Pull engine from above or drop it from below?

[Jon K]

Hey guys - preparing for heart surgery on my poor car. Should I be focusing on removing the engine conventionally from the top with a load-leveler and a cherry picker or, since I have the car on a lift, should I try and drop the motor from below with the cross member and all? Trying to do this the best way possible.
Thanks all.

[Paul in NZ]

how do you drop it from below....would still require the support from above wouldnt it? have always thought it would be a whole lot easier if grills,radiator,and all the front is removed,then its relatively easy to pull motoer and trans together??...just my 2 c worth

[Jon K]

how do you drop it from below....would still require the support from above wouldnt it? have always thought it would be a whole lot easier if grills,radiator,and all the front is removed,then its relatively easy to pull motoer and trans together??...just my 2 c worth

Well I imagine I could drop the thing from below by dropping the whole front subframe - we do this a lot on VW/Audi/Porsches, I just haven't spent enough time under the E34 lately to recall if its easier or not.

The trans and motor come out just fine through the top with a load leveler its just a pain with the car on a lift because the cherry picker doesn't go too too high.

The 3rd option you mention I forgot to ask about - does the radiator support come off easily? Is it welded in? If so, I could drill out the tack welds and bolt it back in when done - my front end needs considerable reconstruction considering the size of the intercooler I am going to run. I do like the sound of this best so far, but it might be a project itself just getting the front end apart!

[winfred]

i always take em out the top, the tranny will come with it just fine too, front drive volvos are the only ones i take out the bottom, the core support unbolts

you don't gotta unbolt the core support to pull the engine

[Jon K]

i always take em out the top, the tranny will come with it just fine too, front drive volvos are the only ones i take out the bottom, the core support unbolts

you don't gotta unbolt the core support to pull the engine

Awesome - sounds like I'll pull it from the top. One question though - when I pull motors (e36/e46) I wrapped a chain around the rear exhaust manifold and one in the eye of the front pull point. However, I am not going to lift my engine by the freshly coated and welded turbo manifold, so what do you do to support/lift the rear?

Core support == rad support? I might remove it just because it'll be easier to mount my radiator further backward as I've got to fit my giant intercooler.

[winfred]

core = rad, i always hook to the block lift point by the starter as i have a chain that fits the hole, you can use one of those horse shoe shaped shackles with the screw in pin in that hole so you can hook in with a normal sized chain

Awesome - sounds like I'll pull it from the top. One question though - when I pull motors (e36/e46) I wrapped a chain around the rear exhaust manifold and one in the eye of the front pull point. However, I am not going to lift my engine by the freshly coated and welded turbo manifold, so what do you do to support/lift the rear?

Core support == rad support? I might remove it just because it'll be easier to mount my radiator further backward as I've got to fit my giant intercooler.

[Jon K]

core = rad, i always hook to the block lift point by the starter as i have a chain that fits the hole, you can use one of those horse shoe shaped shackles with the screw in pin in that hole so you can hook in with a normal sized chain

**** you're right I forgot about that lift hole! It's been a while I need to get rowdy with my E34 - just a few more parts to go!

[Ross]

Jon, Who's your interior decorator?

[Dash01]

I have a cherry picker and am gonna pull the M30 engine out while leaving the tranny in.

Questions:

How best to remove the three bolts on the torque converter?

How best to remove the top 3 or 4 bolts that hold the bell housing to the back of the engine?

[Jon K]

Take the trans with the motor, trust me.