Max Power Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I need to pull the engine from my 97 OB to replace the oil plate separator. In the past 18 months, I have replaced all of the usual goodies (timing belt, cam seals, oil pump, water pump, head gaskets, etc.) so I don’t have a bona fide desire to take apart the front or top of the engine. Of course, I also don't want to make the engine removal process more difficult by leaving too much of the engine assembled. Other than disconnecting the required mounting bolts, fuel line, throttle cables, misc. hoses, electrical connections, and tying off the AC, can the engine otherwise be left intact? If so, where do I find the lift points? Taking out the radiator & fans would make sense since the engine will be drained and the additional space would be useful. In addition, I was thinking about replacing the rear main seal while the engine is out. Does the front of the engine (timing belt, etc) need to be taken apart to facilitate replacing the rear main seal? Thanks in advance, mp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Some people have just moved the a/c compressor off to the side where the battery sits, and not disconnected the lines. That may be an option. You've pretty much got all the stuff you need to disconnect. You'll need to take the starter out, and drop the exhaust manifold. The lift points, at least on the earlier legacies was through an eyelet at the alternator point, and spot at the back of the engine where it mounts to the tranny. You can replace the rear main without messing with the front of the engine. Make sure to not install the rear main too far, or it will definitely leak. You can take a look at some of my engine pics from my rebuild. They should give you a little better idea of where the lift points, etc http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/ej22t/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastwgn286 Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 are you gonna take the power steering pump off the engine? from my experiences, don't move the lines too much. it might actually be easier to drop the tranny, replace clutch (if there, didn't catch what year/engine it was), and get at oil separator that way. you will be tight on room if you don['t have a lift, but doable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPX Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 You've already got a good idea of what needs to be done. To help with your planning, click to see larger pictures from my 2.2L removal. I left the AC compressor and power steering pump and their hoses connected. Just used tie down straps and bungee cords to hold them out of the way. I left the intake manifold on until the engine was out of the car - you probably won't be going this far for clutch/oil seal work. Here is a checklist I made (from combination of Haynes manual, USMB, NASIOC, etc). This list made things feel organized and easier to track progress both at disassembly as well as making sure everything is connected again. Remove bumper skin and headlights Remove belt covers 10mm Remove splash shields Warm engine Depressurize fuel system Disconnect battery , remove battery and tray Drain oil 17mm Drain coolant Disconnect radiator hoses Remove Thermostat housing Remove fan assembly (connectors) 10mm Remove coolant overflow tank 10mm Remove Radiator Disconnect fuel line trio Disconnect MAF sensor wire Disconnect throttle position sensor wire Disconnect breather hose (cleaner side) and sensor (grey mount near transaxle dipstick) Disconnect air cleaner assembly from intake manifold Plug throttle body opening Remove Alternator Remove AC Compressor (put dipstick tube back in BEFORE remounting AC) Strap AC Compressor to body (put AC bracket back on for lifting motor) Remove Power Steering Pump Strap Power Steering Pump to body Remove Ground Cable at starter Remove spark plug wires Remove vacuum line (by air cleaner) Remove heater hoses (x2 by starter) Disconnect brake booster vac line (by starter) Remove Starter Remove hose from PCV Valve Disconnect main harness (by O2 sensor) Disconnect O2 sensor Disconnect exhaust pipe to head bolts 14mm, 18-22 ft-lbs Disconnect rear mount (pitch stopper) Remove Crank Pulley 22mm Remove driveplate to torque converter nuts 12mm, 17-19 ft-lbs Disconnect two lower engine mounts Remove engine to transaxle mounting nuts 14mm, 34-40 ft-lbs ( 14mm swivel socket for left lower nut) Here is a reference picture of the rear main seal - set just a hair lower than flush withg the aluminum flange. Others suggested using a large PVC pipe section (4" maybe?) to drive it in straight. It was not easy getting it in compared to a front seal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted May 31, 2006 Author Share Posted May 31, 2006 Legacy777, thanks for the info and the link. I forgot to mention I was going to reseal the oil pan as well, and your pictures answered a couple of questions about that task before I had the chance to ask. :-) fstwgn286, the vehicle is a 97 2.5l OB w/AT. Sorry for leaving that out. As for the power steering pump, I would prefer to tie it off somewhere and leave it in if possible. As for dropping the tranny, I thought about going that route. As I mentioned to Legacy777, I neglected to mention that I am also resealing the oil pan. I already know that the rear pan bolts are in bad shape and may cause me some grief, espicially if I'm lying on my back. JPX, thanks for the info and link. I'm jealous of your project, it looked like a worthy challenge. Between your pictures and Legacy777's pictures, I think I could do this with my eyes closed. Maybe some other other weekend... To all: Quick follow-up regarding the rear main seal...if the seal isn't obviously leaking or deteriorated, would you recommend replacement anyhow? The engine has 144,000 miles on the original seal. If the original isn't leaking, I'm tempted not to touch it. Arguments could be made for replacing an aging seal while I have the opportunity as well. Best case scenario; the seal is clearly faulty. Thanks again, everyone. mp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPX Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 To all: Quick follow-up regarding the rear main seal...if the seal isn't obviously leaking or deteriorated, would you recommend replacement anyhow? Change it if you have any access to it. It is too much trouble to have to ever go back in later just for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frag Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Thanks for the list JPX, but do you really have to remove bumper skin and headlights? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyKeith Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Thanks for the list JPX, but do you really have to remove bumper skin and headlights? Uh yeah???? I've done tons of these without ever taking off any body parts other than the Hood. (makes for easier access to some things) Also, I've never done one where the engine was warm, and I have no idea why you would want to warm the engine. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPX Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Thanks for the list JPX, but do you really have to remove bumper skin and headlights? It is overkill. I had just repainted the bumper skin and didn't want damage the new paint. I removed the bumper skin and headlights so that I wouldn't scratch anything up or spill fluids on it. When you start yanking on the engine to seperate it from the transaxle, you could roll the hoist into the front of the car. Those dowel pins can make this step quite an adventure. Removal gets your legs a couple of inches closer for digging around the engine bay. It also helped that the bumper was not in the way for stuff UNDER the car too - I jacked up the car only so I could get to the lower left engine/trans nut. Everything else could be done on the ground. Outbacks sit higher, so this advantage is not as great as with the lower sitting sedan. Concerning the warm engine.....I do this for any oil change anyway to speed draining. So this was more of a habit than anything else. Oh, and now that I'm thinking about it, the motor is a funny shape to set down out of the car. You could use an engine stand, but then you can't do the oil seperator plate and rear seal. Skip's engine removal website had a great idea for a box to hold the motor upright. I just balanced it on 4 jack stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jutboy Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Hey thanks for asking this question for me Max Power....I'm going to be ripping my engine out in about 4 weeks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPX Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Uh yeah???? I've done tons of these without ever taking off any body parts other than the Hood. (makes for easier access to some things) So I left my hood on.....the alternate location for the hood prop rod on the right strut tower made the hood go almost vertical. This was plenty of room to work on (wish my other cars had this). Unbelievable that it was the car salesman that showed me this little trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted June 1, 2006 Author Share Posted June 1, 2006 Sweet trick with the hood prop, JPX! I just checked my 97 OB, and I, too, have the alternate mounting hole. Leaving the hood on will save me a little bit of work, plus I won't need to bother my wife for another set of hands. Jutboy, if you have ever followed a Haynes manual (as I do), you will know why I asked the question. Overall, the manual is good and accurate. I just couldn't see removing the intake manifold for what I need to do now, despite the instructions in the manual. I will certainly post notes from my journey under the hood. From what I read in throughout the forum, the trickiest part is probably removing the 4 bolts that connect the torque converter to the drive plate. If the bolts happen to be 12mm or 14mm, I should be able to get them from the top with the one metric offset wrench I own. Otherwise, I will probably get at them from underneath with a socket and u-joint or two. mp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPX Posted June 1, 2006 Share Posted June 1, 2006 Jutboy, if you have ever followed a Haynes manual (as I do), you will know why I asked the question. Overall, the manual is good and accurate. I just couldn't see removing the intake manifold for what I need to do now, despite the instructions in the manual. I will certainly post notes from my journey under the hood. From what I read in throughout the forum, the trickiest part is probably removing the 4 bolts that connect the torque converter to the drive plate. If the bolts happen to be 12mm or 14mm, I should be able to get them from the top with the one metric offset wrench I own. Otherwise, I will probably get at them from underneath with a socket and u-joint or two. Leave the intake manifold on unless there is some compelling reason to remove it. The manifold itself is easy to remove. But it's those damn connections (cooling for throttle body, sensors, etc.) that skin up your knuckles. That being said, having the intake manifold out of the way makes it easier to reach those torque converter bolts. They are 12mm and incredibly easy to round off. An offset box wrench can help, but my Craftsman wouldn't work because of the funny angle. I had to weasel the long 3/8" ratchet with extension bars and u-joints UNDER the intake manifold - only possible with the power steering pump out of the way as far as I can tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 Oh, and now that I'm thinking about it, the motor is a funny shape to set down out of the car. You could use an engine stand, but then you can't do the oil seperator plate and rear seal. Skip's engine removal website had a great idea for a box to hold the motor upright. I just balanced it on 4 jack stands. You can also build one of these http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/ej22t/16 In action http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/ej22t/18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bepa Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 Sweet trick with the hood prop, JPX! I just checked my 97 OB, and I, too, have the alternate mounting hole. Leaving the hood on will save me a little bit of work, plus I won't need to bother my wife for another set of hands. Jutboy, if you have ever followed a Haynes manual (as I do), you will know why I asked the question. Overall, the manual is good and accurate. I just couldn't see removing the intake manifold for what I need to do now, despite the instructions in the manual. I will certainly post notes from my journey under the hood. From what I read in throughout the forum, the trickiest part is probably removing the 4 bolts that connect the torque converter to the drive plate. If the bolts happen to be 12mm or 14mm, I should be able to get them from the top with the one metric offset wrench I own. Otherwise, I will probably get at them from underneath with a socket and u-joint or two. mp is your's a turbo, if not I would only do it thru the top. even with a turbo I would do it thru the top. and if changing any parts between the trany and the motor make sure that the convertor and the flex plate are the same before putting trany up into place. just did trany exchange. it is no fun if you get a different trany/flez plate. good luck with your repairs. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathany Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 Everybody has some good tips but some are unnecessary. Prop the hood don't remove. Leave the a/c and p/s connected just move out of the way. Don't take off any body parts just cover if you don't want to scratch anything, use rubber mechanics guards or truck mudflaps. Don't drop the tranny, unhook everything on the engine then slightly jack up the tranny and engine together you will be able to get to the torque converter bolts from under the engine(this is much easier than any other way). Place a jackstand under the tranny while it is jacked and you will have it in the right spot to reconnect when you drop the engine back in. I usually just leave the engine hanging from the lift while I do seals and such instead of on a stand so that you can get to all of the engine. When unhooking all of the engine connections look for the simplest dissconnection point even if it is farther away from the component that you are unhooking. I use tape with numbers on each side of each thing I unhook and have a master list that I write down what was disconnected so I can check it off when I reinstall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2X2KOB Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 I need to pull the engine from my 97 OB to replace the oil plate separator. What is the oil plate separator, and what does it do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPX Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 slightly jack up the tranny and engine together you will be able to get to the torque converter bolts from under the engine(this is much easier than any other way). Oh my god - that is a great idea! I can see the bolts from under the car, but there was no wrench I could get in there. I wish I had known about that! Great tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 What is the oil plate separator, and what does it do? The oil separator goes on the back of the engine. Here's a pic http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/ej22t/05/DCP_4421.JPG Here's a pic of the plastic separator http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/ej22t/04/DCP_4381.JPG What it does is help reduce the oil vapor the crankcase blowby gasses. It sort of performs a similar duty as an oil catch can, by providing a baffled restriction for the gasses to go by/around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2X2KOB Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 What it does is help reduce the oil vapor the crankcase blowby gasses. It sort of performs a similar duty as an oil catch can, by providing a baffled restriction for the gasses to go by/around. Thanks very much - great pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Sweet trick with the hood prop, JPX! I just checked my 97 OB, and I, too, have the alternate mounting hole. Leaving the hood on will save me a little bit of work, plus I won't need to bother my wife for another set of hands. Jutboy, if you have ever followed a Haynes manual (as I do), you will know why I asked the question. Overall, the manual is good and accurate. I just couldn't see removing the intake manifold for what I need to do now, despite the instructions in the manual. I will certainly post notes from my journey under the hood. From what I read in throughout the forum, the trickiest part is probably removing the 4 bolts that connect the torque converter to the drive plate. If the bolts happen to be 12mm or 14mm, I should be able to get them from the top with the one metric offset wrench I own. Otherwise, I will probably get at them from underneath with a socket and u-joint or two. mp They are 12mm. For an auto tranny engine: Disconnect battery remove plastic parts of the intake drain and remove radiator and fans disconnect power steering pump from engine, set aside disconnect AC compressor and set aside two engine to tranny bolts (top corners of the tranny) two engine stud to tranny nuts (bottom corners of the tranny) dog bone (pitch stopper) fuel line trio 4 flex plate bolts (hold the engine in place with a 22mm socket on the crank pulley bolt, to keep the crank from moving while you are turning these bolts) throttle cables vac hose to brake booster disconnect O2 sensor (just in case the exaust drops) six nuts that hold the exaust manifold to the heads two nuts on the motor mounts connect hoist, lift the engine just above the crossmember (recomend jacking up the tranny to relieve pressure on the studs at the bottom of the tranny) pry engine from tranny, and pull it forward to clear the studs lift the engine out Draining the oil will make the engine easier to work on, and a lot less messy. mount points for the hoist are at the rear of the engine, on the right side, and one of two places in the front: On 1st gen Legacies you have a ring between the alternator and the AC compressor. On later models, you need to connect to the top of the bracket that is between the two. I hold the hood vertical with a pair of bungee cords attached eithe rto the roof rack or around the windshield. Tranny does not need to be disconnected from te halfshafts to remove the engine (although it does make accessing the nuts on the lower corners easier) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renée96 Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 I'm not Renee, but we used this thread to help pull her engine recently, to do the clutch and fix the "oil separator plate" which was leaking. I wanted to add some things that I found helpful: 1. You can remove the radiator, fans, and reservoir as one unit. 2. The thermostat housing does not need to be removed; just pull the hose off. 3. Don't worry about disconnecting the O2 sensor- just stack some blocks of wood under the exhaust or put a jackstand there. It'll stay right where you need it. 4. The spark plug wires can stay intact. Now some other thoughts: - the trick with the hood prop is cool. Very useful. - we replaced the rear main seal... even though it wasn't leaking. Once it came out, there wasn't even any oil on the inside of it. Is this seal redundant? Maybe that's why it never fails. - we replaced the plastic oil separator plate, which was leaking like a sieve. The one different loctited bolt the dealer gave us went where the arrow on the separator plate is. - lifting the engine a bit with the tranny attached, then putting a jackstand under the tranny before pulling the engine worked very well for getting the engine in and out. In fact, this was the easiest engine re-install I've ever done. Maybe we were very lucky, but it literally slipped back onto the tranny input shaft in something like 30 seconds, once we got the lower engine-to-tranny mounting studs in place. It was crazy how easy it was. - Subaru has done a very very good job of making these things easy to work on. Other than the exhaust manifolds, lower radiator hose, radiator fan plugs, and of course the two engine mount bolts, EVERY bolt could be undone from above the engine. And those that had to be worked on from underneath were still very accessible. For this reason alone, I'd rather pull the engine than pull the tranny. The lower starter nut was a little difficult, but just a little. I can't stress this enough... this car is much easier to work on than others. They actually seem to have considered wrench and hand placement when designing it. Also, the engine is so light (even with the oil left in) that we could shift it back and forth to get the engine mounts lined up without even having the engine hoist connected. Much easier than the Toyota diesel I recently did. Of course, it's a small engine, so no surprise there, but still, it was very easy to manage. The pilot bearing in the flywheel is great- much better than in the end of the crank like many other cars. So anyway, there you have it. Thanks for the helpful thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwolftrack Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 I just removed and reinstalled our '98 2.5L twice. The first time was for headgasket replacement. The second time was for replacing the rear main seal AGAIN. MAKE SURE TO SEAT IT CORRECTLY! I have another thread I just posted a couple days ago about this. The image that someone else posted in your thread showing the rear main seal depth is correct. Be very careful not to drive it in too far! It is NOT a redundant seal, and oil will P*SS out if it's in too deep or crooked. Other than that, everything was pretty straight forward. This is the easiest engine I've ever pulled. It took me 1 hour 50 minutes to pull, and 2.5 hours to reinstall. It's pointless to remove the hood. I didn't even move the hood prop. I hooked a strap to the hood latch and hooked the other end to the roof rack and set the hood standing straight up. It's also a waste of time to completely remove the a/c compressor and power steering pump. Just remove the bolts from each and bungee them out of the way. I place the power steering pump (right side up) in the air filter box lower housing. I place the a/c compressor flopped over in the battery tray or on the strut tower depending on where I am working. The bottom starter nut is a 17 mm. It is the most easy to reach from underneath. The worst part of the whole project for me was getting the two stupid 14mm nuts loose at the bottom of the bell housing where it bolts to the engine. The worst one was the driver side. The steering shaft and drive axles are in the way and it was 3 hours of fun trying not to strip the nut. The passenger side wasn't quite so bad because it can be more easily reached from above. My recommendation would be to try breaking these two nuts loose first before starting anything else. And before you try that, soak them good with some lube first. There's also absolutely no reason to disconnect the intake. It can very easily be pulled with the engine. In fact, pulling the intake takes a lot more time because of several hard-to-reach hoses and electrical connections, and the EGR tube. Leave the intake intact. There are still a few vaccuum lines you will have to disconnect, but not many. If your '97 is like our '98, there's a small vacuum line from the passenger fender well to the backside of the passenger side of the intake. There is also the brake booster hose. Both of these are easy. There are 3 electrical plugs on the top of the passenger side of the transmission that run to all the electronics on the engine. You will need to disconnect these, and disconnect the engine ground strap from the top of the driver side cylinder head (it should be on the front-most intake bolt). So technically, you will have to remove one of the intake bolts to remove the ground strap. I also have no idea why you'd want to remove the front bumper. You WILL want to remove the radiator so it doesn't get damaged when you slide the engine forward. Removal is easy--just remove the top two 12mm bolts and the two 10mm overflow tank bolts. I recommend removing the tank first because it will allow you to gain access to the tranny cooler lines that run to the driver side of the radiator. I also recommend finding or buying a couple pieces of similar size hose and place them over the connectors on the radiator tranny cooler ports so that the tranny fluid doesn't spill out. I placed a small bolt in one end of the hose, then shoved the other end of the hose over the connector. Then, for the other half of the line that is still in the car, I just ran a bolt into that hole to keep the tranny fluid in. Hopefully this makes sense. "While you are in there" you may also want to consider replacing the front input shaft seal on the transmission and the goofy torque converter shaft graphite "c-clip" style seal. These are dealer only seals but are about $15 worth of good insurance. If you haven't dealt with the torque converter removal and reinstallation before, you will want to read up on it. In fact, you may want to do what I did. Remember when I said to push the t/c back with a small screwdriver just before you start pulling the engine away? As soon as I got the engine about 1/2" away, I again stuck a screw driver down there, now between the gap between engine and transmission, and made sure the t/c was all the way back. Then, I drew a marker line on the outermost part of the t/c mounting bolt flange to mark it's depth compared to the front face of the bell housing. That way, I could tell if the torque converter was trying to move out at all. As I pulled the engine out, I could watch the t/c and made sure it stayed put. Then once I had enough of a gap, I ran a bolt through the top passenger bell housing hole with a small metal piece i fashioned from some scrap, and I bolted that in place to further hold the t/c in place. The two studs at the bottom of the engine (the ones the two pain-in-the-butt 14mm lower engine-to-transmission nuts attach to) will probably try to catch the t/c and pull it out as you pull the engine away. Lastly, make sure to disconnect the "dog bone" from the top of the transmission, particularly before you start jacking up the transmission and hoisting up the motor. They won't go very far with the dog bone in place. I disconnected one end of it (from the transmission) and used a pry bar and pushed it up and out of the valley it sits in, and moved it off to one side. I found that leaving it sit in it's valley causes it to hang up and prevent from jacking up the transmission/engine. Overall, the project is pretty easy. I've spent A LOT more time on other types of engines. The worst part of working on this car was those two lower engine-to-transmission bolts, and me incorrectly seating the rear main seal too deep. Other than that, it wasn't bad at all. I've always removed the torque converter bolts through the inspection hole up top. Never tried from below but from up above has always been easy. I can have one hand on a breaker bar on the crank pulley bolt, and another hand on a wrench removing the t/c bolts. There are a couple of electrical connectors and small hoses you will want to temp. move out of the way to gain better access here. When you are ready to hoist the engine out, put a jack under the transmission and jack it up a few inches as you hoist the motor up a few inches. This will give you some clearance to get the engine mount studs out of the cross member and give you some wiggle room from other things. Before you actually start pulling the motor away, put a screwdriver or small prybar between the torque converter and flex plate via the top inspection hole. You should be able to easily push the torque converter back about a quarter inch. This will help in keeping the torque converter from sliding out with the engine (it's a bit of a pain to slide back in). For what It's worth, I TRIED to follow the Hayne's manual but ended up writing my own steps. I had 30 steps in all and was much easier to follow. As previously mentioned, use masking tape and a marker to label all hoses and wires you disconnect. It's not important to label exactly what they are, rather, just label each end of the two pieces the same. I used letters, and the end of a hose was labeled "A" and the spot the hose was to hook up to was also labeled "A". Then I wrote a step in my procedure that I disconnected hose "A" and so on. If your a/c compressor is the same design as ours, you may find this tip a bit helpful. The compressor has a goofy small bracket at the bottom that bolts into the head with one 14mm bolt pointing straight down. The two long lower a/c compressor bolts mount sideways (pointing towards the center of the engine) through the other end of the bracket. I couldn't get the two lower bolts all the way out as-is, and I had to leave them in place but unbolted from the much larger compressor mounting bracket and left them in place in the small bracket and compressor and pulled it all out as one unit. Reinstallation required the reverse procedure in which I had to run the two lower bolts through the small bracket, then through the compressor, then drop it all in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron917 Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Lots of good stuff! The worst part of the whole project for me was getting the two stupid 14mm nuts loose at the bottom of the bell housing where it bolts to the engine. The worst one was the driver side. The steering shaft and drive axles are in the way and it was 3 hours of fun trying not to strip the nut. A 3/8 in. drive flex handle (a.k.a. breaker bar) with a 14mm 6 point socket is the tool to use on this one. It fits right into the space available from below the car. It doesn't slip or flop around like an extension plus U-joint. The handle is still somewhat at an angle, it's not extreme, but be careful not to let it slip. I followed the same procedure as mnwofltrack to make sure that the torque converter stayed in place. Mine didn't move at all, so there was no hassle with trying to put it back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwolftrack Posted September 25, 2007 Share Posted September 25, 2007 Lots of good stuff! A 3/8 in. drive flex handle (a.k.a. breaker bar) with a 14mm 6 point socket is the tool to use on this one. It fits right into the space available from below the car. It doesn't slip or flop around like an extension plus U-joint. The handle is still somewhat at an angle, it's not extreme, but be careful not to let it slip. I followed the same procedure as mnwofltrack to make sure that the torque converter stayed in place. Mine didn't move at all, so there was no hassle with trying to put it back on. I didn't think to use the breaker bar! I should have tried it (I own several), though it sure didn't seem like I could get much of anything in there. Had I known it would have taken 3 hours, I would have pulled the drive axle and made life much easier. I've had problems with that before too, such as trying to get the pin out of the axle shaft and getting the nut off the lower ball joint and breaking it loose. I used a 6 point 14mm shallow socket (12 point likes to strip things), a 3/8" swivel joint, and three 8" extensions to the ratchet from below. This worked for the second disassembly on the driver side, but not the first time. The first time, I had to put a 6 point basic wrench on the bolt, stand a pipe up on the other end up through the engine bay, and whack it loose with a 5lb sledge hammer to break it loose. Once it was loose, it came off rather easily from below with the extensions and socket. For the passenger side, I just used a ratcheting 14mm wrench from above. I couldn't see the nut, but I could easily get my hand down there to feel it and get the wrench on. I did have the torque converter move and get pulled out once, which is why I recommended pushing it back first. The small input shaft on the end of the t/c was rusted a bit and was a bit stuck in the end of the crank. Put a tiny amount of grease on it, and you won't have to worry about it again if you have to ever pull the motor again (such as to replace an improperly installed rear main seal). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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