Buick V6 Engine Removal Question

I'm replacing my tired out Buick 231 odd-fire with a much less tired out Buick V6 225 and I have a question about the engine removal. I'm removing it at the engine/bellhousing, leaving the bellhousing attached to the tranny. How much of the clutch assembly needs to be disassembled?
Should the clutch fork be removed?

Any other tips or suggestions for the removal & replacement. I have transmission supported with a jack. Should the transmission be in neutral when putting the new engine in?

Thanks.

 

No reason to remove the clutch fork or any other clutch parts. The fork should stay in the bellhousing and the release bearing should stay on the transmission. The rest of the clutch assembly should stay on the flywheel.

 

Great, less to undo. Thanks for the info Nick.

 

When installing the new engine, I screw in two four inch bolts (with heads removed) each side of the engine at the bottom. This is a great help in orientating and aligning and stabilizing the two units for smoother assembly.

 

Great tip! I'll do that. Thank you.

 

Does this Jeep has the orginal Ross steering box in it?

If so, I think you will find an interference problem pulling the engine out while leaving the transmission and bell housing in the Jeep. The back of the block hung up on the steering box before I could get mine far enough forward to clear the input shaft from the bell housing. I finally got it out but it was a struggle.

When I re-assembled it I decided it would be easier to pull the transmission/bellhousing package out of the vehicle first. Then I could just drop the engine straight down onto its mounts and support the back of the pan with blocks to keep it from tippng. Then I put the bellhousing/transmission package back in from underneath. It was also easier to separate the transfer case from the transmission to keep the weight manageable, and install that last. This was in the days before I bought the Harbor Freight transmission jack (the #800 model) that can handle the weight of the complete bellhousing / transmission / transfer case / OD package.

Don

 

No, it has Saginaw power steering Don, but thanks. I took the engine out last night. Once the weight of the engine was on the hoist I took the 2 bolts out of each motor mount at engine block. Then I was able to raise the engine a bit more and remove the motor mounts from the frame. After those were out of the way the engine was free to shift forward enough to come off the trans. Just enough room on the front side, getting close to the bottom mounts for my radiator (not stock).

The new (to me) engine will go in next week or later. So far so good.

 

Re: your question about the tranny when putting the engine back in, I put mine in gear. That way you can turn the rear output (drive shaft dis-connected) to align the splines of the tranny to the clutch when you put the engine in.

 

Thanks Posi. Good tip. I got a chance to install the new (to me) engine last night. It took longer than I was expecting. I should have waited for a helper, but I had a window of time last night. I unhooked the drive shaft, but forgot to put the tranny in gear . Oh well, it's in now. I still have to hook up all the components and wiring when I get time.

One thing that made the project harder than it needed to be was the 1 ton Harbor Freight engine hoist. I had the 2 ton hoist at one time, but sold it to make room. The 1 ton is just too small. Not enough reach. I was constantly fighting it to get the engine where it needed to be. As soon as my old engine is out the door, so is this 1 ton hoist. When I need one again I'll buy a bigger one.

 

good things are moving along BUT
:uwop:

 

You guys crack me up. You caught the part about it being a used engine didn't you? So it looks pretty much like the old V6 but with less grease and a fresh coat of rattle can.
I'll get a picture of it when I get it a little more back together.

Re-assembly issue: It currently has a 3 groove crankshaft pulley. The third groove is used for a York onboard air compressor. I'm thinking I would like to change out this 6-1/4" diameter pulley for a smaller diameter, like 5-1/2". Reason being it would give me a bit more room between the ps belt and the alt belt where they come close to each other. Also, more of my driving is on the trail at low speed, low rpm, so I'm thinking it would help keep the ps pump rotating faster for less struggle when tires are aired down.

Any issues or concerns I should be aware of with the smaller diameter pulley on the crankcase?

Edit: I've come across a 5" dia. and 5-1/4" dia. http://www.jegs.com/i/March+Performance/655/4221/10002/-1

 

You've got it backwards. A smaller diameter crank pulley will slow down the accessories not speed them up. Opposite of what you want for slower speed trail driving.

 

Oh yeah, I got that backwards in my mind. Thanks. Wishful thinking I guess.
I'll just leave well enough alone then. I was hoping to use a longer belt for the alternater to get it farther from the distributor, but then that belt gets too close to the power steering belt. One thing leads to another, then to another. I can make it work as is.

 

I’m still goofing around with the engine accessories. I didn’t notice until I tried to put the radiator back in that the 225 came with a long water pump. My old 231 has a short water pump on it. I need the radiator clearance so I’ll need to switch them out, and so it goes with all the pulleys and how the alternator and power steering belts line up.

Additionally the alternator has to switch from the driver’s side to the passenger side because when on the driver’s side it’s right in the way of the radiator inlet.

Moving the alternator means I won’t be able to use the 225’s existing York compressor bracket and I’ll need to switch the compressor to the driver’s side.

But hey, the engine is in and it'a all down hill from there, right?





Multi-colored spark plug wires because I pinched one when I had the engine on the hoist. Two of the wires in the new set were not long enough.:evil: I'm not painting the exhaust manifiolds. Last time I did it all burned off anyway. Not a great picture to see the radiator/fan clearance, but at the bottom it's only about 1/2" clear with the longer water pump.

 

Mike I know you didn't ask but........ I would ditch that fuel reg......the quality is not good,,, they are ready to leak right out of the box and it will spray right on the exhaust manifold

 

O.K., thanks Steve, good catch. I'm not familiar with it. It just happened to already be on this engine. On the old 231 I never used one. I do have a cheapo fuel pressure guage I'll probably transfer over. I doubt it's super accurate; more of a visual aid for "some pressure" verses "no pressure".

Do you have a picture handy of how your belts are routed for your on board air, alt, & ps? I have something in mind I think will work once the short water pump is on, but I'm curious to see a similar set up.

 

Mike those regs just plain suck
my OBA York is run off the alt pulley,
http://www.earlycj5.net/forums/showthread.php?63581-YORK-O-B-A-made-easy

just call me if you need a better pic(I lost your #

and on the fuel pressure gauge .. from the days racing the 442 my fuel pressure gauge is in he dash ,but I run it in braided line and run a isolator,,,not copper tube ...if that line cracks or the gauge fails fuel will spray in the cab ,,that's NOT good ....my gauge is a vintage SW and I am confident in the quality . the Dauntless never gets above 6psi with the stock pump ,and it will run at 1- 2 but not at WOT

 

Those pics are fine, thanks. My York will end up on the driver's side. Just not 100% sure on the belt routing until things start getting bolted in place.

The fuel pressure gauge I have is just an inline thing, so it would be under the hood. It's really not needed. I can look at the clear fuel filter and see if fuel is coming in or not.