Criket's garage

[criket]

Let me know when you want me to swing by so we can drop that bad boy in my Jeep

LOL, give me about a month and it should be running.

Look at it this way. With this motor, you' d be the first one to the trails and the first one back to camp. :P

[criket]

Well, my buddy with his TJ has some work he wants to do to it (actually he needs to do it, lol). He doesn't have a garage so we are using mine. Works out great because I get some wrenching time

Here is the list of repairs/mods:
- Freeze plugs. One has come loose on the back of the motor and is leaking through the bell housing. So we gotta pull the motor.
- Upgraded track bar
- 1.25" body lift
- 1" motor lift

We started on Saturday around 12 noon. Here are some pictures.












Not a lot done to it since I'm only working on it about an hour every couple of nights this week. We got to cut the exhuast and unplug the computer connections and she should pop right out.

Oh and if you guys don't ahve one of these an dneed to disconnect a fuel line or AC line, get one! Fuel line came off within 3 seconds with this tool.

[criket]

More progress made on my buddy's TJ. No pictures though because it looks the same, lol.

FINALLY got the motor and trans free from each other tonight. There were 2 more bolts at the top of the bell housing and they were external torx. Had to go to Auto Zone and pick up the correct socket and a couple extensions.

I still couldnt' get to the bolts because of lack of space so I did some research and found a solution that worked for me.
1. Put ratcher tie down strap around trans and tie to frame. Just to keep the trans from moving/falling.
2. Put trans in 4th gear so when the trans moves, it wont' bend the shifter.
3. Remove bolt on motor to motor mounts.
4. Remove motor mounts completely.
5. Lower engine until the motor mounts on the block are past the ones on the frame (or as far down as you can get it)
6. Remove consol, shifter knob, shifter boot, and metal plate around shifter.
7. Use many extensions and the external torx socket and remove external torx bolts from bell housing.
8. Raise engine and free it from the trans.
9. Have cold beer.


So now I have about 6 or so more electrical connections and the engine can be removed. The engine is currently loose and free and is beggin to be taken out.

More updates coming this weekend (with pictures)

[criket]

Good progress today. Ricky (owner of TJ) came over and we pulled the motor and set it on a couple of tires.

I had to cut the exhuast bolts with the sawzall and that was the most difficult part. There were a few more electrical connections that we had to get and we had to remove the front grill. The hoist wouldn't go high enough.

Oh and yes I did adjust the jack and block of wood under the jack before I left. It just got moved over there while we were pulling on the motor.

[Matt]

I love how simple engines look when they're on a stand all by themselves...

[criket]

Oh yea and my wife is mad since I stole her kitchen towel to use as protection for the top of the motor.

[criket]

I love how simple engines look when they're on a stand all by themselves...

Yes they are very simple when out of the vehicle. The wires/electrical stuff always makes them look intiminating.

[Matt]

Last time I had an engine out of one of my vehicles, it had a few cool looking holes in the side of the block from the broken piston rod lol. Rebuilt a buddies 2.5L recently- they look like little toys when on an engine stand.

[criket]

LOL yea kinda like rebuilding a 20r for a toyota. You look at it like, this thing can move that truck???? My lawnmower engine is bigger than that.

[Matt]

hahahaha. dude if you ever get a chance, you have to look under the hood of a Mazda 2. A co-worker got one and I swear I can fit the engine into my lunch box