New to slantsix forums and new to slant 6 engines. Bear with me.

I recently got my hands on a '68 Dodge D100 with 225 /6. Along with it came another 225 /6.

Plan is to rebuild extra engine (at machine shop now) and swap it out with the one in truck and then rebuild that one.

I have never pulled an engine before, but I will do it anyway.
Any suggestions on best approach? Anything I need to especially pay attention to when pulling it?


Thanks

Well, my son and I pulled our 1980 Volare slanty back around august and reinstalled in september....we had never really done it before either....

We took our time -- labeled every hose, wire etc , bagged all parts and labeled the bags, took lots of pictures from all angles and close ups.

It really wasnt too HARD...just a lot of little things to keep track of.

We used the two bolts in the top edge of the head for lifting, per folks here.....used a cherry picker on our slanted driveway......had the front end up on ramps to ease getting to stuff underneath.

We have an automatic and the tranny lines were the hardest part...both removing and reinstalling.....because of how they curve really tight to the block.

The slant 6 is pretty heavy and awkward since it leans.....so we decided to pull the intake and exhaust off before hoisting it in or out.....some folks here say it is best to leave the manifolds on......our issue was the damn trans lines which needed the manifolds out.

When reinstalling, mating up with the trans and getting the engine lined up right with the mounts was rough - again, because of the lean. A lot of oomph and cursing, and my son was in the engine bay pushing and we eventually got her done.

Be sure your engine hoist is set up so that it lifts the block high enough to clear the car....we had set it up with longer than necessary chains and that hosed us....we ended up having to jack up and then letting down the car to get the engine to clear the rad support/grill.

Thats all I can think of right now...hope that helps.

It seems a lot harder than it really is, once you get rolling.

Keep your smartphone handy and take lots of photos of everything as you are disconnecting/disassembling.

_________________
--> Check out my FI Turbo build <--
--> And the race truck build project <--
--> The Diesel Corvette <--

Thanks shadango for the feedback. My "extra" engine came with a tranny. I'm not sure if we'll swap that too.
That's good to know about how difficult it is. I may pull both at the same time. Hook 'em back up and install as one (TBD).

I plan on videoing and snapping pics along the way.

I'm a bit anxious about the whole prospect, but looking forward to anyway.

A pair of alignment pins in the bellhousing makes lining the engine to the trans much easier. I have a pair of 6" long 7/16" bolts that go in the bottom two holes that are threaded in the bellhousing on an auto.

Go slow, take lots of pictures, double check everything as you go. If you get irritated, walk away for awhile.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Good info. Thanks.

We were anxious too...trust me.....in fact, I am clenching up just thinking about redoing the intake/exhaust manifold gasket....LOL

But you'll get through it....just plan on spending twice or three times the time you think it will take just in case.

I dont know how much easier or harder pulling the trans and engine together would be.....more weight, bulkier assembly to deal with coming out/in but less struggling lining stuff up once its in the ballpark.....

We pulled our hood off too....I think thats a must either way if for no other reason than to save sanity and head bumps. We drilled two small holes through the hood hinge attachment plates into the hood where they bolt and then used finish nails to line the holes up when reinstalling....saves a lot of alignment headaches.

hi swappers- one of the best tools to use it seems is the angle iron which you bolt to preset screw holes(2) on the head. the hole positions are predrilled exactly in the position to pull the engine level. they have been pictured here in the past. do wish some machinist here would prefab a few and sell them. have asked in dealer shops but told they are all gone. must be made now from unobtainium. doctor dougmo had one. regards oldduke

Don't really need a machinist, anyone with a vise and drill, and good measuring skills can make one up, a buddy with a welder can even add a loop....


I have a laser cut one that only uses one hole that Andy F had made for this use, it's lightweight and is made of high strength material.... I have pulled quite a few slant and transmission combo's with it and it's pretty trick, unfortunately being the thrifty bunch of improvisors we are, they didn't sell so not many got made.... sure makes it easy to clip the engine crane hook into and swivel the engine combo after pulling out of the hole....

hi DI- do you have a picture with dimensions and measured hole positions? what thickness metal plate would you use and wouldnt bending it be a bear or as we said in asbury park, a badass mofo? thanks tons bob f (ps maybe you have an extra one for me in your junk pile?)

I just use a piece of chain from the rear of the pair of holes in the head to the bolt hole in the front of the thermostat area. I hook it as short as possible and put a bolt through wherever I needed to so the chain would not slip on the hook. I pulled the motor out of the red car 100 times this way and never had to take the hood off.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

My guess is that it would depend on the model car involved as to whether the hood has to come off. And maybe the type of picker being used ??

I have seen some pictures of slant 6s on this forum in a very voluminous engine bay......in our F body (1980) the hood would have been in the way, at least the way we were pulling it......left the front grill etc in tact that way.

The hood was the easiest part of the process to be honest. Took it off to pull the engine, put it on again while it was being rebuilt as the car was outside...the did it again (remove and reinstall) when the engine came back.

It's in the method... If I leave little room between the top of the engine and the crane arm, and jack the rearend up in my duster I can pull and replace an engine and 4 speed OD combo without removing the hood (radiator has to be out.... But as stated it's a lot easier and may have more chain length if you remove the hood.
Why should I bend anything... you can go to the remnant section of a scrap yard and buy a section of steel angle for a couple bucks, 2"x2"x 1/4" would be plenty enough then weld a loop on the top (my buddy has one he did for a quick swap that used a 1/2' diameter chunk of rebar for the loop for the crane hook.... compare to the bolt holes in the head, measure, mark and drill...

If you really want to go ghetto junkyard... pull a serpentine belt from a ford or chevy truck in one aisle of the junkyard, loop it around the alternator bracket and the bellhousing kickstand ( required unbolting it and replacing it again, and you are taking the transmission too)... then whistling to the yard forklift driver you need a 'lift'..... it's bad when you pull that trick, then catch their regular teardown crew doing it the next week on 3 or 4 other vehicles...and telling their buddies they learned a neat trick....

We didnt use angle iron at all.....just hookedthe chains to the bolts.

The concept with the factory plate is that the lifting hole is in exactly the right spot for weight balance.....I guess if you have that dimension the iron would make a difference..... ??