First time engine pull

[btceng]

I need any advice on pulling the 318 and tranny out of my 72 Challenger. I have to pull it from the top and need any helpful hints that I can get. Attached is a pic of where I am currently. I'm needing to do some work on the firewall and also would like to change the torque converter, add headers, exhaust, paint, and so on.

Thanks in advance guys. Ya'll are much more help than the service manuals.

 

[ramenth]

What tips are you looking for?

Get the engine and tranny drained of everything you can get drained: oil, coolant, etc. Get the rad, fan, brackets, pulleys, stripped off. If the A/C holds a charge and still blows cold I'd unbolt the compressor and lay it over to the side without touching the lines. If it doesn't then go ahead and pull it. Remember, the idea is to make room for the engine/trans to swing. You'll need to bring the engine up and forward, so everything that is in front of the engine is taking up available room.

Get your electronics all unhooked, drop the exhaust from the manifolds. Take out the driveshaft, unhook the linkage from the trans. Put a floor jack under the tailshaft and unbolt the trans mount. Might want to put a pan under the trans, too. It'll drop fluid once the engine starts up.

I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of stuff. That's what happens when you gain a muscle memory for doing things.

 

[6packcuda]

You'll want to get the front end up on jack stands too so the tranny has room to swing down.

 

[btceng]

Thanks. I am about to pull out the a/c condenser, rad, fan, hoses, etc. Is it just as easy to pull the engine and trans at one time or to separate them and leave the tranny in place?

 

[6packcuda]

I think it's easier to pull them both together.

 

[ramenth]

So do I. No sense in separating the two and having to muscles the trans out, even with a floor jack. Let the cherry picker handle the muscle work for you.

 

[71droptop]

Try to mark position of distributor, on intake .white out will work. Pull distributor straight up and out. Note position of rotor-try to have damper on TDC -rotor on #1. to make life easier on start up.

 

[btceng]

I've got all of the accessories off and am just about ready to do the deed. Should I remove the exhaust manifolds from the heads or drop the pipes off? I plan on installing a set of headers when it goes back in. Also, any recommendations on a 2000 or so stall converter for a 904? The car should have a 727 but it must have been replaced at some time.

 

[ramenth]

I'd pop the pipes off the manifolds and pull the manifolds with the engine. As far as the stall convertor, what cam are you planning, what gears do you have?

 

[btceng]

The engine runs good with the exception of having far too much cam in it. There is an old thread on that issue. I installed the Mopar Perf. Purple with a .484 lift. I know that this is totally not the right cam. It has a great lope but of course the idle is way off and the engine wants to shut off at idle when the transmission is in gear. I'm running it at about 1000 rpm idle to compensate. I thought about changing the cam out while the engine is out of the car but it has almost no miles on it since the cam install. I want to do a little work on the heads (porting) and add headers. I thought that a higher stall may help with the idle problem. I have 2.73 gears but plan on a 3.55 or 3.91 upgrade.

 

[ramenth]

Stall would definitely help. You might meet some naysayers out there on the .484 Purple Shaft, but I like it. The one in my 360 sitting between the fenders of my M-body has been a damned good cam. I'm looking at least 2500rpm for the A-500 I'm building to back it up.

 

[btceng]

Yeah, it runs out pretty good if you can get into the right rpm range. No low end, though. I don't want a race car. I'm looking for a good musclecar sound and moderate performance. I think that with a 2000-2500 stall and a 3.55 gear, I will be happy.

 

[moper]

When you talk about a convertor and a street car, you ned to keep "street" as the primary part. I think a stock 340 convertor or one of the cheaper Mancini convertors would be great for you. The gearing is MUCH more important than the convertor in terms of all around feel. With a 318 and typical 28-29" tires the Ebodies have 3.91s are a great compromise gear. The car is pretty heavy as far as overall weight and 3.55s will offer some improvement but if you have 3.23s already it's not much of a change for the expense.

 

[btceng]

I mistakenly said 3.23 but my gears are actually 2.73. Thanks.

 

[moper]

Yeah, so you'll want to keep the stall below your cruise rpm or the car will feel sluggish and the acceleration will be spongy unless you're at full throttle.

 

[Challenger340]

The .484 can perform very well !
BUT,
the "trick", is to degree it and get the Intake Pattern UP around 105* ATDC.

If it's just installed, "lining up the Dots" on most T/Chains, it invariably ends up late, and VERY SLUGGISH on low-pop Engines,
especially,
since it tends to dump scavenging waay past the efficiency point as a "Mopar" designed stick, for the stock poor exhaust heads.
GET IT UP, and you may be surprised ?
That Said,
there are better cams out there these days,
just that, if you've got it(484) and are on a budget, don't "delete" it, until, you've verified it's degree'd where it outa be.

 

[btceng]

Pulled both Saturday morning. Not as bad as I thought. Thanks for the help.

 

[ramenth]

Nope, it's not bad at all. Congrats on your first successful engine pull.

 

[btceng]

Here's a proud boy and a new Mopar fan.

 

[burntorange70]

Looking good. The boy looks about like the motor. Hooked! Always nice to see a father/son build.