Install Engine With Trans, or Engine Then Trans?

[KenFirch]

Getting ready to install my rebuilt motor.  Just wondering if I should install engine and trans as unit like the FSM suggests.  Or get engine settled in, supported in the rear, then lift trans into place.  I've never installed/removed engine/trans as a unit in a Z, but have in other cars.  I've got trans jack and load leveler, and a helper, could go either way.  Harbor Freight load leveler is scary, hold my breath every time I use that dang thing.  Hood removal, reinstallation, and alignment seems the only disadvantage.

Anyway, just wondering what others do.

[Zed Head]

I think it's 50/50.  If you do the transmission separately make sure that you have the car lifted high enough to slide it underneath before you start.  Or put it under the car through the engine bay before you install the engine.  Otherwise you have to rig up some device to hold the engine in place while you lift the car if you didn't have it high enough.

A trick I learned if you do both together (after I had already installed both together, and struggled mightily) is to tie a rope around the tail of the transmission and lift from the inside through the shifter hole to get the cross member installed.  Use a piece of wood to roll up the rope to hold it in place.  It's very difficult to get underneath the tail and lift when you have the weight of both hanging there.

I don't know how much range you have on the load leveler.  You might run it through it's range with the engine and transmission to see if it will work before you get it all hanging over the car.

[siteunseen]

I can chime in here. I do mine by myself too and Zed Head is, as always, 100%. Also mark around you hood hinges before removal and it'll go back just fine, no alignment problems.

If you'll read this one page of my build thread you can see a great photo and advice from @Jeff G 78 and then my OCD rambling but it worked perfect at the end of the day. EDIT: after reading that again myself there's a whole slew of great advice from the guys on this forum. Click on the "April 7, 2016" reply.

Take your time and all possible precautions. Good luck with the install. 

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by siteunseen

[Zed Head]

The bipod, use the bipod.  That weird looking knobby thing in the right hand corner.  For sharing.  There's a lot of pages in that thread.  Thanks for the compliment too, I do try.

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by Zed Head

[KenFirch]

A good read on Site's thread, thanks!  I've got the same leveler, so I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much.  Years ago I pulled the motor sideways over the fender after removing trans.  I guess I'll do the the engine with trans method this time.  Hopefully no need to remove the front bumper, I'll do some measuring first.  

Engine is not as great as some I've seen here, but will hopefully run good.  Decided to try to keep this 73 on the stock side, even the smog stuff.  Well, it does have earlier carbs.  I'll probably regret that choice later.  🙄

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by sfm6s524

[Muzez]

32 minutes ago, sfm6s524 said:

A good read on Site's thread, thanks!  I've got the same leveler, so I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much.  Years ago I pulled the motor sideways over the fender after removing trans.  I guess I'll do the the engine with trans method this time.  Hopefully no need to remove the front bumper, I'll do some measuring first.  

Engine is not as great as some I've seen here, but will hopefully run good.  Decided to try to keep this 73 on the stock side, even the smog stuff.  Well, it does have earlier carbs.  I'll probably regret that choice later.  🙄

 

 

Love the paint color you went with. Can you share what you used? Looks so much cleaner than mine!

[siteunseen]

Looks good! Your's is the right color blue too. @Captain Obvious makes fun of my baby blue.

That leveler scared the bejesus out of me when I first used it, popping and jerking about with my motor hanging over my 280. I tweaked it a little and used a socket instead of the turn handle. 

Scraped the paint off the bottom where the roller is. That made it smoother.

Then I used some axle grease on the roller and the bottom, even smoother.

Socket on the other end too.

 

[KenFirch]

27 minutes ago, Muzez said:

Love the paint color you went with. Can you share what you used? Looks so much cleaner than mine!

I ordered it from California Datsun.  Felt stupid at the time spending 30+ bucks for a rattle can, but is does look right!  👌  1 can did the block, brackets and air pump pulley, and still a bit left.

https://www.californiadatsun.com/paint-body/datsun-engine-true-blue-green-spray-can-paint.html

 

[grannyknot]

2 hours ago, sfm6s524 said:

 I guess I'll do the the engine with trans method this time.  Hopefully no need to remove the front bumper, I'll do some measuring first.  

You can also raise the back end of the car,  that will make the angle of the engine/trans less and therefore easier.

[Captain Obvious]

5 hours ago, siteunseen said:

. @Captain Obvious makes fun of my baby blue.

Only in jest!    

My local Z buddy here painted a block a couple years ago with that custom blue can from CA Datsun. Looked great compared to the stock color (when compared to other things like the harmonic balancer from that engine). Then he bought a second can about a year ago to do a second block and now it's a lot darker that it used to be. Doesn't match the stock color very well. Too dark and not enough green.

sfm6s524,  It's hard to tell from just a pic, but yours looks like the darker batch. There might be some overspray on the plate between the block and trans for a comparison?

[Jeff G 78]

Thanks Cliff!

I've R&R'd dozens of Z powertrains and I almost always keep them together.  I hate trying to line up the trans under the car.  I'd much rather do it while the engine is hanging from a hoist.

As for hoists, if you have a folding hoist, you might have to pull the front bumper to get enough reach to be centered on the engine.  I had to buy a fixed leg hoist to do mine with the bumper in place.  You can get the engine out, but lining it up during install is almost impossible if the reach is too short.

The first dozen or so engine pulls were done with a Farmall Cub tractor with a custom boom hoist.  It was 100 times easier than any engine hoist I've ever used.  I could pull an engine in a gravel driveway as easy as in a shop.  I'll have to see if I can find an old picture of that setup.  I miss that tractor!

[Zed Head]

I hanged (hung?) a hoist from my garage rafters and rolled the car back and forth.  People generally hate to read that but if you know how rafters work it can be safe.  Spread the load and know the loads is the key.