Engine pulling

LMWatBullRun · **Posted:** Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:31 pm

So, I have gotten to the point that I have the cross member unbolted and I lower the tranny with a jack, and magically I am supposed to be able to get at the top transmission to engine bolts. The one on the top left I can touch, but how do you get a wrench on it?

Also, how do you get at the bolt on the top right? That bolt I can't even get my fingers on, let alone a wrench. Thoughts suggestions from those who have been there would be welcomed.....what do the pros do, pull the engine and transmission as a unit?

EAB · **Joined:** Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:39 pm **Posts:** 141

I got my jeep with no engine in it. When I put the new engine in, I left the motor mounts off so the engine/trans were lower than normal and I did the upper bell housing bolts from the top, like I was hugging the motor.

arengant · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:04 am

With the engine still on it's mounts, lower the transmission/tcase slowly so the whole assembly pivots downward. Sitting/laying behind the tcase you can see the top bolts once they clear the "tub." A flashlight is a must.

I used about 3 feet of extensions and a single universal joint attached to the socket....In this order: Socket--Swivel or U joint--Extension(s)--Wrench

When putting it together I taped the bolt to the socket until I got it threaded in a few turns, then removed tape and tightened like normal.

I just did pulled my transmission few months ago so let me know if you have more questions... no clue on the actual engine pulling

LMWatBullRun · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2012 10:22 am

Arengant: So it sounds as though I did not lower the tranny enough, and was working too close to the transmission. I was lying under the front and reaching up around where the starter motor was. ( removing that was a challenge, btw )

You mentioned clearing the tub; please expand on that a bit if you would? I lowered the cross member until the jack wasnt bearing any more and the top of the head was pressing on the firewall; did I not go far enough? Do you have to pull it farther than it wants to go?

arengant · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:11 pm

LMWatBullRun wrote:

Arengant: So it sounds as though I did not lower the tranny enough, and was working too close to the transmission. I was lying under the front and reaching up around where the starter motor was. ( removing that was a challenge, btw )

You mentioned clearing the tub; please expand on that a bit if you would? I lowered the cross member until the jack wasnt bearing any more and the top of the head was pressing on the firewall; did I not go far enough? Do you have to pull it farther than it wants to go?

No that is plenty far! You lowered the trans far enough, but you WERE too close to the trans.

I still had some weight on the jack (I had it strapped to the oil pan area of the transmission)

From the DRIVER'S side of the Jeep you can get to both top bolts. You can reach them by hand from near the bellhousing (that is how you can reach up and put the socket on) and they you have to actually wrench on it from back near the tcase (again drivers side). Depending on how well you fit or if you have the jeep up in the air, you can sit up and use an impact gun (I used a breaker bar) with an extension. The hardest part was to make sure the socket was on their securely. If you have a helper, have them hold the socket at the bolt while you wrench on it.

Does that make sense?

arengant · **Posted:** Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:14 pm

Oh, and IIRC unless the transmission is lowered, even with a U-joint socket you wouldn't get to the bolt, that is what I meant by clearing the "tub"... Making sure you have access to the bolt.

I used one of these:

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

I used wobble joint extensions from Harbor Freight-about 4 foot or so pieced together and it did the trick for me. You can easily see the top bolts if you approach them directly from rear of the vehicles and a spot light or bright flashlight. Once I got socket on bolt head, I used an impact wrench and zipped it off. To reinstall the bolts when reinstalling the transmission, I put a dab of hot glue from a hot glue gun to keep the bolt from falling out of the socket-necessary because of all of the moving around from the wobble joint or universal joint. If you use a universal joint, I've been told that taping it with electrical tape will allow enough movement without socket/bolt flopping around.

arengant · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2012 3:31 am

Drewd wrote:

I used wobble joint extensions from Harbor Freight-about 4 foot or so pieced together and it did the trick for me. You can easily see the top bolts if you approach them directly from rear of the vehicles and a spot light or bright flashlight. Once I got socket on bolt head, I used an impact wrench and zipped it off. To reinstall the bolts when reinstalling the transmission, I put a dab of hot glue from a hot glue gun to keep the bolt from falling out of the socket-necessary because of all of the moving around from the wobble joint or universal joint. If you use a universal joint, I've been told that taping it with electrical tape will allow enough movement without socket/bolt flopping around.

X2 on all that.

The tape trick ia a must. I extended the tape to the bolt head

kdlewis1975 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:44 am

When I dropped my transmission for the torque converter rework, I had enough extensions to allow me to approach from behind the transfer case. Having about 8 of them linked together had enough wobble that an universal joint wasn't required. From that approach it's almost a straight shot. I didn't tape the bolt on for the reinstall...hadn't heard of that trick until now...but I was able to get the bolt reinstalled by being really careful. The hardest part was trying to lift that mass of extensions by holding only the first 4 inches.

Good luck.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

LMWatBullRun · **Posted:** Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:25 pm

Thanks, crew. Appreciate all the tips.

I used to think that a SAAB 96 was a challenge to work on, until I got into these Jeeps.

geordi · **Posted:** Wed Dec 26, 2012 12:08 am

Which engine is this that you are pulling? The other member's, or the one I delivered to you with the viewport in the side?

I'd hazard that mine would be easier to pull now, being that most of it is probably still in the back seat in those boxes... :banghead:

LMWatBullRun · **Posted:** Wed Dec 26, 2012 7:27 am

Yours would be easy, this is a friend's. Kind of him to let me learn all the tricks on his motor. :-)r

What I think we'll do is pull the mounts. It sounds like it's one bolt all the way through, and that should be easy to get an impact wrench on from underneath.

geordi · **Posted:** Wed Dec 26, 2012 3:12 pm

Not quite - The mounts are actually two half-moons (connected by a rubber center) with studs extending from both top and bottom. The tops are a snap to un-do the nut, although it might be a little tricky to get to the passenger one under the turbo if everything there is still in place.

The underside on the passenger is easy, straight shot with an impacter and extensions. The driver's side... You are going to hate that one. They decided to make it difficult by putting a tab or something off of the frame right under it, and the axle is also right there. Because this is also on the short side of the pumpkin, it is really ugly tight up there.

I managed to get a socket onto the nut somehow, I don't really remember the exact configuration, but I recall that I barely had enough bite to get it loose... And I was also VERY cramped for space to rotate. Much cussing at Chrysler was involved, of course.

For removing the mounts... You are going to need to lift the motor significantly. I used a jack padded with a 2x4 under the 'webbed' section of the oil pan to do it, so that the mount can be lifted up against the engine, and the lower stud can slide out of position. Then it just drops out. The driver's one has to come out the top, IIRC. Yea, not the most fun job, but not terrible compared to some engine mounts I've seen.

LMWatBullRun · **Posted:** Wed Dec 26, 2012 10:10 pm

Thanks for the tips, Geordi, if the meteorological and epidemialogical situation permits, I will probably be using some of these this weekend.

Engine pulling

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