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Im pulling a BBC and manual gearbox out of my 70C3 and replacing with another BBC and manual.
Last time I used a block and tackle but im wondering if I can use a engine hoist. Motor coming out has aluminium heads but replacement has iron heads. Im worried about the long nose of the vette.
Is it best to install the engine and gearbox as a unit, I can see the engine to bellhousing bolts are real close to the body.
I believe most of the time when people use hoists (myself included) they just come over the side with the legs of the hoist around the front tire. If the hoist has a long enough reach (not just boom extension) it could come out the front but the side works fine.
M
Lots of guys here say do both together. I did not but I have a lift and dropping the trans is pretty simple. You will probably want to go in from the side as it is a very long reach over the nose. Support the car at the frame behind the front wheel and block under the front cross member being careful to span the enitre width of the cross member. The metal on the bottom is thin and you will dent it up as someone did to mine. That should help keep the frame from twisting as you load it with the weight of the engine and with the wheel removed give you room to work the hoist around if you install engine and trans as a unit. The right side gives you the shortest reach.
I put my BB back in not too long ago. I did NOT remove the core support and radiator. I had to pull the bell housing too. With the removal of the hood, core support, and radiator, I'm confident I could have installed the trans at the same time.
I like doing it without the trans. I don't have to spend a bunch of time underneath removing the driveshaft, shifter linkage or any of that other stuff then re-installing it all later. Those bellhousing bolts are pretty easy to get at with the distributor out. Below is the original 427 going back in my 69. Kind of a fun job compared to some other things...
I borrowed the big engine hoist from the shop I used to work at the last time I slung in my motor. It is a cast iron tall deck with cast iron heads. I went in as a unit with the Lakewood scatter shield and Super T-10 attached. I did have to go in from the side though, that was too much sticking out of the boom on the hoist for me to feel comfortable. It had the clearance, But I'm not sure it would have held up extended out that far. I didn't want to find out the hard way...
I put my BB back in not too long ago. I did NOT remove the core support and radiator. I had to pull the bell housing too. With the removal of the hood, core support, and radiator, I'm confident I could have installed the trans at the same time.
We did mine this way too. Didn't have to remove the hood. It's tight but it works.
Another thought with 4 or 5 speed. Put Trans on engine to ensure clutch alignment. Take Trans off. Drop engine in and install Trans while hanging on hoist. You have the advantage of not fighting the cross member without the disadvantage of the steep tilt with the Trans swinging around trying to get hung up on stuff.
Last edited by derekderek; Feb 8, 2018 at 04:45 PM.
When I did my friends BB = 5 speed with him we pulled the core support, hood and radiator. The engine with trans installed easily. It was a good time to have the radiator boiled and cleaned.
I used a 2 ton Harbor Freight engine hoist with the tilt bar / load leveler. The tilt bar made life easy.
Did another (69) with another friend. Put the trans on the engine, then separated it - to align the clutch. Dropped it in from the side and put the trans in from underneath while still on the hoist. Same hoist as it's mine.
Two people and it's not bad, 3 people and it's really easy...
BB is heavy large beast by itself
they can be pulled together, my personal preference is to pull BB engine by itself,
get some help(more Hands), they are a bit precarious, hovering over a fiberglass fender.
I did this a little more than a yeR ago. Put the engine in from the front fully dressed with transmission attached. Used the Harbor Frieght 2 ton engine hoist, with another square tube inside to extend the boom. We had to counter balance the hoist to keep it from tipping since the balance point was changed. A couple concrete bags should work, but we used around 6-8 large concrete pavers. Doing this made it stable, and gave the reach to get the engine in from the front. Doing it from the side had issues for me due to space constraints (cars and parts on either side). We also used a come a long to get more tilt than the Macs pivot allowed.
Long 'nose' engine crane and 'going-in' from the front is easiest - either 'lift' engine and pull crane out (being very careful not to let it swing and let the whole thing fall over!) - or - leave crane and 'hanging' engine in place and simply roll the car back..........
Last edited by roscobbc; Feb 10, 2018 at 04:33 AM.
BBC removal
