Engine removal gt - 2 questions

[scodari]

I am just about ready to remove the engine from my 69 GT; I will be dropping it out the bottom. All connections to the engine are dismantled and I have dropped the drive shaft.

1) Is it necessary to disconnect the exhaust downpipe from the exhaust manifold or can I drop the engine with the pipes still connected.....the bolts appear to be rusted shut.

2)When you unbolt the engine crossmember, do you unbolt the engine from the crossmember first (the motor mounts) or do you drop the engine togehter with the crossmember attached (as one piece)???

Thanks

[BQS4]

Originally Posted by scodari I am just about ready to remove the engine from my 69 GT; I will be dropping it out the bottom. All connections to the engine are dismantled and I have dropped the drive shaft. 1) Is it necessary to disconnect the exhaust downpipe from the exhaust manifold or can I drop the engine with the pipes still connected.....the bolts appear to be rusted shut. 2)When you unbolt the engine crossmember, do you unbolt the engine from the crossmember first (the motor mounts) or do you drop the engine togehter with the crossmember attached (as one piece)??? Thanks

You should be able to leave your exhaust manifold bolted to your headpipe, as that's not a fun set of 6 bolts to deal with. If you have another exhaust manifold with the bolt holes nice and clean, it would give you more room to work with the exhaust manifold out of the way, but, just tying it off to the side of the car should be enough to get the motor out.

Next, leave the motor BOLTED to the motor mounts and the cradle, it'll all come out as one assembly, and you can take them off when it's out from under the car.

[yellaopelgt]

Personally, I unbolt the motor from the mounts and support the engine as the added weight of the engine will make the crossmember bolts harder to remove. You have to remember, the crossmember bolts have a bolt welded inside the uni-body and the chances of breaking that weld and having that nut spin around inside the rails is a REAL PITA to get out!!! Take alll the un-necassary weight off the engine crossmember before you try and un-bolt it. You will be much better off in the long run.
JMTCW
Joe

[jmbinjax]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I just removed my engine and trans as an assembly. My questions is, what is the purpose of the horizontal bolts, one on each side of the engine cradle (13mm)? The one on the passenger side spun and I had to cut the head off with a dremel tool.

[markandson]

Originally Posted by jmbinjax Sorry to hijack the thread but I just removed my engine and trans as an assembly. My questions is, what is the purpose of the horizontal bolts, one on each side of the engine cradle (13mm)? The one on the passenger side spun and I had to cut the head off with a dremel tool.

Those two bolts keep the cross member from rotating, they are pretty important. Drill through the bolt and use an easy out to remove the piece or drill it out all the way to the tap size and run a tap into the hole and it will usually get rid of the remaining small thread pieces in the hole.

[namba209]

If what Jeff suggests doesn't work, you can always remove the nut and weld another in its place. They are both located in the footwells inside the car, alongside the tunnel up towards the firewall. HTH.