How Many Hours to Remove Engine

[anywhen]

I am thinking about removing my PRV to install new cams, new seals, paint engine, new throw out bearing and new hoses. How long does it take to have my engine sitting in the garage?

[Ryan King]

It took me 1 person, a hoist, and about 5 hours time.
Like a boss.

[David T]

Hard to give you a good estimate without knowing the working conditions, tools available, your experience, the condition of the car and the fasteners, etc. One stuck or forgotten bolt and you could be tearing your hair out for hours. Certainly you should be able to get the motor out in less than 1/2 a day with the right tools and an engine crane.
David Teitelbaum

[nullset]

Hard to give you a good estimate without knowing the working conditions, tools available, your experience, the condition of the car and the fasteners, etc. One stuck or forgotten bolt and you could be tearing your hair out for hours. Certainly you should be able to get the motor out in less than 1/2 a day with the right tools and an engine crane.
David Teitelbaum

Twenty minutes with access to either a good torch or hydraulic cutters……

Oh wait, you wanted to be able to put it back in didn't you? :)

[stevedmc]

I don't know about removal but it took me and my mechanic a good 10 hours to install a replacement engine. This is including the time spent putting the muffler and fuel system (carburetor) back on.

[anywhen]

Thank's for the response. On the way back from the Kentucky Rally my D started idling at 2,000 to 2,500 rpm's. Can't seem to get it fixed. I think the problem is under the intake manifold. Three years ago I started updating my car from the front and have been working to the rear. Just had a killer stereo, new seats and new carpet installed. Trying to decide if I really want to drop the engine or just take off the intake to try to fix the idle.

[nullset]

Thank's for the response. On the way back from the Kentucky Rally my D started idling at 2,000 to 2,500 rpm's. Can't seem to get it fixed. I think the problem is under the intake manifold. Three years ago I started updating my car from the front and have been working to the rear. Just had a killer stereo, new seats and new carpet installed. Trying to decide if I really want to drop the engine or just take off the intake to try to fix the idle.

Why would you think it's under the intake manifold?

How's your idle switch? Throttle spring? There are a few things you can check…..

[dmc6960]

If the idle thermistor is disconnected, if gives you an idle between 2000-2500 rpm. Could very well be the problem. Could be bad thermistor, simply disconnected, or bad wiring. Pulling the engine is OVERKILL for this when a removal of the intake manifold is all thats necessary. Start simple, then work you way more complex. I think there may even be some checks you can do at the idle computer to see if the thermistor is connected and working correctly. I dont know what that is off-hand though.

[Kevin]

If the idle thermistor is disconnected, if gives you an idle between 2000-2500 rpm. Could very well be the problem. Could be bad thermistor, simply disconnected, or bad wiring. Pulling the engine is OVERKILL for this when a removal of the intake manifold is all thats necessary. Start simple, then work you way more complex. I think there may even be some checks you can do at the idle computer to see if the thermistor is connected and working correctly. I dont know what that is off-hand though.

Yes there are two wires going into the plug at the idle ECU, hook up a multimeter to those and see if you get any resistance (you can see which pins they are in the workshop manual). Last time I had high idle, my throttle linkage ended up being misadjusted. And of course, check vacuum hoses.

[anywhen]

Last night it took a while to crank up the car. Then when it finally crank, it idled just fine. I ran it for a while in the driveway and is was running great. I put the air box on and was putting the inside covers for the fuse box and idle controller black box when I noticed that my friend helping out the night before did not plug the ide controller plugs back in. I left it unpugged and drove the car and it was running great. I thought that the hard start problem would happen again this morning and to my surprise, it started as soon as I turned the key. I'm going to drive it for a while and see what happens. I'm trying to learn as much as possible about the K-Jetronic system. Thanks for all the help. By the way, I have been planning to one day take the engine out to fix an oil leak and install hotter cams that I already bought.

[dmcburn75]

My advice is to study the removal of the intake manifold which I believe there is a write up for... Bag and tag everything. I can usually get the engine out in about 3 hrs using air tools. You will definitely need an engine leveler on the hoist to clear the transmission from the rear bulkhead. Little bit of a balancing act but easily doable.

[anywhen]

My car started right up this morning. I'll be drive her this weekend to see how the idle goes.

[anywhen]

My car has been trouble free since I've owned it. I have replace Lots & Lots of parts to make sure it runs well. I do no want to be sitting on the side of the road. I drove my D this weekend and it cranked up, ran great, but I did not shut it off till I got back home. As soon as I got back I shut it off and it cranked back up. I tried it again and it cranked up again. About 30 minutes later when I tried to crank it, it would not crank. I have the idle controller unplugged. Is there a K-Jetronic specialist in the house. My D is idleing fast 2,000 to 3,000 rpms and want always hot start.

[nullset]

My car has been trouble free since I've owned it. I have replace Lots & Lots of parts to make sure it runs well. I do no want to be sitting on the side of the road. I drove my D this weekend and it cranked up, ran great, but I did not shut it off till I got back home. As soon as I got back I shut it off and it cranked back up. I tried it again and it cranked up again. About 30 minutes later when I tried to crank it, it would not crank. I have the idle controller unplugged. Is there a K-Jetronic specialist in the house. My D is idleing fast 2,000 to 3,000 rpms and want always hot start.

I'm not sure about your idle, but this sounds like a hot start issue. You could probably do with checking that (search the forums for diagnosis of hot start problems)

--buddy

[Bitsyncmaster]

My car has been trouble free since I've owned it. I have replace Lots & Lots of parts to make sure it runs well. I do no want to be sitting on the side of the road. I drove my D this weekend and it cranked up, ran great, but I did not shut it off till I got back home. As soon as I got back I shut it off and it cranked back up. I tried it again and it cranked up again. About 30 minutes later when I tried to crank it, it would not crank. I have the idle controller unplugged. Is there a K-Jetronic specialist in the house. My D is idleing fast 2,000 to 3,000 rpms and want always hot start.

You say "it would not crank" so I guess you mean your starter motor is giving you problems. The hot start issue is when the engine won't fire but the starter is turning the engine over fine.

[anywhen]

Yeah it would turn over but would not crank. Southern Style.

[82DMC12]

Yeah it would turn over but would not crank. Southern Style.

What? Turning-over = cranking. Do you mean the car fails to fire? That means running on its own after you have stopped turning the key. It has to turn over/crank in order to fire.

Andy

[anywhen]

What? Turning-over = cranking. Do you mean the car fails to fire? That means running on its own after you have stopped turning the key. It has to turn over/crank in order to fire.

Andy

I'll never master K-Jetronics. I don't even know if my D Cranks or Runs.

I just went to the garage. I turned the key and she cranked right up and idled great. This is with the idle controller unplugged. She has 17,000 miles on her and needs some fine tuning. I think my next best step is to remove the intake and replace the thermogizmo and the gas-o-meter.

What other performance car of the 1980 came with K-Jetronics?

[82DMC12]

I'll never master K-Jetronics. I don't even know if my D Cranks or Runs.

I just went to the garage. I turned the key and she cranked right up and idled great. This is with the idle controller unplugged. She has 17,000 miles on her and needs some fine tuning. I think my next best step is to remove the intake and replace the thermogizmo and the gas-o-meter.

What other performance car of the 1980 came with K-Jetronics?

All of them..... OK, here's a list of a few cars that have K-Jet with Lambda (our system):

Audi 4000, 5000, 5000 Turbo, Quattro
BMW 320i, 528e, 633CSi, 733i
DeLorean
Ferrari 308 GTB, 328 GTB, Mondial
Lotus Esprit Turbo
Lamborghini Countach (KE Jetronic)
Mercedes 280e, 380e, 420e, 450e, 500e, 500, 560
Peugeot 505
Porsche - 911SC, 911 Turbo, 924, 924 Turbo
Rolls Royce - All
Saab 99 Turbo, 900, 900 turbo
Volvo 260E, 760, DL, GL, GL Turbo
Volkswagen Dasher, Golf, Jetta, Quantum, Rabbit, Scirocco, Vanagon

Many of these cars have huge production numbers, though not necessarily in the US. Bosch FI was very common on Euro cars, and remember - DMC didn't want to reinvent the wheel on the mechanical stuff - they used regular off-the-shelf parts for the drivetrain and trim.

These days, it's hard to find an old-timer at a typical garage that knows anything at all about Bosch FI. You will have to go to an Audi, Porsche, VW, Benz dealer and try to find someone who has been turning wrenches for at least 30 years. Hard to find these days.

Your best bet is to read the Fuel System and Emissions chapter in the DMC service book cover to cover - it's all there and is in my opinion, very concise and written in a way you can understand. If you want to know more in-depth stuff get a copy of Bosch Fuel Injection and Engine Management by Charles Probst. It covers all versions of Bosch FI and gives a lot of background stuff, extra info, and testing procedures.

I decided to learn it myself, and it's really not that hard. I kind of like K-Jet. If you read the manual, read each paragraph carefully and make sure you understand what it is saying before moving on.

Definitely do NOT put the cams in until you have your stock engine running perfectly. We can help you get that far, but if you have lumpy cams in, there are not that many of us that know enough about them to help you fix underlying problems. What you think is wrong might be normal for those cams (idle quality).

Andy

[anywhen]

Actually have enjoyed working on my car with my sons helping (on the easy fun jobs). My best friend is a master mechanic and was with me at the car auction when I bought my D. He and another friend bought me two shots of tequila before the auction started. I asked him last time we worked on the car if he was sorry for buying me some tequila that night. We laughed. So far it has been a great ride in bought ways.

I'll call him and tell he is the reason I bought the car and he needs to help me work on it.

Your right, K-Jet has a good pedigree. This forum sure has been a wealth of knowledge along with the part guys. I need to replace a coolant hose under the intake and check out the valley of death. Hope to be back on the road soon.

[anywhen]

Thermistor tested OK. I think the problem is the idle speed e.c.u.

Can this cause the engine to not crank-up and run?
I have never had a hot start problem before the fast idle problem and my not be an issue at all.

I have been driving the car with the e.c.u. unplugged.
Is this an OK solution or should I spend the money on a new Idle e.c.u. $275.00?

I bought some napa fast start spray. It's very easy to spray in the outside air intake if needed. Will this damage any parts?

I drove my D last night and it runs great with out the idle speed e.c.u. plugged in.
The engine speeds up when only one or both plugs are connected. I'm concerned about the car not cranking up and running if I cut it off. Will the fast start spray be a reliable solution?

[Bitsyncmaster]

If your running without the ECU plugged in then you should plug one of the hoses attached to the idle motor. Without power that idle motor may move anywhere from open and closed position. So plugging it would keep it the same. Of course you would need to open your curb idle adjustment to keep the throttle plates from closing without the idle system in place.

If the idle motor got stuck wide open then yes, it could cause a starting problem. If it got stuck closed then you could start it by hitting the accelerator when starting the engine.

[anywhen]

If your running without the ECU plugged in then you should plug one of the hoses attached to the idle motor. Without power that idle motor may move anywhere from open and closed position. So plugging it would keep it the same. Of course you would need to open your curb idle adjustment to keep the throttle plates from closing without the idle system in place.

If the idle motor got stuck wide open then yes, it could cause a starting problem. If it got stuck closed then you could start it by hitting the accelerator when starting the engine.

Thanks,

Whats the best way to plug the idle motor?

[opethmike]

Try a tapered rubber/silicone plug that will fit in there.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Try a tapered rubber/silicone plug that will fit in there.

That would be the best but some other ideas would be a bottle cork, dowel rod, even silly putty should work.

[anywhen]

I could not get my car to run today. It acts like its not getting any gas. What ever was going bad has died. Maybe I can find it now. Any suggestions?
.:rofl: