Splitting engine from auto gearbox whilst in car

[jamesrguk]

Hi all,

I'm pulling the engine on my DeLorean, but I really don't want to pull the auto trans as well.

I know that you can separate the trans from the engine in the car and indeed have had someone talk me through the procedure over the phone, but I wondered if anyone had any additional advice or indeed photos of what needs to be done.

Many thanks in advance

James

[DCUK Martin]

Without going into too much detail on what to disconnect etc, I'm sure you're capable there. Dont forget the sh!t sheld underneath and the plate on the left with the pointless TDC sensor.

Remove starter motor, rotate engine until you can access one of the three 17mm stumpy bolts that attach the flex plate to the torque converter. These are a pain because there's not quite enough access to get a socket on them. Get a stumpy ring spanner onto the bolt head and using a socket on the crankshaft nut, rotate the engine to the RIGHT (doing up the nut) until the spanner fetches up against something, then heave-ho on the nut. This will crack off the bolt. Remove bolt. Now rotate engine 120 degrees and repeat x2.

Then remove the four main bellhousing bolts with a jack under the bellhousing and a lump of wood preventing the engine tipping backwards (or have the hoist taking the strain already).

The engine has to come back about half an inch to clear the tip of the torque converter before it can come up. Try to avoid the torque converter moving back at all

[jamesrguk]

Thanks Martin,

J

[jamesrguk]

I'm going to loosen off the crank pulley nut while the engine is secured in the car, anyone know want size it is?

Possibly 34mm?

Many thanks

James

[DMC5180]

35 MM nut

[DCUK Martin]

But a 36mm nut works fine if you can't source a 35

[Farrar]

Pardon the off-topic post, but... "pointless TDC sensor"? First I've heard of this... I'm intrigued.

[jawn101]

Pardon the off-topic post, but... "pointless TDC sensor"? First I've heard of this... I'm intrigued.

On the manual anyway, there's a magnetic pickup on the flywheel inspection plate that doesn't connect to anything but the diagnostic port, which no one has the tool to connect to anyway. :)

[jamesrguk]

But a 36mm nut works fine if you can't source a 35

Someone else said 36 on another forum too so that's what I bought, bummer, well at least it sounds like it will do the job

J

[dn010]

Someone else said 36 on another forum too so that's what I bought, bummer, well at least it sounds like it will do the job

J

Just did mine using a 36mm. It will work but kind of put a little dent on the sides of the nut where it was too big.

[Farrar]

On the manual anyway, there's a magnetic pickup on the flywheel inspection plate that doesn't connect to anything but the diagnostic port, which no one has the tool to connect to anyway. :)

Thanks! That's interesting and good to know!

[easy now]

Nice

[jamesrguk]

Without going into too much detail on what to disconnect etc, I'm sure you're capable there. Dont forget the sh!t sheld underneath and the plate on the left with the pointless TDC sensor.

Remove starter motor, rotate engine until you can access one of the three 17mm stumpy bolts that attach the flex plate to the torque converter. These are a pain because there's not quite enough access to get a socket on them. Get a stumpy ring spanner onto the bolt head and using a socket on the crankshaft nut, rotate the engine to the RIGHT (doing up the nut) until the spanner fetches up against something, then heave-ho on the nut. This will crack off the bolt. Remove bolt. Now rotate engine 120 degrees and repeat x2.


Great tip on the TDC sensor and the flex plate bolts, all came apart well and engine is now out.

I made one small cock up not noticing that the auto trans fluid dipstick was connected to the engine and it wasn't until I started moving the engine backwards and fluid started pissing out of the trans sump that I realised what I had done.

I'll have to investigate I hope I haven't done too much damage.

J

[David T]

Just did mine using a 36mm. It will work but kind of put a little dent on the sides of the nut where it was too big.


The Workshop manual has the procedure. Be sure to support the motor from below with a small bottle jack as you remove the transmission. Mark the position of the flex plate to the flywheel to aid in lining things up when you reassemble.

[DCUK Martin]

There is no flywheel... the flex plate is the equivalent?

[jamesrguk]

The Workshop manual has the procedure. Be sure to support the motor from below with a small bottle jack as you remove the transmission. Mark the position of the flex plate to the flywheel to aid in lining things up when you reassemble.

I supported the transmission with a rope under it and around the crossover bar at the front of the engine bay, I though that was safer than relying on a bottle jack while jumping around wiggling the engine.

Did you mean flex plate to torque converter? No real flywheel as such, just the flex plate.

J