Volume One, Chapter 2

In the last chapter we covered how to begin generating the funds for your project. So while you’re placing classified ads and posting ads on message forums and E-bay, you can roll up your sleeves and get wrenching.

While disassembly can be a fast process and most guys with limited experience can tear down an engine compartment in one day, a quick approach can cause unwanted results later down the road. It’s best to take on disassembly with a slow, organized, and methodical plan. Gather several boxes, totes, markers, tags, and zip-lock bags in a variety of sizes. These items will be used to store and label parts during the removal process. During this phase it is imperative that you bag and/or label all parts removed paying careful attention to hardware and wiring. Even though you might believe that you’ll remember where everything goes during reassembly a forgotten item can cause extreme delays when you’re close to completion. Thorough labeling will also assist any ‘helpers’ you might have later down the road as they won’t have to stop and ask you questions during assembly. During the entire phase of disassembly pay careful attention to items that may need addressing while performing the swap. If you see or think about a component you’d like to replace, refinish, or recondition keep note on a written list for reference later. If experience tells us anything, you’ll have a long list by the end of disassembly. AKA ‘The Snowball List’

Start by draining the coolant and oil. Then begin with any wiring. Remove the battery and cables. Remove the engine harness. Then remove any other wiring that may affect the swap. Pay careful attention to your labeling as a miss-labeled wire can ultimately destroy your work by not letting and engine fire quickly during cam break-in later on. Once the wiring is out of the way, removal of the ignition wires, belts, and hoses will clear up access to just about everything else. The next step is removal of the fuel line and carburetor. Note the main fuel line as it may gravity feed the fuel once removed from the pump, be sure to plug it. Tape off the top of the intake so nothing falls in by accident, or you can bolt down an engine lifting plate to seal it off. You can now remove the distributor and block off the hole by taping it or plugging with a clean rag. With everything else out of the way, you can easily remove the alternator, power steering pump, water pump, fan, air conditioning compressor, and any associated hardware, brackets and pulleys. Lastly, from the top-side, remove the radiator and any other associated coolers like an external transmission cooler or air conditioning condenser. Removal of the radiator, while not always necessary is recommended as it allows for more room during the lifting of the engine and a little bump into the radiator can result in unwanted damage and expense.

Now with the top half of the engine compartment clear and everything necessary removed, take a break. Use the break as an opportunity to go over all the parts removed. Ensure your labeling is accurate and your packaging is sturdy enough to hold the items. Separate the items into three groups. May need, will need, and won’t need. Hold onto the items categorized as will need and may need. Send the won’t need items to your ‘for sale’ pile, but be sure you won’t need them!

Under the car, safely on stands, unbolt the starter and exhaust, remove as necessary. Stabilize the transmission and engine then remove the flex-plate to torque converter bolts. If the vehicle has a manual transmission removal of the transmission, bell-housing, and clutch assembly may be necessary. As our project vehicle is an automatic, we will next remove the mounting bolts connecting the transmission to the engine. The prior stabilization of the engine and transmission will ensure that everything stays in place once unbolted. If you have not done so already, remove the hood to allow clear access with the engine lift hoist (crane). Attach the lift to the engine, take up any slack and remove the motor mount ‘through bolts’. Remove the engine as normal and hopefully deliver it or have removed by the new owner… you did sell it already, right?? Hopefully so, as you’ll be needing money soon!

Now that the motor is out, the engine compartment clear, we can begin the tedious task of creating goals, a budget, and addressing the snowball list. We will also evaluate the project as a whole and make determinations as to what we want to accomplish. Chapters one and two are addressed in Episode One of the, Project: On-A-Budget Video Series.

INDEX