putting back the engine into a car and mating it up with the damn tranny??

alright. we took the slant6 out of my 65 valiant to regasket the oil pan and change a whole bunch of other things. however, we left the trans in the car. when putting the engine back in, we managed to get one of the dolly pins to snap into the hole (the one closest to the starter), but the other one just refuses to line up. the trans seems to be 'twisted' in the other direction, and looks like it needs to be rotated to get both pins to line up. we tried using pry bars to move the ******, jacks, etc.

my question: are there any tricks to getting these two to line up easier? or do we just have to keep messing with it?

 

auto or stick?

you could try taking a couple bolts, a couple three inches long, cut the heads off, and run them in the block to use as guide pins, one on each side

 

AUTO. sorry, it's being mated to an older 904. i left the orig trans in and putting back the orig engine. i'm not sure why it'd be so damn hard to put it back in, you'd think it wouldn't have moved.

 

Not familiar with a Mopar setup, but did you leave the torque converter in the ****** when you pulled the engine? If it's not keyed in the right way on a GM, you're not gonna get it to mate up.

JB

 

I've only done that swap once and it was a long time ago..
my son's '69 Valiant..
did you load the converter on the transmission? engaging the pump drive?

 

converter's still in the trans. we had marks on it so we can line the converter back in the engine - just getting the trans itself to line up with the engine is a *****...

 

i'm not familiar with a `65 valiant....but i have removed/replaced many engines

sometimes you have to out a jack under the ****** to get the right angle for them to mate. if the front of your ****** is unsupported , it may be drooping down

you gotta do what it takes to get them to line up

 

'36 beat me to it...if everything's out of the way, it's gotta be in your approach angle. Try moving the ****** up and down to see which way your adjustment's off. Tighten the bolts that you can get in a few threads at a time to see if it starts to make-up. M***age it's prostate a little bit. Don't rush it, or you could possibly bind up something that ain't supposed to be.

JB

 

Take the ****** out ofthe car and bolt it to the engine.......maybe 1/2 hr more work.

 

oh, it's more work than that! a 65 valiant would have the cable shifter, they're a mother to deal with.

It's difficult to balance a slant 6 so that it's level....

Just keep fighting it, using prybars, floor jackes, and an occasional soda pop break, and eventually it will go in.

 

I know with fords you have to push back on the converter and turn you can feel it go back as you turn it and it lines up with what ever it lines up with in the ****** it has to drop back two times I think. I know yo said you didnt take it out but it could have come out a littile and lost its alinement.

Check to make shure the touq converter is back and with the slines or key

Cut off some long bolt like 60s Style said

Make sure the block and bell housing are parrallel

Sometimes ******s can be a ***** even when you do everthing right.

 

Don't know if anyone mentioned that you should be sure the torque convertor is all the way in. Maybe it slid out and has disenguaged from the front pump. Forcing it may ruin the pump.

 

btt... anyone else?

 

Yeah my 3 cents on the deal? It's ALWAYS easier to pull an automatic trans when you pull the motor and then stab it back in as a set.

Pull that trans out, get it mated up and THEN stab it back in as an ***embly..........save ya LOTS of brain wracking and fustration.

 

could it be that you have the dowel in the wrong hole? pull it apart, line it all up, then try push them together.

 

I hope to be doing the same thing Sunday evening, I'll let you know what I have to do to make mine go. Mine's a 225 /6 with a 904 also, but in a '63 panel. The only reason I pulled 'em apart was to simplify making engine mounts. Easier to raise the engine the several times needed this way.

One thing you might try is to pult a jack under the ****** (protect the pan) and then take the cross member loose. Might make it easier to move the ****** around enough to line up.

As several have suggested, cut the heads off some long bolts and screw 'em in to help locate things. Don't use any of the bolts to "pull" any engine / ****** together. Great way to damage front pumps on autos or clutches on manuals.

Better yet, drag it to Tulsa. We'll stab yours first, then move over to mine.

 

I just noticed where you're from. Use pontoons when you drag it the first part of the way.

 

usually its an "angle thing"
the back of the car should be higher than the front
i did spend a day trying to find what went wrong an a mates valiant coupe ...manual engines have a little plug in the back of the crank shaft. sounds like this isnt your prob tho'
make sure again and again that the touque convertor hasnt slipped forward (it lives in the land of lube and is heavy)
that key way to drive the pump cannot be over emphasised
dont ask me how i know i just do ok
the right tools are good.are you using an engine crane or a tree and rope? if you can, hire an engine crane and put the car on axle stands all round so you can get next to the trannie and help by swearing at it and jacking it up by the millimeter,
we've all been there, remember this is a recreational activity

 

using a cherry picker with an adjustable (angle) hoist... and a hydraulic jack under the trans....

everyone thanks for the replies. it's comforting to know that even the guys who've been doing it for years still swear at things when they don't go back in the way it should. ;-) we're resuming work on monday... i think i was just frustrated because we were there from about 5 to 11 pm trying to make adjustments to get that final pin in.... hopefully... we can get it in during daylight and then just focus on the tuning.... yay... so close

 

a pic of the engine sittin' in the compartment:



we were using a cherry picker with that adjustable attachment that lets u adjust the angle of the engine. i'd like to try using just a chain so it picks the engine straight up, instead.

 

Jack the driver side of the car up. Just joking sounds like ya got alot of good advice.

 

Is it the same crankshaft ? TThere is a convertor hub size change and pilot hole size some where in that year range.

 

this reply is for randy dupree:

are these the holes for the hoist to use?

 

Get away from it for a day,when you go back it will slide right together!!!Seriously,I remember years ago when working at a Pontiac dealership it took me and another mechanic[combined about 30 years of experience]over 2 hours to get the engine back down in a Grand Prix and mated to the trans.Finally one of us held their tongue right and it went in.You get that every once in a while.

 

oh...you PAINTED the engine! no wonder it won't fit back in.

seriously, though, you might try unbolting the mounts from the engine, then it can move around freely and be more likely to pop into the trans.

 

I'm not Randy, but yes, those are the bolt holes. I can see in your picture the motor is leaning towards the p***enger side too much. (p***enger side of the motor is too low compaired to the trans)

I spent 24 hours once trying to mate up a 394 Olds back to the transmission it came from! After I went home and got about 6 hours of sleep it went right together when I resumed working on it!

Some times you have to shake your head and walk away for a litttle while. Everyone that has ever done much work on cars has had one of those days, you just hope you don't have too many days like that, and just keep on going.
Gene

 

I'm not Randy either, but I just used the same holes your using, except with a chain only. I bolted the engine in, then with the hoist still attached, used a floor jack to raise the ******.

There were 2 alignment pins, one top center, and one on the p***enger side at the bottom. I aligned both of these, and was able to pull the ****** up against the engine all the way, prior to putting any bolts in. If the ****** is still attached to the cross member, it'll be harder to align.

This was done this evening, in a couple of hours time.

 

I have a copy of the original factory "tool" for removing and installing the slant six engines. It is like an "L" made from 1/4 inch plate and bolts to those two holes which you highlighted in your photo. It has two slots in the vertical leg for the crane hook - one for engine only and one for engine and trans.

i just went over the shed and measured it and for engine only the balance point is 2-3/4 inches in front of the rear mounting hole and because of the angle of the mounting bosses it will be approx 1-1/2 inches towards the p*** side.

For engine and trans it is 2-1/2 inches behind the front mounting hole and the same 1-1/2 inches towards the p***. side.

I have never used it but a mate borrowed it and said it worked perfect- from the paint missing on it he used it for an engine/trans combo.

Hope this helps.

Swifty
P.S. Just realised why you are having trouble- the steering box and brake cylinder are getting in the way!!

 

do you have a picture of the tool and how it's mounted?