I finally did all the difficult and unsavory jobs and removed every plate, part, nut and bolt necessary to remove the engine. Except ONE. The torque converter connects to the flex plate with 3 short bolts. I know this because I personally installed them with a new torque converter when I spent 10 months and $2000 hand rebuilding the 4l60e transmission. (Now that was a project! some day I will document that.)
Due to my own stupidity and missing 3 oil changes, the engine is LOCKED and I can not turn the flex plate to be able to reach the third torque converter attachment bolt. I really don’t want to drag out the engine with the heavy ass torque converter on the back of it. Other than being filled with transmission fluid and making a huge mess and making the engine longer and harder to manipulate. It would also probably tear the front pump seal that I was so carful to install.
But just a quick recap of what I did manage to accomplish on Superbowl Sunday. So I treated myself to another epic breakfast omelette. I make way too many vegetables to actually fit inside a two egg omelette but that is just something I have learned to live with. This particular culinary wonder included some fungi, white cap mushrooms, along with the onion and ubiquitous traffic light bell peppers I tend to eat every day. I guess at some point I will start a new project and actually plant some of these to harvest myself. But since our last freeze here is usually March I still have some time.
By Bride headed off to her weekend job and 21 decided to go take a run/hike for a couple of hours. And since I have to have the shop door open to work on the truck I can’t really have Haas down there with me, so I am again trapped in the house. Yes I could put him in his kennel while I am in the shop, but he tends to become nervous and a little destructive when left in it. The expensive ass calming bed my bride purchased to remedy this worked for him to sleep on but as soon as we left him alone with it with the kennel door closed it ended up eviscerated. Much like what happened to David’s intestines when the zombies got to him as he tried to leave the Winchester in Shawn of the Dead .
(If you haven’t seen the movie, stop reading this and go do it.)
So I ended up behind my desk. After finding out my quiz was still not graded in my online data analytics class, I started writing a full and lengthy love letter about Tex-Mex food and growing up in San Antonio. A few hours later… 21 returned from her aerobic adventure fresh with accolades from the apple watch fitness app. So I handed off the needy pooch to her and headed down to the shop.
After turning on a car show to make background noise. I was not ready for the SuperBowl prep madness. I got to work in my freezing cold shop removing the last of the bell housing bolts.
A 12″ 3/8th extension with a wobble with a deep 14mm socket and a ratchet did the job without much drama. I still could not get both sides of the nut and bolt that go through the motor mount to hold on the lower bell housing strut rod.
All other jobs being done I decided to put the engine lift together and attempt to remove the lump. I quickly discovered that without removing the bolts that go through the engine mounts the lump was not about to leave the frame.
The two bolts are about 6 inches long and have loose nuts on the other end which require a box-end wrench to hold them in place. The bolts are almost at frame height. To get to them I need to stand on my 20.5″ tall platform and lean over using my 2×4 brace to hold up my upper body while i reach down to the frame rail with a 6 pound impact wrench in one hand and a box-end wrench in the other. So the 2×4 is actually one of two that I use as a frame to holdup a piece of 3/4″ ply so I can lay on it and reach the back of the engine in relative comfort. It is a really good setup but a little hard. Since last time I was on it, I have used the plywood for another project and need to buy another one. Sadly, plywood is still very expensive. but this time I will cut it to shape with rounded edges and some pads on it and paint it the appropriate Red to go with the other tools. (Project under hood Platform).
That 2×4 held me up without a problem, that is except for the massive bruise it left on my right ribcage under my chest where all my body weight was leaning on it. Note to self if you use it again get a pad for it!. Ok so with the engine mount bolts out I attached the lift again and attempted to free the engine.
The block came up from the mounts but was not separating from the transmission. At this point I could see the bell housing rod bolt and had clear access to it. With my hands carefully positions so they would not get amputated if the lift let go, I removed the bolt and the rod. I let the engine back down on the mounts and headed under to remove the plate and the torque converter bolts.
The plate came off with just a quick jiggle to get past the transmission lines. But only two of the three torque converter bolts were accessible. So that is where the day ended. I am happy with what I have done, but I need a game plan to get the last one out.
