Up to this point, I didn't think that pulling a motor out of a Subaru was a big deal. But I've never pulled a motor from a vehicle with an automatic trans before. I seem to have broken the input shaft on the trans in the donor car. That doesn't hurt my feelings because that trans was pretty much done when I got it. I've got the engine unbolted in the car I'm putting this engine into but I haven't put the hoist on it yet. So before I go reefing and yanking, I thought I'd ask if there's some kind of trick when pulling a motor off of an auto trans. Anyone?

Be careful of the torque converter.Its full of ATF and it can slide off the trans input shaft and hit the deck. Huge mess. Just make sure when you begin to seperate the engine and trans,your aware if it. Try and keep it pushed back towards the trans. Of course,it has to be unbolted from the flex plate.

Ok....that may be where I went wrong here. Does the converter need to be unbolted from the flex plate prior to pulling the motor? Just asking so as to be crystal clear on this. If so, do you unbolt it through the timing mark hole?

 

I guess I just figured it came out like a clutch. Unbolt the motor, pull it, unbolt the clutch from the back side. Oops.

Yes, there are just a few nuts holding it to the flexplate. Rotate the engine over and undo the nuts, then while disengaging the engine off the bellhousing make sure to push the torque converter back into the transmission bellhousing.

Yes, 4 bolts (12mm head???) connect the flexplate to the converter housing. Although it is generally inadvisable, it is possible (and frequently an unwanted happening) to leave the TC still bolted onto the flexplate and pull it that way. Just make sure the oil pump shaft (3AT) or various shafts (4EAT) are disengaged from the TC before any vertical strain/lifting is done.