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Old 07-30-2020, 08:14 PM
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Default Help Pulling the Engine

I have a 1967 LeMans with PS, PB (big style 67 booster), AC and RA/HO exhaust manifolds. This makes for a challenging engine removal. Has anyone done this before and would you suggest pulling the engine and trans as a unit or pull the trans first then the engine. I do have a two post lift.

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Old 07-30-2020, 08:32 PM
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I pulled the RA manifolds before pulling mine; but installed them on the new engine before dropping it in the car.
It will pull right out.
I prefer to separate the engine from the trans. You've got to jack up the car pretty high to pull them both together, then you've got to lift everything pretty high to clear the fenders. easier for me as a one man show to separate.

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Old 07-30-2020, 08:32 PM
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If the AC compressor is still hooked up, you can probably just unbolt it from the engine and lay it to the side - that way you don't have to disconnect the hoses. Unbolting the exhaust manifolds before trying to pull the engine is probably a good idea, too.

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Old 07-31-2020, 01:08 AM
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Yep, I put a blanket down on the fender and pull the A/C compressor out of the way and leave the compressor strapped high to the fender. We have lost about half of the refrigerant on old A/C lines by the time we got the engine back in, but better than starting from scratch opening the system. After new hoses were installed we never lost any pressure moving the compressor out of the way.

We always remove the RA manifolds. It's possible to not remove them but makes the R&R much harder than what little is saved by working around them in place. Very first removal I ever did back in the 80's I cleaned the flapper valve off the right side original H.O. manifold trying to keep them on the engine.

If we don't have any work to do on the trans, we'll leave the automatic in place with the converter pushed back into the case. Engine will come forward after clearing the front engine mounts to clear the bellhousing as long as exhaust manifolds are off the engine. If we are sending the trans out then it comes out with the engine. Just have to have the car an extra 12" off the ground so the trans tail-shaft doesn't hit the ground.

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Old 07-31-2020, 02:05 PM
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One obstacle I have is I found from past experience with this car is the engine will not come out with the RA exhaust manifolds on the engine. Furthermore you can not remove the manifolds with the engine in the car. This requires disconnecting the manifolds and leaving them in place while pulling the engine which a royal PITA. I will also need to remove the trans to fix a leak and not sure where it is leaking from, I hate leaks has anyone ever had a TH-400 that didn't leak.

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Old 07-31-2020, 02:12 PM
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You should be able to disconnect the RA manifolds from the heads and leave them attached to the exhaust pipes and then pull the motor.

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Old 08-01-2020, 01:46 PM
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AG I appreciate your advice but what you say is not the case. There is no way the motor mounts will clear the HO exhaust manifolds when trying to pull the engine.

I am hoping that someone who has actually done this before can tell me how they did it. A 1967 A-Body with HO manifolds it's a royal PITA so I want to know the best method before I get into this.

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Old 08-01-2020, 01:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Corcoran View Post
AG I appreciate your advice but what you say is not the case. There is no way the motor mounts will clear the HO exhaust manifolds when trying to pull the engine.

I am hoping that someone who has actually done this before can tell me how they did it. A 1967 A-Body with HO manifolds it's a royal PITA so I want to know the best method before I get into this.
Just pull the head. Why pull the whole motor? As AG said unbolt the manifold from the head and leave it attached to the exhaust pipe.

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Old 08-01-2020, 02:01 PM
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Bruce, that would be the easiest thing to do but you know me I like to do it the hard way. The rear main seal is leaking and I want to fix that plus the trans is leaking and i need to pull the trans too so I am going to pull the engine and trans and while I have the engine out I will put in a different cam.

Mike Batson, when you pull the engine in a 67 A-Body how do you get the HO manifolds out of the car with the engine in?

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Old 08-01-2020, 03:28 PM
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Not to barge in here, but i had a 66 that i pulled the engine on 5x's chasing a rear main leak. It was a non A/C car and i had the ram air manifolds on it. It was a manual trans car, so i would pull the trans and the bell housing first. I realize it had the smaller brake booster, but would undress the front of the engine (fan, alternator, power steering pump)and pull it.Always out and in with the manifolds on. What about just also pulling the brake booster, and strapping up the master cylinder?

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Old 08-01-2020, 04:13 PM
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Default I think we all know what would happen if he just pulled the one head......

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Meyer View Post
Just pull the head. Why pull the whole motor? As AG said unbolt the manifold from the head and leave it attached to the exhaust pipe.
The engine would run fine for week or so and then another valve would stick and he'd have to do the whole thing over again.

I did that once about forty years ago when a single factory hydraulic lifter on a 1971 GP 400 came apart. Tore it down in the car and just swapped out the single lifter.

Ran good for two days and then another lifter popped its' top. The second time we tore it down it got fifteen MORE new lifters, new timing chain, new gears and a waterpump. Probably belts and hoses and a thermostat, too.

We drove that GP around 60k over the next few years and never did anything else to it except change oil and spark plugs and brake pads.

One and done.

Pull the engine, fix EVERYTHING you can think of and then put it back in and have some fun.

Lots of work - YES.
Worth the 'extra' to just be finished with it - YES

And to answer the OP's question: I have only ever had ONE Turbo 400 that didn't leak. It didn't have any transmission fluid in it yet.........

When you're lucky, they just seep around the seals a bit. When you're not, they dump the fluid when they sit.

Good luck!

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Old 08-01-2020, 06:41 PM
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Cardo, I appreciate the info but there is no way you can pull this engine with the manifolds on or put it back in either I have tried it and it's got nothing to do with the brake booster. Maybe your manifolds were different than mine I don't know but on the passenger side the manifold is in the way of the motor mount and I am not sure what else it was a while ago since I did this.

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Old 08-01-2020, 08:17 PM
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I guess I'm confused as to why you don't just unbolt the manifolds from the heads while leaving them connected to the exhaust, then remove the engine, and then (separately) remove the trans.

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Old 08-01-2020, 09:14 PM
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Because the motor mounts which are under the manifold are in the way and there is no way to get the motor mounts past the manifolds. The HO manifolds are way bigger than the standard log manifolds. Have you done it like that with a 67 A-Body with AC and HO manifolds? I believe the HVAC box is much bigger than on an AC car and this is also a factor because you can't just go straight up with it even without the trans on the back.

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Old 08-03-2020, 01:15 PM
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Is this plan no longer a feasible plan?

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...6&postcount=32

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Old 08-03-2020, 03:01 PM
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With headers, or even removing exhaust manifolds raising one side of the engine up and removing the bolts from that side, then alternately raising the opposite side up, and removing those bolts is about the easiest method I have found. Raising both sides at the same time (jacking the engine up from the middle) doesn't roll the engine a few degrees, like only raising one side does. Rolling the engine in the chassis give you better access to the bolts as the engine rotates. Using a bottle jack on the timing cover ears (meant to be used with the Kent Moore engine raising tool) is where I have usually jacked the engine from. I always use blocking between the motor mounts and frame before putting my hands or arms into that space for safety sake.

BTW, I have removed a 67 400 with 1970 RA III manifolds attached, (You do have to notch the engine crossmember to use them in a 67 chassis) but I had no AC suitcase to contend with, non AC car. Apples and oranges comparison.

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Old 08-10-2020, 10:05 PM
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Just a follow up and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting just a lot of time removing everything and getting it ready to pull. After removing everything else and I left the trans connected to the engine. I first removed the exhaust pipe from the manifolds then removed all the bolts from the RA manifolds then with the car up on the lift I jacked up the engine one side at a time and the manifolds just slipped right out. Then the engine came out real easy. Having a lift makes this job so much easier than crawling under the car I am so happy to have a lift it makes working on the car a joy. I appreciate everyone's advice.

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Old 08-11-2020, 11:29 AM
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Glad you got it out OK. Now, just fix everyting you can think of that needs repair, re-install it and have a happy life (for a while since it is a car).

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