Engine Install Basics - R & R

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Brutally Basic Tips And Tricks For Installing Your First Engine

Found this on another site and thought it may be of interest.

By David Freiburger
Photography by David Freiburger
http://www.hotrod.com/


Internally, we've joked forever about a story like this one: how to install a small-block Chevy in a car that came with a small-block Chevy. What could be more self-evident? What could have been covered more times than that?


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Here's the Smeding Performance 383 Extreme crate engine we're installing. According to the dyno sheet that came with it, the motor makes 441 hp at 5,400 rpm and 423 lb-ft at 4,000 to 4,300 rpm. It has 9.8:1 compression, aluminum heads, and a 231/236-at-0.050 hydraulic roller camshaft with a 111-degree lobe-separation angle. This is an older version of the engine with a Holley carb; Smeding now uses a Quick Fuel 750 atop the Air-Gap manifold.
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As it turns out, it's not as obvious as it may seem based on the number of tech letters we get with very basic questions. Also, from our informal industry polls, it's clear that classic small Chevys are still the most-sold crate engines in the country despite the ever-growing popularity of the Gen III and IV V-8 swaps. That means there are still countless Mouse motors being bolted in place every day, perhaps by guys who have never done it before.

This story is far from a complete blow-by-blow of the remove-and-replace procedure, but it does contain a number of tips and tricks that can help the process of changing the engine in just about anything, but especially in any car with a small-block Chevy. The car shown here is our '67 Impala convertible, and the motor is a Smeding Performance 383 Extreme stroker small-block. Concurrent with the engine change, we removed the car's factory Powerglide two-speed automatic trans and swapped to a 700-R4 auto-overdrive and matching torque converter from Bowler Performance Transmissions. The combo of a 383 and a 700-R4 makes this drivetrain virtually identical to about half the cars on a HOT ROD Power Tour road trip. It's simple, fun to drive, and gets decent mileage. Here's how to make it happen in your car.


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Engine Install Basics - R & R This is the engine we'll remove from our '67 Impala, a 283 that has served us well, but slowly. It's stock other than the Weiand intake, Holley carb, and MSD distributor.




The first step with any engine swap is to remove the hood; it makes all the wrenching easier. Mark the location of the hinges on the hood with tape or with a scratch awl (a screwdriver works, too) so it can go back in the same spot to save alignment hassles. Do as we say, not as we do, and never wear sandals while working.




When unplugging the wiring harness from the engine, use tape and a marker to label each connector so you know where they go when you're ready for reassembly.




This is a view looking down at the trans-cooler lines that thread into the radiator. Someone in the past cut this line and spliced it with rubber. If you have to do the same, make sure to use high-pressure hose intended for the job and not just plain fuel hose. Our hard lines were well stuck to the radiator fittings, but lots of PB B'laster penetrant (the best ever) and a line wrench got them loose.




Here's a view of the stock accessory drive. It can be helpful to snap photos such as this one of all the small details to help you upon reassembly. Note that many aftermarket small Chevy intakes have the alternator-bracket bolt in various places, so your old brackets may not work with your new manifold.




Pay attention to details as you take stuff apart. As you can see here, the stock alternator bracket bolted to the exhaust manifold. When swapping to headers, this will need an aftermarket bracket available at nearly any parts store. This car uses the short-style water pump, as all '69-and-earlier cars did; Corvettes and some trucks used the short pump even later. Short pumps and long pumps require different accessory brackets.




This is the front of the passenger-side motor mount. The bolt (arrow) was installed pointing to the back, which means the fuel pump must be unbolted to remove it. During reinstallation, we always point this bolt to the front, making sure it does not contact the fuel pump, for easier disassembly in the future.




If you remove the engine with the transmission attached, you'll need to remove the driveshaft. Here we're showing a pry bar being used to unstick the rear universal joint. Before doing this, always make sure the wheels are chocked and the car cannot roll because once the driveshaft is loose, the parking gear will no longer hold the car. It's best to work with the car safely on jackstands.




The exhaust system gets in the way of removing the trans crossmember and can also be a nuisance with the feet of the engine hoist, so we often remove it. If the system is being replaced, a Sawzall (foreground) can make this job far easier.




This shows how a hunk of wood on the jack pad prevents the automatic-transmission oil pan from getting caved in. The jack will support the trans once the crossmember is removed and will also be used to manipulate the drivetrain during removal and assembly




While the lift plates that bolt to the carburetor mounting pads are very handy, we find it better to use an engine tilter when removing an engine with the trans still attached. One of the best ones is Trans-Dapt PN 9099, which is longer than the one seen here.




When you're ready to remove the engine, have one person work the jack under the trans and another on the engine hoist (which you can usually rent locally). Engine removal is a process of moving up, pulling it forward, tilting it a little, then going up and forward again and again until it is finally clear of the core support and free of the car. Never put any part of your body under the engine.




Regardless of the kind of engine you're working on, we recommend test-fitting the headers on the engine prior to installation. You may find clearance problems to the block, starter, head bolts, or dipstick. Better to learn this on the engine stand than with the engine hovering over the car later.




With small-block Chevys, there are four factors to consider on the flexplate: crank style (older two-piece rear seal or '86-up one-piece seal), torque converter bolt pattern (large 11.50-inch or small 10.75-inch), ring gear tooth count (153 or 168), and internal or external engine balance. The Smeding engine uses a one-piece seal and external balance, and we used a GM PN 14088765, 153-tooth flywheel with the small converter pattern. At right is a larger, 168-tooth unit drilled for both converter patterns. We like to use thread locker on the flexplate and converter bolts




Another thing to test-fit before engine installation is the starter. The 153-tooth flywheel generally takes a starter with a straight-across bolt pattern, and the 168-toother uses an offset bolt pattern, though many aftermarket starters have dual inline bolt patterns that work with both flywheels. Some blocks are tapped for both patterns, others are not. Know before it becomes a midassembly hassle.




Our transmission is a Bowler Performance 700-R4 auto-overdrive with the company's 450-lb-ft package. We gave Bowler our engine and vehicle specs so the torque converter would be correct. The package comes with the trans, converter, mount, cooler, dust cover, fill tube, Tru-Shift throttle cable, and Bowler Lock-Up Control Module.




This is the Lock-Up Control Module that is programmed to handle all the torque converter lockup functions with a single-wire hookup and no vacuum lines required. It's also available separately.




The Bowler trans came with a special fluid additive, and we used it to fill the torque converter; the converter should always be topped off with fluid before installation to prevent it and the front pump from running dry on initial startup.




Installing the torque converter onto the input shaft of the transmission usually requires some wiggling and spinning of the converter to get it to fully engage the splines and the front pump. If you do it right, it will go on in two steps and then spin freely.




Another clue that the converter is installed correctly is if it is gapped rearward from the flexplate, as seen here, once the trans bellhousing is bolted to the engine. The flexplate-to-converter bolts should pull the converter forward to meet the flexplate.




We're masters of the spill. Even our brand-new trans had some prerun fluid in it that we managed to turn into a puddle. Most parts stores sell cheap trans-tailhousing plugs so this does not happen.




The throttle valve (TV) cable controls the trans line pressure. The cable itself is attached to this small hook on the right side of the trans. Bowler ships it with a piece of plastic that holds the clip from falling inside the trans, and you have to be careful not to drop it when installing the cable.




One of the most important steps for longevity and proper shifting with the 700-R4 is the TV cable adjustment. The ratio of throttle opening to cable travel needs to start out more aggressive, then taper off the closer you get to WOT. This is a hard thing to sort out, but the Bowler Tru-Shift makes it super easy, though the kit is expensive. It includes a properly calibrated cam lever to bolt to the carb (available for Holley, Edelbrock, and Demon models) and brackets for Lokar, Gennie, or GM throttle cables. Just bolt it up, attach the cable, go to WOT, and the cable adjusts itself to the proper length.




With the engine and trans assembled and the motor mounts bolted to the side of the block, it's time to swing it into the car. Use a repeated process of down and back; the floor jack on the trans can help lift the tail as you go if you do not have an engine tilter. Set the motor mounts on the frame brackets, align them with a beefy Phillips screwdriver, install the mount bolts, and you're ready to start adding accessories.




In many cars, the headers will need to be installed into the engine bay and wiggled into place as the engine is being installed. To save that hassle, we used midlength headers on our Impala. These Hooker Headers (PN 2466-1HKR) have 1 5/8-inch pipes and great ground clearance. The passenger side installed from the top, and the driver side came in from the bottom, both with the engine bolted in place.




Surprisingly, aftermarket small-block fuel pumps are kind of a problem because even the clockable ones tend to put the inlet and outlet fittings in conflict with either the frame or the radiator hose. This Holley unit worked but needed a right-angle fitting on the outlet to clear the radiator hose.




Most engine horsepower upgrades are going to require a cooling system improvement. We had our old radiator cleaned out and added this Flex-a-lite clutch and fan, but the car still runs at 210 degrees in traffic because we need a fan shroud but have not yet found a reproduction that actually fits




We always like to take the trans cooler completely out of the radiator (and not attached to it) so we can easily remove the radiator and not spill ATF. This time we used this slick extruded aluminum cooler and braided lines and fittings from Summit Racing. We painted the cooler black to hide it.




This has become our standard power setup: an Optima RedTop battery with marine-style terminals with the wing nuts. Many people think those connections are ugly, but we like them for simplicity.




When buying headers, make sure to check if your auto trans linkage or clutch Z-bar will fit with the new tubes. The stock column-shift linkage would have worked on our car, but we really like the simplicity of the new Lokar shift rod (arrow) that goes from the column straight to the trans. These are available for all popular automatics.




The 700-R4 trans requires a different crossmember, and the Impala convertible has a boxed frame that also makes it special. We bought a tubular crossmember on eBay, but it was 100 percent bogus and needed lots of cutting and welding to fit, which was a time killer. The complete exhaust uses Cherry Bomb Vortex mufflers and was fabbed for us by Roger's Exhaust Shop.




Finally, here's our new Smeding Performance 383 Extreme in place and ready for burnouts. We've been driving it all over the place. The engine is very easily driveable every day. View Related Article  
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Shopping List
Here's a reminder of all the little extras you may need to consider replacing or upgrading, saving you a hundred trips to the parts store.

• Radiator and heater hoses, fan belts, radiator cap
• Pipe plugs for open holes in the intake, block, or water pump
• New water pump
• Thermostat and housing
• Distributor gasket
• Spark plugs and wires
• Engine and transmission mounts
• Transmission crossmember for 700-R4 swap
• Shortened driveshaft (for a 700-R4 swap)
• Alternator and bracket
• Flexplate and bolts (to the crank and to the converter)
• Trans-to-engine bolts
• Headers and gaskets, header bolts, collector bolts
• New starter, or a ministarter to clear your headers
• Air cleaner
• Fluids: oil, ATF, power steering fluid, coolant, RTV
• Trans cooler fittings and lines
• Fuel pump and delivery lines and fittings, carb inlet set
• Speedo cable adapter
• Throttle linkage parts: Heims, balls, cables, brackets
• Trans TV or kickdown cable and brackets
• Throttle return springs and brackets
• Spray paint for detailing
• Intake manifold vacuum fittings and vacuum lines for distributor, trans, and power brakes
• Battery and cables
• Get your radiator cleaned out or get a new one
• Engine and trans dipsticks
• PCV valve, hose, and valve cover grommets and breathers

Checklist Of Stuff You'll Need To R&R
There are lots of little things that will need to be unbolted from your old engine and replaced on the new one. This will vary from car to car, depending on the accessories involved, but here's a good overview of the stuff you'll need to R&R on nearly any older, carbureted car.

We'll start at the front of the car and work our way to the rear, presuming you're removing the engine with the transmission attached.

• Pull the hood first; it makes everything easier to work on (if you have a Fox Mustang, the hood will just flop clear back out of the way).
• Battery and cables, including the engine-to-chassis ground strap
• Engine wiring harness, including wires to the alternator, starter, distributor, coil, and any gauge sensors; don't forget the neutral safety switch on applications such as Mopars where the wire goes to the transmission
• Radiator, including heater hoses and the auto-trans cooler lines on many stock cars
• Engine front-drive accessories, such as the fan, alternator, and power steering pump; it's usually easiest to get the engine out with all this stuff out of the way
• Spark plug wires and distributor (on most Chevy applications and small Mopars, it's best to pull the distributor so you do not smash it on the firewall during engine removal)
• Exhaust headers or manifolds. On cars with shorty headers or manifolds, it might also make it easier to remove or drop the entire exhaust system. While the starter can stay in place on most cars if you are leaving the trans attached, some header designs might require starter removal.
• Throttle linkage (and perhaps trans-kickdown or TV linkage, or a vacuum line) and fuel lines to the pump and carburetor
• Engine-mount bolts
• Transmission shift linkage
• Speedometer cable (just remove it from the trans)
• Transmission mount bolts (and, in most cases, you'll also want to unbolt the trans crossmember from the frame after supporting the trans with a jack)
• Driveshaft