How To Remove An Engine
Overview
Whether you are planning on rebuilding your current motor, swapping your engine for another one of the same type, or installing something different, you’ll be faced with the task of removing your engine.
It can be a time-consuming and potentially difficult process, and will require a different approach for every make and model; so it’s important that you refer to a service manual specific to your car. That said, there are a few elements of the procedure that are fairly universal so we’ve put together this general guide to help you out.
What tools do you need to remove an engine?
Obviously the tools you need will vary based on the make and model of your car - as will the sizing and whether things like sockets or spanners are metric or imperial - but there are a few tools that should be used in all cases:
- You should always refer to a workshop manual to suit your car - your particular vehicle might have some unusual procedures that need to be followed, and you won’t know about them until you read through the manual.
- You’ll need appropriate basic hand tools like spanners, sockets, pliers, screwdrivers and a breaker bar.
- An impact gun (air or electric) can really make things easier, although there might not be much room to use it in a lot of cases. Also be sure to always use appropriate sockets with your gun.
- Stock up on Containers, drip trays, and other means to clean up or catch the fluids that’ll need to be drained out. Make sure you have rags and desiccant to clean up any spills - and there will be spills!
- You’ll need to get underneath your car to disconnect a lot of things, so make sure that you jack it up and support it securely on appropriately rated car stands.
- An engine crane is the most reliable method for lifting the motor out of your car. You can use a block and tackle in a pinch, but a crane is far more flexible. In order to secure your engine to the crane and to balance it when it is hanging freely, you can use chains or straps (and even old seatbelts) or a purpose-built engine leveller. When purchasing a crane, make sure that it vastly exceeds the combined weight of your engine and all of its added components.
- This job can take up a lot of room, so make sure you have flat, solid ground to work from. It’s also a good idea to use a garage creeper and proper lighting when you are working under the vehicle since it can be uncomfortable and dirty under there.
- Last but not least, as always safety gear such as eye protection, work gloves and disposable gloves should always be worn.
Steps
First things first, remove the bonnet and disconnect your battery
It’s a two person job, but getting your bonnet out of the way right from the get-go will make things way easier. You’ll need one person to support the weight of the bonnet whilst the other removes the bolts from the brackets. If you have pneumatic bonnet stays, those will also need to come off. Screw the bolts back into their holes once the bonnet is off the car, then carefully place your bonnet somewhere safe, with rags under the corners that touch the ground. Disconnect your battery before you unplug or unbolt anything else in your engine bay.
Drain all the fluids from your engine
Using your drip trays and the like, drain the oil and the coolant from your engine and radiator. You might find it easier to unbolt your power steering assembly from your engine, so you shouldn’t have to worry about draining that system. When you begin to lift the engine out, you will always have more coolant spill from it, so be sure to put down rags, plastic sheeting or a tray at that point too.
- Oil and coolant shouldn’t be reused
- Use separate containers for each fluid
- You can take your old oil to most Supercheap Auto stores for recycling
Disconnect the intake, coolant lines and radiator, and the exhaust
It’s often easier to remove the entire intake ducting assembly since it usually blocks access to other components. Although it might be possible to simply disconnect your coolant hoses and leave the radiator in place, the last thing you want is to accidentally bump the radiator with a swinging engine, so it’s best to take the entire assembly out as well. Finally, the exhaust can be a real pain to unbolt, but usually you can get away with separating the system at the collector flange. The bolts that hold the exhaust together will very likely be partially seized due to constant expansion and contraction - and may well be pretty rusted too. Give them a squirt with some penetrating spray while you take care of the intake and coolant lines, so that it’s had a chance to work its magic by the time you get to the exhaust.
- You may need to remove a bunch of plastic covers before you can even get at your engine - try to bag up and label any fasteners.
- Getting your radiator out can be particularly messy due to coolant that will still be in the hoses, so keep your containers handy.
- It might be easier to remove some of your exhaust hangers and drop the exhaust down and out of the way from beneath your car.
Disconnect accessories and hoses
Depending on your motor, you may or may not need to remove your alternator, any emissions control systems and a variety of vacuum lines and assemblies. Follow the procedure outlined in your vehicle’s workshop manual and pay careful attention not to accidentally break any fragile clips or connectors. For most modern cars, it’s easier to disconnect your power steering pump from your engine and move it out of the way - keeping the lines connected and the system therefore sealed. Always try to disconnect your air conditioning pump from the motor as well, since it’s not exactly legal to break open the system and release the gases, and it can be pricey to have the system purged and regassed too.
- Often removing air con and power steering pumps can be done pretty easily, but of course your car is probably the exception - so as always, check the manual to see if there’s some weirdly complex method involved.
- Use cable ties! You can tie hoses and components up to brackets and other stuff in your engine bay, to keep them from getting in the way when you work, and when you finally pull the engine out.
- Make sure that you label things you remove, and you remember the order they came off. It can be a good idea to take photos and write notes as you go. Pay attention to the routing of your drive belt/s too.
Disconnecting wiring and other cables
Working with wiring is one of those fiddly jobs - some people love it, some people hate it, but no matter how you feel about it, you’re going to have to take care of it before you get the engine out of your car. If you have a modern car then you might well have a massive array of electronic sensors, plugs and other bits that you’re going to need to disconnect, so be sure to label everything and refer to your workshop manual regularly. Fuel injected cars may have wiring connectors for the injectors hidden in the midst of their intake system too, so be sure to disconnect those as required.
- As with the accessories and their hoses and lines, you can often use cable ties to hold loose bits of wiring loom away from your workspace.
- Take the time to disconnect your throttle cable and transmission kick down cables now, if your car has them.
- MBe careful with connectors and plugs since they can often be very fragile and prone to breakages, especially where they’ve been exposed to a lot of heat (connectors near to the exhaust are particularly bad.) Be sure not to pull on the wires to separate connectors, as you can accidentally pull the wires right out of the back of plugs, and they are a right pain to fix. Label everything!
Unbolt your engine from the transmission and the mounts
Provided that everything else has been properly disconnected, the only things left to remove are the bolts that hold your motor to its mounts, and to the transmission. Clearance around transmission bolts can be particularly tight - especially at the top of the bell housing in rear wheel drive cars. It can often help to remove the motor mount bolts, and then raise or lower the engine itself using a jack or crane, in order to give yourself a bit more room to spin a spanner. If your car is front wheel drive, then you might find that it’s easier to remove the transmission along with the motor. If that’s the case, then be sure to disconnect all of the relevant wiring, as well as gear linkages and clutch or transmission fluid lines - as always, refer to your manual to see what’s suggested.
- You may find that a standard socket or spanner won’t quite fit between your firewall and the transmission bellhousing bolts - it’s worth trying ring spanners with offset ends.
- You’ll need to support your engine with your engine crane before you can safely remove the motor mounts.
Double check EVERYTHING
At this point, you might want to start hoisting the motor out, but trust me - something is still attached. Whether a single wire, your throttle cable, or a dipstick tube that’s bolted to your block for some reason. SOMETHING is always still attached.
Remove your engine
Refer to your vehicle’s manual for the best place to attach your crane’s chains to your motor. Enlist a friend to help, and have one person slowly crank the handle on your crane, whilst the other wriggles the engine free from the dowels in the transmission. You’ll need to pull the engine away from the transmission as well as lifting it up, but be very careful that it doesn’t swing freely and smash into anything in your engine bay.
- You may want to use an engine crane leveller so that you can more accurately control the angle of your motor as you pull it free.
- Be VERY careful not to squish your hands between your heavy motor and anything else. Always lift your motor slowly and smoothly - try not to jerk it up with the crane, and to begin with, constantly check that nothing is still connected.
- You might find that lifting slings or straps are more gentle than chains, so consider using them in place of chains if you are worried about scratching your engine or firewall.
- Keep your containers handy - your engine is going to spill a bunch of coolant out as you wrangle it.
Mount your engine on a stand
If you intend to rebuild your motor then you’ll need a place to work on it, and the best option is a sturdy engine stand. In order to mount it to the stand safely and securely, it’s a good idea to bolt the mounting plate to the bell housing first, and then slide the mounting plate into the stand itself. You’ll need to purchase appropriately sized bolts to mount your engine to the stand so be sure to use the correct thread pitch and size too. Once your engine is mounted on a stand, you are ready to begin the rebuild - but before you start, you’ve earned yourself a break.
Have a break
Grab yourself a refreshing beverage, and congratulate yourself on a job well done! You managed to get your engine out with no problems, and you didn’t forget to disconnect anything either… right?
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