Just pulled the 200/C4 out of the Maverick this weekend. When I do the re-install I would like to install the 302/Toploader as a single unit as well. Obviously you cannot attach the flywheel, clutch assembly and transmission to the engine on a typical engine stand. I have seen a couple of dollies but they all appear to bolt to the back of the engine so that is not good either. Anybody on the board do it this way - how did you do it? Thanks ... Dan
Dan when I did it we lowered the engine onto a wooden shipping pallet keeping tension on the motor and positioned it to line up with the tranny that was sitting on an adjoining pallet. This is not gonna be easy if your doing it by yourself...there were 3 of us when we did it. I couldn't imagine wrestling that tranny on there by myself. Hope this helps
I built a little cradle for the engine to rest in out of 2x4's. Then I lower the cherry picker down and the engine sits in that cradle but with most of the weight still hanging on the cherry picker. Then I just take and assemble everything. That is the way I have always done mine. And yes, those toploaders are heavy!!! Dan
Dan - that sounds like a good idea. Where do you set the engine - in other words - what area of the engine comes in contact with the cradle? Do you install the motor mounts and have them sit on the 2X4 frame?
stick the transmission on a trans jack or a couple of jackstands and use the cherrypicker to guide the engine around. You'll need at least a few beers no matter what method you use.
Dan I probably don't have to say his but I'm going to. I don't know about Toploaders but there is a particular way that the flywheel, torque converter and tranny have to line up, if they don't line up this way its gonna fight the hell out of ya and if you get it together lined up wrong it will blow the front pump out of the tranny. I remember seeing a post about this when I was putting mine together and it saved me alot of grief and probably a tranny. I knew when we were attaching the bell housing to the engine if we had to fight it we had something out of line.
With the manual transmission the clutch kit comes with an alignment tool. Since the flywheel, pressure place and bellhousing bolt on and are not adjustable hopefully everything will align fine outside the car and work perfectly after installation. Now I just gotta figure out where to cut the whole for my Hurst Shifter. My real concern is to have enough leverage while the engine is dangling on the cherry picker to torque everything properly. Worst case scenario I will install the flywheel, clutch and bellhousing and then bolt the tranny in from under the car ...
Dan, here is the way I do it. I take the engine so the front is facing the crane of the cherry picker. Then I set the engine down on the cradle. The cradle is just a bit wider than the oil pan. I am a lousy carpenter and I had to gusset mine down low so it would not want to spread apart. I have never fastened it, but that would be a good idea. When I do it, the engine wants to move a bit and is kind of a pain, so fastening it somehow is a great idea. I work pretty quick when I do this so putting the flywheel on and torquing seems to take the longest. Then the clutch and pressure plate go on quick and then I put the bellhousing on. The engine really wants to move around when you go to put the trans in. Good idea to have multiple people there, though I have usually done it by myself ( i dont think I am strong enough anymore to do it by myself, gettin old ) Also, on the fastening the engine to the cradle, you will have to fasten the cradle to something too. I just kind of let the weight of the engine keep it somewhat stable, but like I said, the cherry picker is actually holding most of the weight yet and everything will want to move some Rick, I dunno nuttin bout them newfangled automatic transmissions lol Dan ps oh yeah , I agree entirely on a few beers on hand to get the job done.
I just set mine on the garage floor, still attached to the chainfall with a 6x6 block under the back of the oil pan. Kinda do like Dan only without a dolly. Always do it myself cause friends never seem to be around when its time to work on my car.
Try picking your engine up so the tranny is lower than the front of the engine. Put a floor jack with weels on the floor so the handle for jacking is at the rear. Set engine in and the tranny tail piece should set on the jack. As the engine is lowered the weels on the jack let everthing ride into place. Then all you have to do is pump up the tranny and put on your cross member. I did this my self in 1 1/2hr. Then drank a beer!
