engine removal through bottom

[tink65]

How much clearance do I need to drop the cradle and the rest of the works and pull it out? I know the correct answer is "as high as you can get it", but someone has a number out there. My two ton jack stands will get to about 24 inches but I can brace the car higher if needed

[fetchitfido]

The engine/transmission mounted to the cradle is about 3ft tall (maybe 4" below the strut mount height). Might be able to drop it 2" onto the cradle by removing the lower dog bone under the crankshaft (along with it's mounts) and the transmission mount, but you'll still need to find another 6" or more of lift from your current 24".

Might be real close with 28" of lift by pulling the setup out the side instead of out the front.

[tink65]

Out the side makes perfect sense, and I may have room in the shop to do that. I measured my jacks and they're 28" on the highest peg, it may not be a bad idea to just build a trussed platform of 4x4s to set the car on.
Wish I had a lift....

[blue92]

If you dismantle the engine in place, you can just lift it out in pieces.

[54packman]

if you dont have a hoist it comes out easier out the top,,, if you have an auto trans you dont even have to move the tranni back, just support it with a small floor jack,, manual transmission you have to slide the transmission away from the motor a bit to get clearance to put it back in

[tink65]

My reasoning for dropping the engine is as follows- I need to pull the trans to clean the new clutch plate that's being oiled by the poor rtv joint of the rear main seal plate. I had to drop the cradle two inches anyways to clear the gearbox to move the trans far enough out so I could work. Being cheap, when I pull the tranny I'm not pulling the axles so I don't lose any fluid. NOW I need to remove the !manifold, and that requires pulling the fuel rail, PS pump, and motor mount to make room and rotate the engine. Everything is easier with the motor out of the car at this point, and it'll let me really get in there with some engine degreaser too.
Height is not an obstacle. I can build whatever I need to get the car in the air, and if it really pisses me off I'll just pick the whole thing up with my chain hoist