Any tips on removing the engine/trans for the first time?

[sjwelna]

Just wondering if anyone has any quick tips for pulling the motor and trans together.  I'm just about to unbolt driveshaft and motor trans mounts to pull the motor out for a rebuild.  Right now the car is just on some wheel dollys so I can slide the car around the garage, no lift available but I could put it on jackstands if needed.  I can barely squeeze under it as-is at the moment but can mostly access everything.  I have a harbor freight 2ton cherry picker and a load leveler.  What is the best places to wrap chains to hold it, around the motor mount arms?

Thanks, hoping to get the motor rebuild and get her back on the road this summer if possible.

-Steve

[sjwelna]

Looks like it will be tight to remove unless I disconnect all the steering linkages right under the transmission, is this recommended?  Seems like it would make a lot more "wiggle room".  I have everything unhooked ready to go except motor mounts and one bolt on the driveshaft for the moment.  If it's easier to pull the steering linkage out I will do that before attempting to lift the motor.

[Cees Klumper]

It's been years since I did this on my car but I am pretty sure I did not have to disconnect any steering components. Is there no how-to write up in the tech manual on this? Or in the Haynes manual?

[BobH]

There's a short write up in Pagoda Notes, and you can also search "engine removal", which also throws up a lot of posts

https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Restricted/PagodaNotes?action=download&upname=PNv6i2US.pdf

[mdsalemi]

It's been years since I did this on my car but I am pretty sure I did not have to disconnect any steering components. Is there no how-to write up in the tech manual on this? Or in the Haynes manual?

Thanks for bringing this up Cees.
Someone doing this certainly for the first time really needs to follow an explicit set of directions and the Haynes manual would be my first go-to. There may be the proper sequence in the BBB as well.  But surely one would want a set of instructions as opposed to a couple of tips and pointers from a posting..

[MikeSimon]

When I removed my engine in 1986, I followed instructions. It had to be the BBB, because that was the only manual I had back then. If you do that correctly and use the points on the engine they say with an engine hoist, the whole engine/transmission assembly comes out. The transmission tilts down in the back and you can lift the units out over the front.

[waltklatt]

Please make sure you have a very sturdy engine hoist and that goes high too so the transmission output shaft connection can clear the front top of grille.
A second person to assist is necessary.
Walter
1967 220SL diesel
1969 280SE
2003 Beetle TDI
2005 Honda Element

[EeVeeWee]

I did this in 2018 without any experience and it's still not back. 
But the engine space was already nearly empty.

[WRe]

https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Engine/Installation

[David Robinson]

I lifted the car off the subframe. Pretty quick. But I was doing a full resto.

[sjwelna]

Thanks for the replies guys.  We got it out on Saturday.  It went actually much easier than I anticipated.  The load leveler along with my cherry picker from harbor freight were a slam dunk.  Ended up taking off the starter and a couple other things to clear easier around the throttle linkage on the firewall.  When I read the notes from the old pagoda notes I found that it said you had to angle it up at almost a 45* angle to get up and over the steering components, and that was exactly the ticket.  We had 4 guys helping and we had it out in about 2 hours.  I ended up taking out a couple bolts holding the transmission at the bottom of the bellhousing and putting some carriage bolts/washers down there to attach my chains to.  Then I looped the chain behind and around the crank pulley and it came out real clean.  She's all boxed up and ready to send off to Metric for a full rebuild.  I will probably have them help me coordinate a rebuild at bosch for the fuel system parts too.  Can't wait to get this car back on the road.  I'm hoping I will be able to have it driving again this summer.