Engine Lift or Not?
 

I am overhauling/rebuilding the engine in my Camry, and one thing I want to know is this: is it absolutely necessary to remove the engine from the car, or can I leave it in? Do keep in mind I will be taking pretty much everything apart, eventually getting down to removing the pistons, rods, and crankshaft. My thoughts were that it would be difficult to set everything and measure it all correctly with the engine in the vehicle still, but seeing as how I have never done this, I don't know. Any input is appreciated, thanks.

if you are removing pistons, rods, and crank you have to. I don't know of any other way to get them out besides pulling the engine :(.

it would be a nightmare doing this right even if you could get the guts of the motor out with it installed....

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR! ...Pull the motor out....and either get an engine stand or rent one....with the engine in a stand it makes building the motor sooooooooooooo much easier, keeps everything clean and easy to get at.

I got a engine stand from auto zone for 50 bucks
and
got a engine lift from Auto zone for 200 bucks ...

works great .
bruce

You can usually rent engine lifts/stands too, for pretty cheap.

BTW, you CAN change a connecting rod bearing without pulling the engine, but it's an experience I never want to go thru again. Do yourself a favor and pull it.

You can do everything except remove the crank with the engine in the car, but its a major bitch.

go to your local discount hardware store and by a 1 ton chain fall. Those are the chain style hoists. I got mine for $70 and just rigged it to the rafters in my garage. Works like a charm and you can use it pick anything up; lawnmowers, motorcycles, extremely obese children that belong to your neighbor and continue to bother you when you are working on your car. Its my favorite tool.

<cartman> Hey! Get me down from hyah! </cartman>:D

Awesome, I think that settles it then. A friend of mine has an engine lift, so I guess I'll just go ahead and buy the engine stand myself. What do I need to look for in an engine stand? Does it adjust to fit the engine size? I've never closely looked at how it operates and don't know what to look for in buying one. Any ideas on this?

What you mainly need to look for is 4 wheels, not 3. Like this:

Jeg's Engine Stands

I know too many people who have had 3-wheeled stands tip over and drop the engine on the ground. :( Also, most generic engine stands will adjust to fit almost any engine. :bt:

One more note... I'm not sure what year Camry you're working on, but I've pulled the engine from an 87 4-cylinder Camry, and you NEED an engine stand to do this job. A chain won't cut it because you have to move the engine slightly sideways as it comes upwards so that the end of the tranny will clear the driver's side framerail.

So for my Camry (4 banger) and later on Protege, I should get the 1000lb. stand, and that should be plenty, correct? And about the Camry, is it necessary to pull the tranmission, too? In the Haynes manual they did it, but I don't see the reason. If I did, could the engine stand hold both the engine AND transmission attached? It seems like it would be too long and bulky that way...:confused:

Yes, it will be more than enough.

I've done engine swaps both ways, and IMHO it's usually MUCH easier to pull both of them together. The reason? It's a PITA (esp. on a FWD car) to pull the tranny first unless you have access to a lift and a proper tranny jack. It's mush easier to seperate the engine and tranny out of the car where you don't have to worry about reaching all the bolts and bench-pressing the tranny while you're lying on your back under the car. :)

No, the engine stand holds the engine using the bellhousing bolts. You will need to (a) get a helper (or 2nd engine hoist) to support the tranny while you remove the connecting bolts with the engine/tranny assembly hanging from the hoist, or (b) lower the whole assembly to the ground, seperate everything there, then lift the engine onto the stand. (FWIW most manual trannies weight less than ~60 lbs and can be easily lifted and moved around by most adults.)

Good luck! :D

Sounds good, very helpful information carguycw. You mentioned some manual transmissions weigh about 60 lbs, what about an automatic? Hopefully I can get this project really going soon, last night I removed the hood and I am about to go up and drain the remaining ATF...it leaks :rolleyes:

Automatics weigh considerably more, but it still probably won't weigh enough to create a problem moving it around. Also, another Camry-specific tip: the service manual I was using cautioned against rolling the car around with the axles removed because they help support the wheel bearings. My brother and I needed to be able to move the car during the swap because we were working in a smallish garage, so we just left the axles installed in the hubs and rolled the car slowly and carefully so that the CV joint boots wouldn't seperate.

Also, if the tranny has a terminal leak, now might be the time for an auto-to-manual swap. :bt: Although I don't think this is smart on a late-model vehicle due to the cost and difficulty, it's a lot cheaper on an older vehicle with abundant junkyard parts availability, and the tranny will already be out of the car. :) FWIW, it's typically cheap and easy to find manual trannies at junkyards because there's not much demand for used ones because they're less numerous and they generally stand up to long-term neglect better than automatics. I've never paid more than $150 for a used manual tranny from an older car, and the last one I bought cost $125 and came with unlimited free replacement. :) ("What kind of a warranty does that come with?" "Hell, don't worry 'bout that. If it doesn't work, bring it back and we'll give you another one. We've got 20 of the damn things back there.") :D

Not a bad idea..how much more work would changing the transmission be? Total parts cost? It is a 1992 Camry LE, so there should be plenty in the junkyards. I think the same car pretty much ran from 1992 - 1996.