out together or do you have to pull the trans first? I'd love to pull them out in one piece and not have to lie on my back working any more than I have to But I'm afraid that the shifter will get in the way, will it work or any tips?? I'd like to have it ready to pull first thing in the morning if I can, want to get this job done and this car out of the shop and the 240 back in before any rain comes...

[mdbrandy]

It's easier to get them out together, but you have to remove the shifter. Not sure what year you're working on, but the shifter comes out easily into the passenger compartment once you remove the console and the rubber boot around the shifter itself. Usually just a circlip and a pin. Although all I've ever done are 240Z and 280Z's; never a ZX.

[mwz]

This is probably not the wisest advise (official disclaimer :nervous: ), but if you are talking about a parts car and you have an extra pair of hands, the engine/tranny can come out through the bottom rather than the top. I guess you would need something suitable to put them on underneath to wheel them out (like in the photo).

Hopefully the picture is attached...

[mwz]

And it's out...

[LanceM]

Yeah it's a parts car, I'll try taking the shifter off as I don't have a dolly to slide it out underneath, but that is an idea. I might be able to lower the engine to the floor and use the boom lift on the tractor to lift the front of the car and pull the car away from the engine... Ideas are forming, thanks guys!

[mdbrandy]

Can't let Chloe beat me with pictures! Here's my engine hooked up to the hoist. When you lift it, the weight of the transmission pulls the back end down and allows you to angle the transmission down at the back and the front of the engine up. I left the transmission mount attached to the car and detatched it from the transmission. That was probably the hardest part - dragging the rear of the transmission off the mount as it came forward. Probably a better way to do that.

[mdbrandy]

Here's after the pull (I don't have a picture during the pull). I rolled the car backward out from under the engine. Worked well.

[mwz]

Not only does Mark have good advice, but his car looks A LOT better than mine, eh?

I think the one in my photos almost competes with the yellow one St. Stephen posted pics of last week...not much metal left.

[Z Kid]

Well if everyone is giving advice, i may as well have a crack at it too.

Chris's Advice:

1) Find the biggest tree in the backyard, tie the endless chain to a bit of rope and climb up and secure it well.

2) Roll the car under it and proceed to undo the appropriate bolts.

3) Its now raining and wet so give up for the next week or so.

4) Weather is improving so we will give it a shot, hoist the motor up, and realise that maybe that wind is stronger than you thought, hmm that gearbox just swung dangerously close to the windscreen.

5) Race into the shed and grab the ride on mower, rush out and tow your Z shell clear.

6) Struggle to control a wildly swinging motor keeping out from under it while controlling its descent.

7) Go have a few beers.

Next time I use and engine crane, only piece of advice is do not attempt to wheel the crane with the motor high, wheel the car back then lower the donk.

Cheers Chris

HAVE FUN

[LanceM]

Thanks all,

Pulled the shifter handle, gee that took 30 seconds and out she came! Quick clean and easy, trans is now on the floor and the engine on a stand, time to look for stroker parts

Z Kid, thanks for the memorys I seem to remember that same sequence of events happening 30 years ago Luckly I used that as a learning experiance and have graduated to a safer and happer work enviroment with a hoist and big cement floor, one thing hasn't changed though, them beers sure went down good