Do you remember the first time you tried to set a engine back where it belongs?

Some friends of mine are building a rally car. It was bought cheap with a locked up engine. They had pulled the engine and were swapping in a used good engine. After fighting it for hours, they gave up and called me for help

It took about 10 minutes to figure out what the problem was, and I had it sitting in the mounts in another 10. Then had to pull the engine and transmission again, swap the oil pan and reset it. Total time, just a touch over 2 hours. They thought I was a miracle worker.

At least they did until I told them about the 5 hours it took me to install a transmission in a 81 Toyota Corolla, because I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. It was my first clutch job. Me, a Chiltons book, and a cheap socket set. Laying in the dirt, it took all of one day, but I finally got it done. Now, it would be so easy, I wouldn't even need a book.

I'm pretty sure all of us have that one project that left us thinking, "What have I gotten myself into." That one project that once completed, made you realise there wasn't anything you couldn't do if you put your mind to it.

What was yours? Something simple or did you jump off into the deep end?

I remember spending hours and hours covered in sweat trying to get the transmission back in my 240Z. I couldn't get the input shaft to line up with the clutch. Finally gave up at about midnight. Next day it popped right in on the first try.

Woah - same as you two, did an (unnecessary) clutch job on a miata. Couldn't get the transmission to want to line back up - I spent a lot of time benchpressing that transmission - blissfully it's pretty light.

Pretty much every time I try something new. It doesn't help that I normally bite off more than I can chew.

My first project was a 79 GS750 that wasn't running. I learned to clean the carbs and adjust the valves and eventually got it to run and ride, though it took much longer than I expected.

After that was an old jetski that I wanted to bring back to life. I ended up trying to rebuild the motor, and I couldn't get it back together correctly until eventually I took it to a shop where they fixed the issue i was having in 5 minutes.

With my new found confidence I decided to buy an old rm125 with a bad top end, which turned into a bad bottom end. Figured I could fix it easily. Got it apart and realized I was in over my head. I eventually got it back together where I was then plagued with water mixing with oil. Eventually I was able to get it back together and running great.

It seems i'm always able to get it figured out eventually, just normally takes quite a while.

my 94 jetta, pulled it to do bearings as a precaution at 184k and decided to do a 9A head swap using a modified distributor trigger, then added a BBM charger, ITBS, limited slip, 4.25R&P and .75 5th gear.

1972 Austin Mini. Bought it to autocross and trashed the engine at the second event. I'd never changed an engine before. With an oil pan full of gears the engine is pretty heavy for its size. The engine bay is tiny, so the whole procedure of changing it for the spare motor took all weekend. By the time I was done with that little car I could swap and engine in under 90 minutes, because I changed motors all too regularly.

Change oil => R&R suspension => R&R clutch => Rebuild Engine

Natural progression, eh? And each time, it took longer that it should've the first around.

Heh. Yes.

People always marvel at how I can swap an E36 clutch in the paddock in 3hrs because that is the only one they saw. If they saw the first 10 times I pulled a motor/trans/diff/suspension they would be recommending I never use tools again.

A good rule I have stumbled upon is never do a thing in public until you are good at it and people will think you are a wizard when you perform the trick for them.

Many moons ago, a friend and I did an SR swap on his s13 with little more than a hoist, a basic socket set, and some ambition. I clearly remember prying the engine into place with a hockey stick.

Huckleberry wrote: A good rule I have stumbled upon is never do a thing in public until you are good at it and people will think you are a wizard when you perform the trick for them.

Adequate description of my sex life.

MGB.

Pulled engine separate from transmission, so putting it back in meant realigning in situ.

Worked for hours, wiggle, shove, get pissed, shove hard, stop for a breath, adjust engine crane, wiggle, etc.

Finally figured I must have the splines not meshed correctly. Had my buddy come by, and had him lay on the ground and twist the driveshaft with the car in 4th. Plop. Went right in no effort.

My 2.3t swap into an 88 mustang. First fuel injected swap i had ever attempted. A weekend swap that turned into 3 months of failure because i never checked a second source for wiring diagrams!found that out after parting it out. I later did the swap again just too prove to myself i could.

accordionfolder wrote: Woah - same as you two, did an (unnecessary) clutch job on a miata. Couldn't get the transmission to want to line back up - I spent a lot of time benchpressing that transmission - blissfully it's pretty light.

BTDT. Honestly, mine wasn't an automotive project, but rather finding out 10-days before closing on the sale of my first house that it needed a new septic system. Then designing & installing it myself...with the internittent help of a few friends, of course.

Turbo swap into a MK3 Supra, engine and trans went back in just fine, except for the part where they pinched my hand between it and the crossmember.
Nice bruise, nothing broken... no blood no foul.

Mating a twin turbo ej20 running in megasquirt to a Porsche transaxle and cramming it all in the rear of a fiat 850.

I was way more scared about the megasquirt part than figuring out how to get the engine and trans to work.

I literally screamed then cried when I turned the key the first time and it fired right up and ran fine.

I reread the thread title and realized that is definitely NOT an example of putting an engine back where it belongs.

Age 15, 21 years ago. 1954 Belair, in my dad's garage using an electric crane meant for a trolley chained to a rafter about 7 feet off the ground. Had to take the radiator support brace off and push the car into place. 235 and powerglide went in together. We didn't seat the torque converter right so i had to pull the trans back out. Being an invincible teenager i did that without a transmission jack. Cast. Iron. Powerglide.

DeadSkunk wrote: 1972 Austin Mini. Bought it to autocross and trashed the engine at the second event. I'd never changed an engine before. With an oil pan full of gears the engine is pretty heavy for its size. The engine bay is tiny, so the whole procedure of changing it for the spare motor took all weekend. By the time I was done with that little car I could swap and engine in under 90 minutes, because I changed motors all too regularly.

Yup. I can do that, too. Got good at it, after that damn O-ring between the block and gearbox got pinched. The only way to know, is when you crank it over and get no oil pressure.

Many decades ago, two 18 year olds, tried swinging a 350 engine into my 66 Chevelle. Never did it before. In front of my Parent's House, residential street. Chain wrapped around a tree limb.....You know how this is going to end up.... Chain breaks from tree, engine falls, broken bones, hospital, etc. The look on my Father's face, Priceless. Funny thing, I still haven't smartened up.

Knock on wood, most of my time wasted working on cars has been fighting rust. A single siezed bolt made me sell a car because I couldn't get the caliper off to change the pads.

Which reminds me of the first time I changed brake pads. Never would have been able todo it without my buddy helping me.

My first time was a 1980 Chevette. Blew the engine and bought a low mile used one in a junk yard that came out of a Pontiac T1000. Supposedly the same engine, but just enough differences to drive a first timer crazy. At one point I was standing on the strut towers trying align the engine when I lost my balance and fell against the windshield. Broke the windshield and gave up soon after that. Then I got into British cars and all was right with the world.

I started out by getting in way over my head- nobody in my household could even change their own oil at the time, and my first car (1987 Accord) was purchased with a blown head gasket and in need of a timing belt.

A couple of years later was probably the first time I took a big heavy thing out of a car and put it back in, doing the clutch on my 1991 MR2 in the driveway with E36 M3ty hand tools and a floor jack- it took me two full days and probably a week to recover from all the straining to put the transaxle back where it was supposed to go

First engine swap was a 350 in a third gen crammit. Took three (yes 3) days. Did another 3rd gen a couple years ago and took 5 hours from pulling it in, stopping for lunch, and driving it out.

My newer guys in the shop are always amazed that I can do most of our customer's engines in about 4 hours start to finish. I keep telling them if you do it wrong as many times as I have eventually you get it right.

trying to mate my 4age to the trans in my AW11 with the trans coming up from the bottom and the engine going down from the top, that was quite the adventure.

I once decided it would be quicker to pull the engine and Trans out of a truck together. It wasn't; the 8.1 Vortec and Alison trans combo are pretty large. Silly me decided to put it back the same way.... by myself.