Hi Guy’s,

At last I’ve done it! I completed my very first engine pull and re-fit.
It’s took me most of the winter (car first stored at the end of Aug 07!) to do a little at a time but I guess I could have done it much faster if I knew what I was doing and could just pop down to the local parts store like you guys can. Got to give a big shout to RockAuto for their first class service. I didn’t have to return any parts I bought and in some cases they were on my doorstep 3 days, that’s 3 DAYS after I ordered them! I’ve ordered stuff from here in the UK thats took longer!

Anyway, I’m pleased to say that the old girl is running a smooth as silk, no leaks from the new freeze plugs and I found out to my shame what the dreadful squealing was.
To recap, I pulled the engine to replace leaking freeze plugs, turned out they were leaking because they were rotten. At some point someone in the cars past decided they would just keep filling the cooling system instead of repairing the leak the car had, and as a result the coolant when I got the car was very weak. This in turn must have caused the other 4 plugs to rot because they were all in a very similar state when I got them out. So while the engine was out I decided to replace a few other things that were now easy to get to like the rear main oil seal, cam cover, EGR valve, knock sensor, front down pipe O2 sensor & converter, oil pan and all the gaskets. The engine also had a good clean and a repaint in a nice silver colour. I also took the opportunity to remove the plenum, center intake manifold and lower manifold to adjust the valve lash etc.
All went extremely well aided by the fact that I made my own little Haynes manual of how I took the car apart and took numerous pictures. My problems though started on the first turn of the key after replacing the engine. The car started but went straight to 3,000rpm and promptly died. After a re start and help to keep her going she ran but smoke soon filled the garage accompanied buy an awful loud squeal. On inspection the air pump was seized solid and the belt was burning away! Well I quickly tried to run the car without the belt on to see if it would run which it did, but it still had the squeal. After replacing the air pump and belt I was convinced it was an air leak so; I looked at the plugs and confirmed that the mixture was too lean. I was sure it was the RTV that I’d put between the block and the heads so I pulled the plenum, CIM & LIM. After fitting back together same squeal! I did this 3 times and as you know it’s a pita pulling all that lot off. Anyway, after the third time I bought some carb cleaner and sprayed it where I suspected the leak was to no result. I sprayed it in between the plenum and CIM and hey presto an engine rise! Ok the only thing I didn’t replace, fuel injector o- rings. Replaced them, same thing, SQUEAL!

Ok now heres where my shame started and where I want anyone who can learn from my stupidity to learn. I bought a mechanics stethoscope and placed it near the RTV seal on the LIM, nothing. I moved to the CIM, again nothing. Then, the injectors. Apart from the normal click of them firing, nothing! So I moved to the plenum. I was greeted with the most awful squeal I had to yank the stethoscope from my ears! As I’d already changed the throttle body gasket I thought the only thing could be a crack somewhere. So I pulled the plenum for a closer inspection and that’s when I saw it.
As I turned the plenum over there were four small but complete parts of gasket that I’d omitted to remove when I first took it off back in February! I can remember that when I took the plenum off most of the gasket stuck to the CIM. Somewhere along the line the gasket material on the plenum completely skipped my mind THREE TIMES! The gasket acted like a reed in a musical instrument so that every time I started the car the new gasket would vibrate and squeal the tune Jim you stupid dumb ***!
After spending 30-40 seconds removing the gasket and a further 3 or four hours cursing myself the car started like a dream.

This has been a huge lesson for me, never mind how complex an operation may be don’t forget the very basic simple things or you’ll have plenty of time to repent!
It’s took a little bit out of the achievement I feel for actually doing a successful engine pull because I still feel so stupid for missing such a routine task. But I have my car back and she’s running like a dream.

Take heed people. Speed.

 

But on the bright side, you'll never make the mistake again. Great to hear you have it running!

 

Yeah, I did that once at my shop on a FWD 3100 in a Grand Am.

All the FWD 660's have a serious problem with the LIM leaking coolant externally. When I put it together I forgot to make sure I had all the old gasket removed, same thing happened to me. I got the reed squeel.

Glad to hear that it's running well again.

 

Thank's guy's, it's good to know that i'm not on my own making mistakes like that, and the advice that you lot gave over the months is greatly appreciated. Still feel a proper dork though

Yeah but anyway, the Birds back and in top form ready to cruise the streets of Sheffield.

Speed.

 

Yeah, but at least you weren't getting paid for it and then not getting paid to do it again...lol

 

My first engine pull was a 94 geo metro and it was out in about an hour with transmission. We swapped in a ecotec and later a turbo and 2 other manual transmissions but it was worth it.

 

Ive left a paper towel in the lifter valley Not to find out tell 2 days later when I went to stab the dizzy.

 

Nice one Dale, why am i suddenly feeling better

 

I didn't check clearances on the bearings to crank and installed undersize main bearings.

 

I BUILT A SMALL BLOCK FOR MY BROTHER IN LAWS S-10.PROB THE FOURTH CHEVY V-8 FOR ME.BUILT IT AT WORK IN BETWEEN JOBS(MECHANIC AT GOODYEAR AT THE TIME)SPENT A WEEK SWAPPIN OUT THE FOUR BANGER ONLY TO START IT UP AND DISCOVER IT WAS DEAD ON CYLINDER #3.PULLED IT DOWN AND GUESS WHAT........NO RINGS!!!!!!!!!MORAL...STAY ON ONE PROJECT AND DONT TAKE LONG BREAKS!!!!!!!!!!!

 

wayhay! All the Goofs are coming out now!

 

Well not so much goofs as that we all have done stupid things and have learned from our mistakes.

I dropped the fuel pressure valve cap into my engine, and had to tear it down to get it out. It sucked because I was just replacing o-rings on the fuel lines going into the fuel injector rail.

 

Took off the heads to get ported, put em back on afterwards started the engine, test drive, bamn! head gasket blew from low fluid..

 

i replaced a distributor in my 2.8 (bad ignition module) and tried to get it aligned/timed right for a few hours before realizing i had put the spark plug wires on wrong. to the engines credit it started with only 1 and 6 on the right sequence. it took it starting and running like *** for me to notice the wires were wrong.

 

So how long did it take you to get the engine out? And what was the hardest part about getting it out? I haven't done this yet but I am thinking of doing it soon since the guy who did my engine swap really screwed stuff up. Should I take the intake off before unbolting from the transmission so I can reach the bolts better? That's just my thinking. You tell me though, you just did it :-)

 

Hey Speedy, it's pretty easy! So if i can do it so can you.
I started under the car removing the driveshaft, torque arm, exhaust etc before moving onto the engine bay area. I've herd people having to remove the intake plenum and sometimes the dizzy on the V8 to get the engine to drop down enough to get to the bellhousing. (due to the proximity of the firewall) But I didn't have a problem on the V6, i just removed the engine manifolds still attached. I just suported the rear of the transmission on the tail shaft, removed the tranny crossmember and lowered the transmission down enough so I could link together two long extention bars and a U joint adaptor to get to all 6 bolts from behind and underneath the car!
Hardest part was actually lifting the engine and mounting it on an engine stand. My garage is on a slight slope and the ground outside isn't firm (mud & gravel!) so i had to get a 8ft by 4ft by 3/4inch thick slab of plywood and lots of rocks and stones to level it and to take the weight of the crane and engine. It took myself and a friend about 3 hours both ways to get it out and put it back, which wasn't bad because I took time before hand planning everything. Main thing to remember here is not to get under the engine at any point during the lift, you don't need me to tell you why!

I made a Heynes type manual (with pictures) about how I did it, if you let me have your email I'll send what i can if it helps. Mind it's how i did it, and it's not gospel so you might have to do some things differently. It's always good to ask the guys in here as well, they helped me no end and I don't think I could have done it without their support.

Just take your time DON'T forget the simple stuff like i did (Dohh) and you'll pull it off

All the best, speed.