waddisme

I took mine out from the top and it will be at least 3 weeks before it is ready to install. Now it just sits in my garage awaiting motor and then taking to shop for reinstall. 100% positive I do not want to put it back from the top again. Can body be lifted safely with jacks and stands enough to remove drive chassis without using a lift? Just curious if anyone has tried it. Found nothing on search.

Armycop

FWIW I found installing my motor from the top not that bad. A cherry picker is a must, and lowering the front cradle on their bolts as far as it'll go without coming off made aligning the TT and bellhousing much easier. Didn't have to remove the steering rack either.
Coming in from the bottom means mounting the engine/front cradle together, then bringing that mess up to the car. Without a lift I don't see it being very labor-friendly.

flash911

I'm trying to picture how you would jack the car up high enough, and then support it with stands to clear the engine and cradle?

It feels like the more I wrench the dumber I get.

JVetthead

I have done it from bottom once.. the first and last time. just to crazy on jack stands.
I have now done it from top 4-5 times.

RX-Ben

I removed everything from the bottom. I have a regular "big" jacks and regular "big" jackstands, but nothing crazy. I also used a trans jack. It was pretty straightforward, but frame rail to engine clearance gets tight as you are dropping the engine, so you will need nudge the drivetrain forward. Of course also watch the firewall. Once lowered, the engine and bellhousing were disconnected. **I don't have the OEM lower radiator cradle, so it was really easy to roll the engine forward and out.
Haven't decided which way to reinstall, thinking I might also go from the bottom but it will depend on how big of a PITA it is to mate the input shaft/bellhousing.

waddisme

The mating input shaft/bellhousing was my issue from last install. It was really hard to get it mounted going in from the top. Got it close enough to pull together with bellhousing bolts, but ended up tearing down 2 mos later to repl pilot bearing. That is why I want to avoid going in from top. I have a shop lined up to install from the bottom, but I would like to save myself the $$s by doing myself if I could without tearing anything up again.