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Even labeled my new cuts!
LOL!
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Tried to collect all the antifreeze but ended up making a mess. Heard something about it being poisonous to dogs and pets, so took the time to hose it off and wipe the floor. I hope my dogs don't find any spot possibly missed.
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Top bellhousing bolts are killing me. Read somewhere that it woud be possible with from under the car with a wobble extension, even bought one today, but no. The thing is very, very hard to even get the socket in position.
Read somewhere else a lad mentioning he does it from the top, with a spanner, and using double spanner lever to take it. Didn't work for me.
The day started with bonnet removal.
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Too much things happening in the front of the car, so I decided to take off the grill just to be on the safe side. Easier to find an engine than a grill...
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Everything ready except fot the two top bellhousing bolts... what a fight! My fingers are all skinned trying all methods I read about on the internet. A quick run to the tool store to grab a wobble extension, but no luck. Ended up removing the front driveshaft and undoing the engine mounts, lowering the engine until the crankshaft pulley would touch the crossmember (left a woodboard there so it wouldn't hurt the pulley) and only then have some barely decent room to work on those bolts. Not before some 4 hours of trying every other method. Called my cousin to help with the actual hoisting as I was afraid of all that weight to be hanging high on the hoist. Finally, the big prize.
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I'll leave them talking to each other for the night.
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Today's progress:
Changed flywheel and clutch from old engine to new engine. Something I felt super strange is that the manual not only do not ask for thread locker on flywheel and clutch plate bolts, but actually asks to lub them in engine oil before installing. I have torqued everything to spec but must admit I'm surprised.
Didn't have that plastic spigot clutch centering tool, but while trying sockets into the crankshaft hole to see if something would fit, I discovered that the neck of the 1/2" socket extension fitted absolutely perfect. Only had to match now the clutch disk splines diameter. Sleeved the socket extension with an old washing machine rubber hose I had laying around and centered it was!
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When taking the old engine out I felt all that weight high on the hoist became too dangerous. So to put the new engine in, I opted for some other resources. Deflated the tires, used the hoist one position shorter and once inside the bay, I supported the engine over some wood boards and lengthened the hoist for the final engine to bellhousing mating. I felt much safer this way.
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And finally, new engine in!
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Oh, and something I realized now that I screwed up but now it is done. I noticed some very light coat of silicon on the engine block plate that faces the bellhousing. Cleaned it all good for new silicone bead, but ended up mating the engine to the gearbox without it.
Hose clamp for the back of the engine heater hose was total b!tch to put back.
Most of the electrical connectors are now plugged.
Fuel lines are connected.
Still need to bolt back in place the alternator, ps pump and AC compressor in order to do the belts and after that, radiator.
Noticed something today that pissed me off... When plugging back all connectors I realized that the oil pressure sender on the engine that came out has a different connector then the one on the engine that went in. I could have changed one for the other while both engines were out, but took it for granted that everything would be the same. Now I'll have to replace it with the engine in the engine bay... bugger!
Connector on my old engine/on my harness:
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Connector on the new engine:
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Where it is...
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Same pressure switch. Different connectors.
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Pressure switch exchanged, tidied up the last details and the new old engine started on the first attempt. I was honestly expecting some troubleshooting to be required, since this was my first engine change ever, but it all went smooth. Temperature normal and etc.
Only thing not 100% was an exaust leak on the flange between exaust manifold and down pipe. I have retorqued it but it didn't help so I took it to an exaust shop to put a sealer or something. There, they showed me my cat converter was breaking apart.
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Took the chance to do something that I had been contemplating for a while: replaced the exaust with a Mercedes 2x2" in and out muffler plus a hotdog resonator and now I have a dual pipe exaust. Double barrel shotgun, baby!!
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Right after looping over the rear axle, the pipes go from 2" to 2.5" for a nicer look.
A couple of months ago I have parked under a tree that whose branches were hanging too low. High enough for the GU but not for the power antenna. Read a few posts here about the mast being replaceable instead of the whole unit, and after searching online, the mast was cheap, so why not...
The mast was kinked and would not go all the way down anymore.
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Found the right tool for the job!
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Out it came. I didn't need to remove the plastic fender protection to reach the antenna unit as suggested in some posts and videos. Everything came out from the top.
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Replaced the worn rubber cushion with an o'ring.
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The cheap replacement part and the result
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Not that it bothers me but the new mast gets tucked away too much in comparison with the original one (when it was working).
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I have used the alternator that came with the "new engine" so I didn't have to fiddle with pulleys. Unfortunately, it had whining bearings. I know they can be replaced, but I had my original 110A alternator laying around, so it was the quicker solution.
Changing pulleys between the 100A and the 110A alternators
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Used a nylon bag loop to hold the pulley. I was surprised to discover that the pulley and axle were not keyed nor had splines. They are tapped and that is the only coupling they have.
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My "supercharger whine" is now gone.