I want to replace the engine and auto trans in my 56 Ford Vicky. I want to replace it all in one piece with trans attached to the engine. Y-Block Ford with Cruise-a-matic. Can I do this by removing the radiator, radiator support and side panels maybe the grille? Or is it easier to remove the whole front clip? if it's the front clip, how easy is it to remove the front clip? I have the Shop manual and the Body repair manual and neither one show how to remove the whole front clip. I heard (urban legend) that the front clip comes off with only six bolts. Maybe 60 bolts, huh? Anyone pulled this swap all in one piece?
Its pretty hard to remove the engine and trans as a unit. you need to raise the front of the car pretty high so you can sharply angle the engine trans unit. Lots easier to do it in one piece with the front clip removed. Myself I always pulled the front cap off my old 55 & 56,s when changing engines. makes it easierto clean up the frame and paint it. Its relatively simple to remove the front clip in one piece. Of course I was replacing In my opinion a undesirable boat anchor Yblock with a FE and usually an auto with a stick! installing a FE is a bolt in but ya gotta trim the frame flange that the upper control arms attach to , trimming is necessary for exhaust manifold clearance. post some pictures.
I have the car up about 20" off the floor to the bottom of the rocker panels sitting on heavy-duty jack stands. Enough? Are there a lot of bolts? Thanks
Y Block? The engine and trans together weigh a ton. It's pretty easy to unbolt the trans from the engine and yank the engine and then pop the trans out.
there are a dozen bolts + the wiring harness & the heater fan bellows . less than a hours work to pull the front cap. When you hsve the cap off its so much easier & faster to do the engine removal & install that you will save time in the long run.
pull the front clip off.Much easier.i removed my 390 and cruiseomatic tranny by myself out of my 62 galaxie with the clip off.
Consider the reach of your engine hoist from the front and also how high it will go. Those cars are pretty tall to get an engine and tranny combo over the fenders - especially with the additional heigth from it being on the jack stands. It will take a real hoist to get er dun! Oldmics
Trick I learned from my sport car days, if you pull or instal engine trans together, raise the rear of the car as high as possible. This will help the engine trans angle going into engine bay. Harley
When I was a kid I worked in a slavage yard we would sometimes turn car,s up on their side torch loose the engine mounts and exhaust ect. then turn it on its top and the engine would fall out. The owners main market was selling cores to rebuilders He didnt care about body parts. This story has nothing to do with this thread. I just wanted to post it before I forgot it!
Thanks guys. Looks like the front clip is coming off. I will take some pics, I'm not sure how to post them, but I'll figure that out later. First goal is to make the swap.
I did mine as a unit. It took a friend to help me get the two together even with it sitting on the floor. My front clip was removed to make headers and paint the sheet metal separately. I think with a tilting engine connector it can be done with the clip in place
If the radiator support wall comes out, it can be done as an an assembly. Separating the cast iron transmission gives you TWO heavy-as-fuck pieces to wrestle with. I'd only pull the clip for the similar reasons described by Tommy. Bob
Now that's funny! A friend did the same thing with a "new" '65 Buick he "found" on the beach in Staten Island ,NY. after some else,(the person who stole it) abandoned it there. The only difference is he removed and laid the hood in the approximate area the engine/trans would land and, after turning the car back over, he pulled it away with his Jeep using the hood for a sled, of sorts.
There are fewer bolts that will need to be removed when you pull the whole front cap . than there are to remove the radiator support wall grille ect. Ive left a lot of transmissions in the car when changing just the engine. just remove the engine mounts raise it up until the trans is against the tunnell. place support under the trans remove the bell housing bolts & if it a automatic remove the converter to flexplate bolts. leave the conveter with the trans.
You guys sure create extra work. Read the book, do like it says and you will save about a weeks worth of unnecessary work. Every bolt and nut you remove, will have to be hunted down, cleaned lubricated, and put back on.
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