hi guys and gals. implannig on pulling my engine out of my 79 L48. just wanted to freshen up the motor and possible cam swap. i have a couple of buddies helping me that have worked on these engines but none that have ever pulled an engine out of a C3.my question is, is there anything out of the ordinary that i'll run into or anything that i should know before pulling the engine out. i have the factory repair manual for reference.

 

Take the opportunity to replace fuel lines, belts, hoses, and all those other little rubber pieces. You can also lube or replace your throttle cable, and make sure you check all the wiring for signs of wear or cracking around the bend points. Also a great time to replace the windshield washer hoses and clamp rings. Nothing special about a Vette engine pull, in fact, the C3's are fairly easy compared to some. There is a decent amount of room around the engine to work.

Good luck!!
bill.

 

Hi wrwalke, let us know how the engine pull go's, I'll be doing the same within a year and don't know if I should pull engine and tranny as a unit or individually. I'm putting the L48 in storage and in the process of building a 383 from another motor that I kept from a truck, good luck.

 

I just saw that I adressed my last reply to the wrong member, sorry.

 

thanks for the reply wrwalke. all the hoses and rubber pieces will be replacedwhen i pull it out. i believe an engine harness isunder$200 through ecklersill probable replace it. the previous owner cut it uppretty good.would it be possible to pull the engine and trany together or should the trany be removed from the bottom. its got a TH350 in it. hey buckshoot when i do pull it ill keep you all updated hopefully with pix. im hoping to start it by the end of the month.

 

Put some tention on the engine, let 'er rock back, (don't crush the dist., might as well take it out), pull the tranny, and the engine will come out nice and easy. It's a real pain to pull the engine with the tranny atached. [:@]

 

If you are going through the process, drain and remove the radiator and radiator support, pull the distributor, if you have headers, unbolt them and leave them in place. Unhook the throttle cable. If you have cast exhaust manifolds, just unhook the exhaust pipes.Unhook the shifter linkage (manual or automatic)(disconnect the trans coolant lines for an automatic), Disconnect the wiring to the alternator and starter. Once you have the lift hooked up, put a little tension on the chain, remove the engine mount cross bolts and drop the trans mount. Now you can pull out the whole assembly. This will save a lot of time fussing with separating the trans from the engine. Put it back in the same way. There is plenty of wiggle room.

 

If you pull the engine and tranny together, you'll have to get more tilt and lift higher, plus you'll have to have the front of the car higher to get the clearance for the additional length of having the tranny atached. I've pulled a LOT of engines and done it both ways, believe me, drop the tranny first! Yes, it's some extra work to separate the tranny, but you'll have to move the car back, which is hard to do if it's jacked up, or move your puller away as you pull the two. Drop the tranny and the engine will come almost straight up and out. After pulling the tranny you can set the car back on the ground and roll it out from under the engine when ya get it in the air. The angle of the dangle is the key, think about it....(you're also pulling a lot less weight with the tranny not atached) Take out your top bellhousing bolts before you drop the crossmember. You can reach them from the top.
Just my opinion, don't cha know. Do it however ya want.

PS
Put them back in the same way, engine first, then the tranny.

 

I did mine a little different.Of course I am a little off center anyway.I blocked the tranny with a jack, unhooked the engine, wiggled it forward and up to clear the tranny and out she came.I then just used bailing twine (just can't get the farmer out of me no how) to support the front of the trans so I could move the car around. It doesn't matter which way you do it,just do it the way it suits you. Have fun and let us know how it goes. Oh ya are you using a picker or an A frame? With the picker the car can stay stationary till you are done doing whatever with the engine, TheA frame you will have to use a floor jack that can support the tranny and roll back with the car to clear the engine No biggy

 

Hey Busnut,
A country boy can survive, eh? Not a bad idea at all!