madwolf

Man this is ridiculous...

last Saturday I started an LT/motor mount/cam install and I got stuck at replacing the passenger side mount. I removed the y-pipe, exaust manifolds, unbolted the mount, drilled out the rivets and replaced it with a polymount in like 3 hours total. I've spent like 8 hours since trying to put this thing back on and no matter what I do it just won't go in.

If I have the mount on the engine bracket (long bolt in) and then lower the engine, the mount holes will be like 1/6-1/5th of an inch off, towards the firewall side. (and I can't get any bolts in)
If I bolt in the mount first, then try to lower the engine on it, the bracket will get stuck on the mount stops. Even if I somehow managed to get around that, I'm sure I'd then have a problem putting the long bolt in.

WTF should I do? Pull the engine out again? I'd really hate to do that.

Could I have screwed up the alignment somehow when I put the engine in a few months ago? I remember I bolted in the passenger side mount first, then I did the driver side. (speaking of which, I don't even want to know what kind of pain I will have to go through to replace that one)

I was thinking of unbolting the other mount too, but then everything will probably get screwed up even worse...

Any thoughts?
Thanks!

klbjoc

I assume you have the motor jacked up by the oil pan. Have you tried moving or twisting ( for the lack of a better turn) the engine with the jack?
Example... if you are laying on the ground in front of the car and you have the jack handle in your hand, try moving it left or right and up and down to get it lined up.
I don`t know if that makes sense, or if that is the problem your having, but it has worked for me.

Kevin

madwolf

Actually, I jacked it up on the front side using the accessory bracket. That could be one of the reasons why it got misaligned.
Jacking by the pan didn't look too safe to me but I'll try it.

We tried to pull the engine towards the front a little bit and I also tried prying against the body using the jack handle, but it seems like it's not moving at all.

Should I try unbolting the tranny crossmember? There's really nothing else that I could think of holding the engine in place other than that.
Thanks.

klbjoc

If you have a 2x10 you could cut down and use that between the jack pad and the pan you should be O.K.
Is the drivers side mount loose? You might try loosing that up to give you a little play.
I have never had to loosen the trans mount.

Kevin

madwolf

Nope,
the driver side isn't loose.

Should I loosen the 3 bottom/base bolts or should I take off the ones on the block? Oh and also, how do you take the long bolt out? I remember fighting with it when I put the engine in, but it was much easier with the suspension out of the car. Now it looks like it won't come out because of the front bolt and that front bolt won't come out either because of the head of the long bolt....

klbjoc

I would just loosen the nut on the long bolt and see if that will give you enough movement to get the other side lined up.

madwolf

Kevin,
could you please take a look at this picture and tell me (if you remember) if the mount looks right? I'm wondering if maybe I installed it the reversed in the shell.....

Thanks!

grumpygreaseape

heres the (in the long run) easiest method-im assuming that garage floor and floor jack is the M.O. in this case-jack up the motor-2x4 between pan and jack-loosen both sides mounts, thru bolts and block brackets, loosen brackets to crossmember-both sides, loosen the trans mount nut enough to give you the back and forth slide easily. you will end up with a loose old baggy semi assembled conglomeration of parts down below there where you are working but with an assistant and a coulpe few foot of 2 by you will be able to pry that engine around till EVERY BOLT AND NUT IS STARTED-and then slowly lower, tighten, lower, tighten, lower-well you get the picture till everyone is torqued back together and happy. sometimes it takes a little more dis-assembly than you would like but what that saves in popped anger management valves will keep ya around to tell the grandkids about when they used to have cars that you actually worked on yourself.

madwolf

Thanks man! I think that's what I'll have to do. I just found a picture of a motor mount and it looks like I installed mine correctly.
What's a 2x4? Just a piece of whatever? I've been using a piece of wood about 2 inches thick and 8 by 8 wide. Worked fine many times on the tranny and engine oil pan....

turbo_Z

i had a problem when i installed my headers i needed to jack the motor up... when i lowered it back down the motor mount wasnt aligned properly so the mount would hang up on the bracket like you described. what i ended up doing was having a friend pry the bracket on the K-member open so the motor mount wouldnt hang up on it and everything went smooth from there.

grumpygreaseape

2x4 is just a crappy ole hunk o' wood to take the mangling that the jack pad would otherwise do. you gots it goin' on with what you are using. and the other 2x4 is sumpthin to pry your motor trans assembly around till yer all aligned and bolts are in. you got the idea though for sure. no problem.