As I have been reading many posts concerning the removal an reinstalling my engine, I just wish I could do it myself, but not having a shop/good garage and my health I will have to allow my neighbor to do the work. He is a GM mechanic and the only way is the gm way to do this. I don't tally agree. From some of the ways I see it from reading various posts are the following:

1. Remove transmission than engine with bell housing (neighbors view) 2. Leave transmission in and remove engine with bell housing attached (my choice). 3. Remove just the engine.

I have the old engine partially disassembled with intake and heads off as I thought I could just replace the head gaskets but afraid of more internal lower end problems so l have another low mileage engine complete wit accessories an wiring harness. Radiator is also out. Once the old engine is out I can check condition of the clutch.
Now for the reinstallation I would reinstall mounted bellhousing and engine leaving harmonic balancer off and remove the motor mounds from the engine. Sliding the transmission shaft into the bell housing thru the throw out bearing and into the pilot bushing is what my neighbor seems to have an issue with an wants to have everything installed as one unit. Just seems like a waste of time doing it that way to me. Using pilot bolts to help guide bell housing to transmission things would seem to align with either rotation the engine or flywheel to mate them together, the reason for the motor mounts to be off to have more rotation. By the way I do have the happy hooker mounted.

Any ideas to try and convince him or just go the long route.

Thanks

 

I take it this is a 6 spd. on mine I left the tranny in and just pulled the motor w/BH, much easier in my opinion. You will have to remove the motor mounts to allow the motor to drop down low enough to get the upper bell housing bolts started and tight when reinstalling. The problem with that is that putting the motor mounts back on after the motor is in the car is VERY difficult. There is a flange around the motor mount that makes it very hard to start the lower bolts into the motor. I took a grinder and made a small cut in that part of the flange right where the lower bolt goes, that made it a easy to get the bolt started. In my opinion it is MUCH easier to leave the tranny in the car and just pull the motor. Also you will need two people just when you reinstall the motor, one under the car helping to align the tranny tail shaft with the clutch, the tail shaft is very long. Good luck.

 

Forgot to say that the bell housing is already on the motor but the cats use the top two bolts in the bell housing to mount to.