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Engine removal to do a few bits

16K views 85 replies 11 participants last post by  adamelphick 
#1 ·
Well I finally started the task off getting things ready for the engine removal (to do the core plugs). So far I've done the following:

  • Disconnected all wiring plugs and labelled (and put in plastic bags for safety)
  • Removed Plenum and trumpets
  • Managed to get off the pasenger exhaust manifold (What a pain in the ass with siezed heat-shield nuts!)
  • Removed radiator and viscous fan
  • Put air con pump to one side
  • Put power steering pump to one side

It's all been a bit of a struggle as I couldn't get him up on his air bags as the crap Halfords/Yuasa battery died again and he had key code lockout (so I guess I will be falling on the mercy of Mozz again to help me get him started when he's all back togther!). So it's been jacks and axle stands to get underneath.

I've got a few other ancillaries on the engine to go (and the bloody drivers manifold which I think will have to stay on and just be disconnected form the downpipe), and then it's gearbox separation and hopefully it will come out!
So I guess my real question is what to do while it's out?

I've got the following so far:

  • Core plugs ( all 8 )
  • Gearbox filter
  • New serpentine belt
  • Sump gasket

Should I be changing any other gaskets or seals while I have him out? He's always been a bit oily so I guess there are some obvious weak spots that leak? I did the rocker gaskets a year or so ago so they are pretty dry. Was thinking maybe I should do the injector o-rings and give them a clean too?

Thanks,
Adam
 
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#2 ·
Hi Adam, keeps you off the street then for a while:)
When engine is out, renew the rear main seal. This is the only opportunity to do that, cost only a few pounds and easy to pry the old one out.
BTW is it only for the coreplugs you are taking out the engine? There are only 2 of them you cannot reach while engine is in (one behind each cylinderbank).
When hoisting out the engine I should place the axlestands under the chassisrail, simulating the suspension in highest position.
Hoist the engine a bit to lift it off the enginemounts and remove them, now you can lower the engine a few inches lower than the mounts, this gives you more space to undo the top-bellhousingbolts.
Undo the 4 flexplatebolts and see to it the torqueconverter stays in place when sliding out the engine, this is very important to avoid gearbox damage!
Success, Tony.
 
#3 ·
Other than the core plugs, all the other things could have been done with the engine in place. Rear main oil seal on the crank is worth doing while you have it out. As there is a core plug behind the flywheel you'll need to take that off anyway and a new flex plate while it's out would be a good idea too. There's not much else you can't get to with it in place. I wouldn't have taken the manifold off, I would just disconnect the downpipes and lift it out with the manifolds still attached. At least then you can get at the heatshield bolts to replace them while you can get to everything.
 
#9 ·
Yes buy a load leveller - makes it much much easier. I also bought a nice shiny engine stand to make working on the lump easier. http://www.pvrdirect.co.uk/draper-5...QUJry9R_ljPc6CTNyNlhXdzj2_t2gQvYk8RoClV3w_wcB

and then remember to buy 4 x long 7/16 UNC bolts to fix the engine to the stand !!

Also put a ratchet strap under the bell-housing and around the chassis rails to support the gearbox front. I looped mine over both rails, and then both parts of the strap under the bell-housing. Ratchet up from underneath, and it just sits there. This way it won't drop when you separate the engine. Also avoids the need for axle stand (or blocks) under gearbox, which is a pain when raising & lowering the body.
 
#12 ·
+2 on both items, they are musthaves to do the job properly (you haven't spent that much untill now as you say :)). The loadleveller is necessairy to exact line up the engine when mating to the autobox at install.
Try to get 2 extra chains with hooks. When you take out the entire engine there are 2 eyes diagonal on the heads to hook on, the chains with L brackets are handy when you hoist the engine without heads and mount them to the block using the threads of the headbolts.
You won't regret the investment.
 
#17 ·
You can do it (if you need to) with a bit of lateral thinking. I've mounted "sideways" on quite a few engines, using plates I've fabricated to fit the engine mount points and any other handy point on block.
CAUTION- it has the potential to move the mass way outside what the engine stand legs are designed to handle and can tip over. It can also create an unbalanced load. Lastly with flywheel and whatever ancillaries still attached the weight may be more than your engine stand can handle.
 
#18 ·
OB that's true, last time on the stand I had to check the distance between cranksensortip and reluctorring (changed Gems into Thor), that was when I needed the flywheel on and noticed the lack.
 
#20 ·
Before you disconnect the engine from the bellhousing you can run a bolt (6mm i think) up through the bottom of the bellhousing which will hold the torque converter in place
 
#22 ·
OK so another day of preparation.

The loom is completely free of the engine.
Battery box out (as it's lid clip holders are broken) - had to drill one if its bolts out as it was jammed - so that needs sorting too now!
Both oil coolers removed along with loose pipework

I also undid the front body mounts to get at the 'little surface rust' in the hollows - boy was I wrong! On the drivers side it was just surface - the passenger side was awful under the rubber mount. It is in a bad way. Is there a repair patch for there? It will hold up for now but I'd like to get it done as the old boy is in good order otherwise.

So I have a few more questions (you can tell I've never removed something as big as this before!)...

1. Should I remove the air con rad? As far as I can see it would give me MUCH more space to bring the engine forward without so much height. In all honesty the air con needs regassing anyway as it doesn't blow cold half the time....

2. Once I remove the gearbox lower cover I guess I can see the 8 bolts I need to undo? They are not that tight it seems, so I am assuming its undo a bolt, get someone to turn the crank with a spanner till the next one appears, then undo that? Then jam the torque converter with the 6mm nut to stop it coming out with the engine, undo the gearbox bolts, and lift.....

3. Various O-rings have come off with the cooler pipes etc. I am going to renew them in case any have leaks, is there a repair kit for all of them or do I need to trudge to the LandRover dealer and explain all the ones I want? I am presuming they are cheap parts?

Sorry for all the questions!
 
#23 ·
When I took my engine out, I only removed the radiator and viscous coupling and fan, I left the air con in place. In fact, I left all the pipes connected, unbolted the compressor from the engine and put it to one side. Didn't have to re-gas it afterwards then.

What 8 bolts? On a GEMS, you remove the plate at the bottom and the 4 bolts that secure the flex plate to the torque converter. On a Thor there's an access plug that you remove to access the same 4 bolts. Although they are not done up particularly tight, they do have loctite on them so can take some shifting. I jammed a lump of wood up through the round inspection hole to stop the torque converter from being able to move away from the box.
 
#26 ·
Yes, you've obviously got to remove the bolts holding the engine to the gearbox but there are also the 4 bolts that transfer the drive from the engine to the gearbox. These are the 4 that you access either by removing the lower cover or through the access holes. It's not like a manual engine where the gearbox shaft just slots into a clutch, the two are connected by the 4 bolts.

Those O rings won't be a lot of good, rubber breaks down in oil. Island 4x4 will supply you with the correct ones and their website is pretty easy to navigate.
 
#28 ·
adamelphick if you cannot visualise the flexplate/torqueconverter thing and how to undo the 4 bolts that hold the two together it might be an idea to remove the aluminium oilpan (Thor engine) or the dustplate (early Gems) from the lower bellhousing. This gives you sight to the flywheel and how they are bolted together, rather than to remove the rubberplug and guess where your 13mm socket has to come.
Once you have removed the four bolts of the flexplate keep them apart and label them (as you did with the others), they are the only ones to put back there (specific length).
 
#29 ·
Will do - he's a late Gems car - so I'll pop that lower plate off and have a gander. All sounds fairly straightforward. Looking forward to getting it out and being able to sort these pesky core plugs. I'll give it a good clean down and then also renew anything remotely leaky too. I am also thinking it's worth popping the inlet manifold off and renewing that gasket, as I can also replace the injector o-rings, and clean them out with car cleaner too. Every little helps!
 
#31 ·
Hi Chris, I am in Blackheath, near Greenwich. Sorry didn't see your kind offer as I started yesterday early and kept going all day!

This bloody car is fighting me at every step! The gearbox cover plates came off easy (although the big half-moon one had 2 bolts missing - I presume someone has been in there before!). I removed the sump and the strainer to get better access to the flex plate bolts. They came off easy also as I used my 12v impact wrench.... however one of the engine mounting nuts under the drivers side manifold refused to be accessible.. in the end I smashed off the manifold cover (so now I need two of them!!) and managed to get the front part of the manifold to unbolt, and flex enough to get a long socket down to the offending bolt and undo it. So now I can lift the engine and lower it a bit more with the mounts removed as mentioned by other, to allow me more access to the inaccesible bolts on the bellhousing to engine. By this time I had enough and just cleaned up the sump and strainer, then went in for dinner exhausted.

So I THINK that there are only about 3 or 4 bolts holding it all togther now (the other bellhousing ones are cracked loose althoug not taken out yet.

The torque converter should stay where it is as I fed a longer 6mm bolt up through one of the eccess panel holes and it shouldn't allow it past.

It's annoying as literally everything has been fighting me it seems like.
 
#33 ·
Well it's out! Once the crane was used and the engine mounts out of the way I coudl get to the inaccessible bolts! Woohoo....

So once the lump was removed I noticed two things...

Oily grime in the bottom of the gearbox case - assume from a weepy rear end seal (which I bought just in case).

Cracks on the flex plate!!! FOUR CRACKS in fact! So need to get one of them now! What's the best place to get it from?

I presume to get the seal done I have to remove the flywheel? Looks like reverse hex bolts holding it in.
 
#34 ·
The driveplate FTC4607 lists for £10-£20, (funny Britpart has the most expensive), the allanbolts to crankshaft are 8mm from memory. They can be tight though (Rave says 85 Nm). Don't mess with single keys, buy a proper socket for it (½" drive)
 
#37 ·
Once you are at LR direct, if you have the aluminium pan it is the LVF100400 (rubber, about £10.-) if you have a steel pan it only needs sealant.
 
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