The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Help removing engine!

It’s a 53 2/4 ton with a possible mid 70’s strait 6. Lost compression in # 6 & blowing oil.
Where can I find book that could help me?
Do I separate the engine from the transmission?
I’m not sure about these engine mounts. The driver side is cut in half & has no rubber at all.
Also the the exhaust header goes down and was compressed over the steering box. Assuming I’ll need a new one as well as an exhaust shop?

Hy glennj3, the engine is definitely newer than your truck, there has been an aftermarket crossmember installed to intercept the newer engines mounts (one side not done correctly at all with no rubber insulator). To remove the engine, I would remove the transmission from it, you shouldn't have to remove the intake manifold, but definitely the fan. Your truck is far from stock as far as the engine is concerned, many more pictures of the engine/chassis would help us spot any potential problems with the engine removal, hope that helps.

Unbolt the trans and try to slide it back. Make sure a strap or something is supporting it.

Undo cooling system. I would remove rad as well just to protect it.

Undo all wiring and hoses.

If you have a engine hoist great, but if you don't rig something up to pit with a comealong or something like that. I was able to lift mine straight up and out. Most people have a equalizer set up on the hoist so they can tip it to clear things.

Yes sir.I’m old & tired (after getting very sick about 3 weeks ago, still trying to get my strength back!).
So the transmission should come out in order to get the engine out?
I’m wondering beneath the truck with it jacked up & stands keeping it up. I do have an engine lift but no engine stand.
I do have the repair books for the year truck but that doesn’t help me with what I’m doing.
I may have bitten off more than I can chew but I plan to prod along and do a little every day.

Do you still have the original torque tube? If so it will affect how you move the transmission back to aide in engine removal.

I am not sure on that, I think it is original.

The radiator is out, Carburator Is removed. One of the exhaust manifold pipes rubs on the stearing gear box (is actually compressed so it could go by the steering gear box), so that has been putting excess heat on that for years. It might be easier to remove the exhaust than to work sepperating the flange? I can drop the transmission using my floor jack.

You need to confirm if you have the original torque tube drive line or is it now open? It will affect as to how you move/lower the gear box. If it is a torque tube, disconnect and slide back the ball joint. Raise the ball joint end of the torque tube up pressing against the bottom side of the floor. Disconnect and lower the gear box to the ground. Now you have lots more room to raise and remove the motor.

I’ll take a picture of it because I don’t know how to tell!

You may not have to remove the trans. It depends on what type bell housing & rear mounts has been used & how much front clearance you have. More photos might help.

George

Pictures,

It looks to me like you could pull the engine either with or without the transmission attached. The service manual indicates pulling the engine with the tranny attached. You'll likely need to remove the header from the engine, or it may come out if you disconnect at the collector. If you do have the tranny attached, you'll need an adjustable engine leveler to tilt the assembly back as you pull it.

It looks like much less difficulty if I remove the engine alone.
I have a leveler.
Is the clutch attached to the engines flywheel? I assume so!
It probably needs a new one, it doesn’t slip but it does jerk when releasing from a stop.

Yes, the clutch is attached to the flywheel. It may have oil on the clutch disk, which will make it grab.
One issue of pulling the engine separately is that you have to pull it far enough forward for the transmission input shaft to come out of the clutch. With the tranny attached, you can just disconnect the u-joint and let the tranny pivot down. If you leave the tranny behind, you'll also need to support the front of it.

At the back end of this transmission where the drive shaft attaches, normally there is a U Joint but this one is closed.
Would I need to remove the cover ? Is there a U Joint inside of that cover?

Yes, there's a u-joint inside that cover. Unbolt the cover from the tranny and slide the bell back on the driveshaft. With the 2-piece driveshaft, you can also unbolt the carrier bearing from the frame mount and swing it down to effectively shorten the driveshaft in getting it loose from the tranny.

Thanks for that information. I’m trying to remove the engine with transmission in the truck.
I’m looking at locations to attach my hoist??

For your education, that is what we are referring to as a Torque Tube. Yes there is a joint inside the tube.

I'm still in favor of my earlier suggestion of disconnecting the torque tube at the ball joint, raise the front end of the torque tube upward til it touches the flooring panel. Disconnect the transmission front the motor and lower it down to the ground via a engine hoist. Then pull the motor.

I’m also in favor of removing the tranny. It will complicate reinstalling the engine with the tranny in place.

Thanks for that information. I’m trying to remove the engine with transmission in the truck.
I’m looking at locations to attach my hoist??

It is a 3/4 ton, so the driveshaft is made up of an conventional external shaft with 2 u-joints coming forward from the differential and connecting to an enclosed shaft at a center hanger. Here is the picture from the GMC parts book.

For a 216, the shop manual says: "Remove the third cylinder head bolt from the rear on the left and the fourth from the rear on the right." Those get replaced with eyebolts and the lifting beam attached. Those points are for removing the engine and transmission as an assembly. If you detach the transmission first, then you would probably need to move the lift points slightly forward for the best balance.

The 2-piece driveshaft is what I was referencing allowing additional space for removing the u-joint.

I did what OP is trying to do twice last month on two different trucks (both 1 ton but it’s the same as the 3/4)

What I do is: strip the engine down to reduce weight and possibility of breaking something delicate
So manifolds come off
Generator and starter and distributor and the down draft tube if it’s not stuck, all of it, fuel pump too, if it’s easy and quick strip it off

Then go under truck and remove the transmission and drop it down, bell housing stays on engine because it’s the rear support
Pull the two rear bell housing bolts out of the frame, it’s not bad there is plenty of space with the transmission out
Remove the front two motor mount bolts
And chain hoist that engine out!

The radiator must be removed for this task.
But nothing forward of that unless you want to take more off just to make reaching places easier
-s

OK, I will try to remove the transmission first. I guess I’ll figure it out as I go while looking for advice from everyone!
Thank you all!

Oh, please tell me where or how to attach the hoist locations?

As far as i can tell, this has a later model engine in it. You can separate it from the bell housing. It is not like the 235/216 engines. Remove the starter & 6 bolts around the perimeter of the BH. Pull the engine forward & raise it up. Leave rest of the stuff alone. Put a stand under the trans or tq. tube as it will drop a bit.
You can wrap the chain around the rear section of the intake manifold & the other end use a 3/8 coarse thread bolt & put it in the upper accessory mount hole on the right side of the head. If the manifold are off you can use a bolt like that in the manifold mount hole.

George

I like to use a head bolt front driver side and the starter top bolt
I connect a short small chain and then I pin my hoist chain so it can’t slip in the center balance in that setup
It’s not pretty but it worked okay for me
After I get it out I sometime change it up, no two times is the same, it’s an artistic approach
-s

Thanks. Yea I can see it’s kind of a guess & search technique!

Here's how I have dropped the gearbox first. Probably a method used more for when one is pulling the gearbox to work on it. But if you want to separate the gearbox from the motor before pulling the motor, here's one of many different ways. You can see the end of the torque tube shaft up against the bottom of the floor, which gives lots of room to slide the gearbox backwards in order to drop it. I lower it to the ground and slide the gearbox out from under. I'm sure there are tons of different ways to pull the gearbox first, such as using a floorjack, etc and sure others will chime in with their ideas.

This engine is a later 6 from about 1970, so its a 230 or 250. He OP said he determined it’s not a 292. Previous posters have asked to post the numbers but he had trouble reading them.

I’m thinking I could push up the engine with a Jack, release pressure on the engine mounts and use them as well as one from the rear.

Great pictures.I had no idea I could pull it up through the floor!
Thanks.

glennj3,

Just a note that he did say he "lowered" the transmission to the floor to then slide out from under the truck.

You maybe could lift it up and out , but many more opportunity to bang up something in the cab or on the doors while maneuvering it out past the seat, dash,doors, etc.

Let us know how everything works out.

Dan

Thanks!

Crawling underneath today I removed the starter which is not connected to the Bellhousing.
I don’t know if the pictures I took will help anyone much but what it appears to me..
There is a bolt near the top of the bell housing connecting it to the engine. It’s very tight & im not sure how I can get it off?
That leaves me to leave the Bell Housing on the engine & at least separate the transmission from the Bell Housing?
To me I see one large bolt on each upper side. I think that would allow it to separate.
The clutch lever looks like it would have to be disconnected too?

There are two more bellhousing to transmission bolts. The bolt heads are inside the bellhousing.

It's way too late in the conversation to mention it, but that engine will come out without removing the bell housing. Just unbolt the engine from the bell housing, slide it forward a little, and lift it out. The flywheel and clutch can remain bolted to the crankshaft and it was not necessary to remove the transmission. Once it's clear of the frame, torch those Mickey Mouse motor mounts out of there and start from scratch mounting the engine correctly.
Jerry

It’s not too late Jerry. The two transactions mounts are not even tight, they are very loose!
The way it looks you are correct. My problem doing that is trying to get the two top bolts out because it’s so close to the tunnel board.
I think an electric wrench would work..?