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Friday 15th July 2005
Today I decided Id have a shot at taking my 1400 engine out me car ready for the engine bay work. Cant do anything else really until I can replace the front Valance so I may as well start of the engine bay area.
No engine's going back in it and I have NEVER taken an engine out before. I also dont have an engine crane. :D
So 1st things 1st - spoke to -Bruce- of NL on MSN. Hes a fountain of all Knowledge. Helped me sort the wheat from the shite as far as the Haynes Manual is concerned.
Cheers for the help matey!
Have to say though Haynes isnt that bad - even if they do tend to under emphasise the point about "prising things apart" when in actual fact you need to kick the feck out of it to get it to budge an mm!
Taking the engine out - but first the drive shafts
A month or so back I removed the radiator so the coolant was already out the engine. I started by removing the bonnet - makes access easier plus my boneet support is busted. :roll:
As for the engine removal, to be honest - I never got this far. :lol: It took me all day to get the feckin drive shafts out! In addition Haynes says you need to disconnect the transmission from the engine - then you can just lift it out the top. As such it doesnt tell you about all the additional cables you need to disconnect if youre gonna drop it out the bottom and lift the car over it (the unconventional way).
Started in Haynes - chapter 7 - drive shafts - starts off my saying remove wheels, jack up car and remove split pin.
Easy enough. Then it says "using a suitable socket, remove the retaining nut and thrust washer".
To start with a "suitable socket" is a 30mm heavy duty socket and most people I know dont own such an item. So living in a small village I ask a couple of local mechanics - one works in imperial (removates old spirts cars) - the other is a panel beater!
"AHA - but have you tried the bus depot next door!" Popped in there and there was a bloke who was the spitting image of Blakey in overalls and wellie boots!
:lol:
Blakey kindly leant me the necessary socket - however with an item this bit you cant use a normal socket set - luckily I had an extendable tyre lever to help.
It then says "You may need to have a friend press hard on the brake pedal or fashion a tool to stop the hub rotating". Now this is Haynes talk for "feck me this thing AINT GONNA MOVE!"
I didnt have time to make a tool to lock on the wheel nuts and then wedge on an axle stand like it said seeing as how I dont have a length of steel tubing and the axle stands are holding me car up!
So after shattering a heavy duty screwdriver (using wheel nuts and a trolley jack) I find the next best think - a big mutha feckin iron chisel!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../wheelnut2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../wheelnut1.jpg
After much grunting, shedding of skin from the knuckles and lifting the suspension into the car it finally comes free!
This called for a hob nob and a cuppa Tea.
The next task is to remove the lower ball joint from the hub. Again Haynes says "once the retaining screw is removed you can easily prise the joint from the hub"
PISH! (this is Scottish for BOLLOX!)
Once the nut is undone - you then gently tap it out. Now at this point you think you can just prise it apart - not! On the 1st go I discovered that hitting the wishbone with a hammer gets it so far (gently of course). But then it stops due to the angle its at.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...eldrivenut.jpg
The 1st side did eventually come lose after some pursuave hammering (and a sharp impact on the knuckles from the hub as it dropped down)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...wheelball1.jpg
The other side though I found was easier to remove after unbolting rthe hub from the actual suspension post. This allowed the hub to move freely and as such I managed to life the huib (and drive shaft) clear of the ball joint no problems...
So with both ball joints free and both drive shafts disconnected from their respective hubs, I now had to remove the drive shafts from the transmission housing.
:evil: :x :evil: :x :evil: :x :evil:
The drivers side one (the long one) was actually quire easy - I didnt have a "special tool with a chamfer" as Haynes sugggsted and after spending ?10 of a crow bar this was no use either (too fat!)
So instead I resulted in using (as suggested by haynes) a long strong screw driver - stuck it in the crack and pushed/pulled VERY HARD
The driver side came away pretty easily after some HE MAN style grunting and language that made the neighbours lock their kids in doors for a while!
(drivers side)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...heelshaft2.jpg
The passenger side though was a lot harder - however after muchj profanity some skinned hands and several bangings of head on shrp metal corners of rusty bodywork It just slid out!
(drivers side has knobbly edges).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...heelshaft1.jpg
Watch out for the transmission fluid that liberally flows for a while once the shafts pop out from their retaining circlips (so haynes says).
Once drive shafts were out I then reconnected the ball joints. You need to watch because there's a notch in each and this needs to be lined up with the thread. I found removing the hub from the suspension on BOTH side this time was much easier.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...a/DSCF0015.jpg
By this time it was about 5pm and I'd been at it for 3 1/2 hours! The wife would be home soon and the drive was a MESS!
I wasnt going to get the engine out so I tasked myself with removing all the hosing and wiring and cables that were fastened to the engine. So following Haynes (and improvising for the bits that werent in) I started on the engine
I started by removing the vacuum hoses, water hoses and fuel hoses, catching any water etc as it fell.
Then came the HT leads, dizzy cap and coil wiring.
Then I traced all the earth leads and other leads coming from the bulkhead and removed each one - these were connected to things like starter motor, oil sensor, alternator, other sensors as well as the speedo and throttle cables.
I disconnected the clutch cable from the transmission
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...a/DSCF0047.jpg
I then went under the car and disconnected the gear shift linkage (thats a bugger to reach)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../wheelgear.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...wheelgear1.jpg
as well as the exhaust retaining nuts from the exhaust down pipe to centre section.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...eelexhaust.jpg
Once all the anciliaries were removed, I was ready for the engine - however the wife pulled in the drive so had to stop and go shopping!
:oops: :x :lol:
Damage
Broken screwdriver
skinned knuckles
black finger nails (oil not blood blisters)
oil in hair
and rust bits in eyes (v sore especially if you try and remove with poily fingers!)
Cups of Tea
2 cups in total, a can of diet coke and 5 hob nobs.
To be honest it was hard work but fun
8)
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LOL ade..... mate.... this was just fantastic.
I was reading through your post in stitches.
Good on you for getting your hands dirty and diving in.
On sunday I'm taking an automatic transmission out of a fiesta with NO haynes manual and I've never done a gear box before.
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lol - chers man - good luck with Sunday!
post and let us know how you got on!
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Looks good Ade. I find the haynes manuals don't tell u every thing u need to know. They are always missing wires and screws out of the guides. Good luck getting the engine out mate espically if u try it on ur own.
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good to see things are going ahead smoothly good luck with it :D
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nice informative pictures Ade, well done for getting that far in 3anhalf hours!
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lol, looks you had the usuall fun working on a rusty old nova. all the nuts and bolts are solid and don't want to move
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Sunday 17th July 2005.
Operation get the engine oot!
Weathers very overcast - cant even see the hills in the diatance - it was raining earlier - that fine misty spray stuff but it seems to have stopped so I'm gonna roll the Nova oot the garage and drop the engine out.
Not too sure how I'm gonna lift her over the engine though - what with not having an engine crane etc however sure if i strip the innards and weight the back then get a mate from up the road (or the wife lol) to help heave it over it should be easy enough...
Shifting the engines not a problem - have a small trolley for that...
I'll keep yu posted how I get on.
Ade
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ade it is suprisingley easy to get it out fella
get bottom of engine on a trolly jack and undo all the mounts and lower down untill you can get it off the jack
then me and me mate just pick the front of the car up and walk it backwards like a wheelbarrow lol
easy with 2 of you
good luck :lol:
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So started about 12.30pm - finished by about 5pm...
Sounds a long time but most of that was trying to work out how to get it out without engine crane - on my own, and also getting other bits off that the Hyanes never tells you about...
The plan was to drop engine on to the wheeled trolley I'd made then lift car over engine. I needed to be able to support the engine and lower the car enough not to damage anything. The lifting of the car could wait till later.
Before I could do anything though I rechecked that all ancilliaries were removed (I undid all the wires on Friday - see page 5 for drive shafts). Whilst doing this I happened to check the area Id be dropping the engine down on to and noticed that the tie bars and Anti roll bar (ARB) were in the way - especially on the passenger side where gearbox was.
These had to come off... The anti roll bar was easy enough - 4 mounting points - 10 mins...however the feckin tie bars were another story!
The tie bar is attached to the Nova in 2 places - at the lower part of the front wheel hub with 2x19mm bolts and at the front of the car on the lower valance by 3 nuts on a mounting plate all 15mm
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...a/DSCF0005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...a/DSCF0004.jpg
I undid the hub based ones 1st - these came free reasonably easily.
The valance end ones though were a little more awkward. There's a nut at the top and underneath and you need to have a wrench on both or else they just turn each other. Because the thread on the lower nut was too long for the socket I was stuck - however I then discovered in my socket set a handy 10mm spoark plug socket - which was actually 15mm diameter! This was a deep socket and therefore worked fine!
:D
Managed to crack them off no probs.
With both tie bars out the way I could now work on getting the engine out.
There are 3 mounts on the engine - one of the left
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../leftmount.jpg
One on the right
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rightmount.jpg
And one underneath.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...rsidemount.jpg
The right and underside ones secure the gearbox. The left one holds the engine in place.
Before I undid these I needed to support the engine. I dont have an engine crane. Supporting the engine stops any unnecessary stresses on the mountings and makes removing the bolts easier. It also allows me to lower the engine down smoothly.
With an engine crane this would be easy so I had to improvise. With the 2 wings off the car and the front removed, I had good working access so I used to old fence posts on the sides and a fence post across to act as a support.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/posts1.jpg
I then tied 4 bits of rope at intervals around the engine - making sure one went through the rear engine mount.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/posts2.jpg
As an extra precaution I also supported the underside...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...dersupport.jpg
I then undid the lower mounting point - this was a real bugger and involved much cursing - felt like I broke my arm at one point!
It finally came loose. I removed the bolt and thread and very gently lowered the underside jack. With much creaking the engine rested on the ropes.
Cool! 1 dfown 2 to go...
The plan was to lower the car as low as I could get it and then undo the remaining bolts on the mounts - then remove the side fence posts dropping the engine a couple of inches onto the trolley.
I reset the 2 trolley jacks I had (ebay ?14.99 each!) at the side of the car and gently lowered it as low as I could go. I didnt want to hit the deck because the tie bars were still off so the front suspension/hub area was loose.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../lowercar2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../lowercar1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...onttrolley.jpg
In the last pic you can see the trolley I made - just a sheet of ship board with 4 castors and 2 bits of rope.
Theres only about 1" from the sump to the trolley.
I then removed the engine mounts. Now I had planed to remove the mounts completely from both engine and car but I hit a snag. The gearbopx side mount wouldnt come free from the car so I removed the mount from the gearbox instead. The engine side mount refused to come off the engine (1 bolt refused to move :evil: ) so I had to remove it from the car.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../rightfree.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...a/leftfree.jpg
In the end though the engine finally came free from the engine bay and swung freely on its ropes!
I then removed the side fence posts and this allowed the engine to drop on to the trolley
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...desremoved.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/ondeck.jpg
HOORAY!
OOPS! A small glitch as the gearbox clutch linkage fouled on the mount on the car - soon sorted with a big crowbar!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../mountfoul.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../freemount.jpg
:lol:
I then removed the big fence post, undid the ropes and cleared the sh1te away from round the car!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...enginefree.jpg
With the engine free I now had to work out how to get the car over the engine???
Now I'm 5ft7" - 11.5 stone and pretty weedy when it comes to lifting stuff so when I grabbed the front of me car and tried to lift minus engine I almost shat my stomach out me arse!
:o
A tad heavy...so how the feck am I gonna get this Nova over this engine!
The plan was to use my mutha crow bar and using the engine try and crow bar the car over it and make it land on a set of old tyres and carpet. However the crowbar was too long and the engine wasnt stable enough to do this.
So I had a cuppa Tea!
At which point my missus arrives home with one of her horsey chums!
I needed to reduce the height of the engine so I started by skinning all the high stuff off the engine to make it lower - the weber and bracket were removed - this lowered it by 3".
I then reconnected the tie bars. Just to keep everything where it should be and just incase the car slipped the front suspension would be tethered correctly and not get damaged.
I was gonna stick the tyres back on but this would just be more weight...
I removed the rear bumper to give me a bit of space just incase...this was a biatch because the side screws were all clogged with sh1te! Had to jack rear right up and get tyre off to get access!!!
I decided to start by jacking up the car as high as I could at the sides and then using my wife and friend heave the front over the engine...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...a/jackedup.jpg
Which - after re-adjusting the rear chocks on the wheels and sticking a couple of tryres under the car is exactly what we did!
We kind of chucked it over the engine. It went though.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/free3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/free4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/free2.jpg
I re-attached the carb and dragged the engine into its new resting place...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/engine.jpg
And that's it!
Had a clean up and then looked at my Nova feeling all sorry for itself
:(
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v13/danga/empty.jpg
Cleared the garage, swept the drive and rolled it back in for the night.
Next Task
The next plan is to start on cleaning the engine bay area - removing all paint, seam sealer and clearing out all rust then resealing ready for spraying, replacing the lower valance and sorting out the upper slam panel ready for the punto lights.
Cuppas and grub
sardines with roasted veg and spicey tomato sauce.
3 cups of tea
2 ginger beers
Damage
trapped thumb between gearbox and engine mount,
rust in the eye,
being chased around garage by a feckin wasp
and breaking a glass ands then gerring a skelf in me finger! :x :cry:
A skelf is a splinter for all you southerners!
:lol:
Ade
