Just wondering what is required for an engine pull? Trying to work out if this would be feasible to do myself/ with some helping hands. It seems I have to get the car a bit off the ground, not sure how id do this. Is there some kind of stand I can buy or is tehre an easier way like bricks or something? Also I guess ill need one of those engine puller crane things, would I buy/hire one of these? Are they expensive and easy to transport?? Maybe someone on the forum could lend a hand when im upto that point. Id be willing to buy whatever tools are necessary as ill be saving a good 2k by doing it myself. Just like a bit of an idea of what is required so I can decide if im game for something like this or not.
You need: Engine crane $200-$300 ish Usual tools like 1/2" socket set, breaker bar, few 12" extensions, uni joint etc Big jack Jack stands, 2 sets so you can get the car up in the air and level. Have to pull the gearbox first. Check out the tech section, few articles on how to do it.
Not really You dont really have to pull the gearbox first, I got mine out in one piece ( engine and box ) Just make sure you have the car off the ground and sling the engine well, I used a web sling fed through the plenum. Make sure you lift engine and box at about 45 degree angle. Bit of stuffing around but I managed to do by myself. Get a tech day happening and I'm sure you'll get plenty of help. Good luck. Andy
I agree with chrispy that a newbiew should drop the box off first, makes it lighter on the crane and it can be lifted straight up.
Never ever use bricks. They may crack under the pressure and the car will come down and crush whoever is underneath.
It dose'nt sound like you have ever done anything like this before, and pulling a zed engine is not the place to start. If you can get someone to help who has a little experence, and can be their when its time to put it back together, you may save a few bucks, but its no walk in the park.
It is achieveable for a newb. I pulled my engine 2 years ago for the first time with occasional help from the old man. With all the information on this site it is very much achievable for a first timer, provided you are okay with pulling things apart and working out how to put them back together. It took me far longer than I had imagined; 11 months from the first day i started working on it till the first day it was driveable. I only had some weekends to work on it however, so this obviously delayed things. The build wasn't without its dramas either; The front main seal was not seated properly and was leaking oil on initial startup (pita to fix, but not a major drama) The engine came out again 1500kms later when i discovered one of the exhaust gaskets wasn't seated properly. (its much easier the second time ). Learn from my mistakes take your time and do it once! A few tips from my experiences:- Be gentle and take your time with things when you are trying to remove or reinstall them, unless you are 100% sure it can handle more force. If something won't come undone, read the manual or look in the tech section to scope out how to go about doing what you want to do. WD40 and a hairdryer work well for old hoses etc. Just be careful with fuel hoses as a hairdryer could ignite the fuel. Make sure you throw everything, bar the big obvious bits in a zip lock bag and label where it came from (side of the car, component). Throw all these bags in boxes, with bits from the same part of the car together. Ensure the engine is hoisted safely and cannot fall (that would be an expensive mistake). Nissan engine slingers or A Ramey Z engine slinger and a relatively new, >300kg engine crane should help ensure this. Make sure no debris or foreign material gets inside the engine after the rebuild; It could get inside the cylinder and destroy all of your hard work. This means covering off all open areas of the engine with rags or plastic. Get the heads and bottom end rebuilt by a reputable machine shop (read over previous threads on the forum to find somewhere in your area that people have had proven success with). Clean all electrical connectors with a nail file before reinstalling, to remove the oxidation. Do not reinstall the circlips on the injectors untill you are certain everything on the engine is okay (they are a pita to remove to fix something). On first startup, check everything is tight (double check everything). Remove fuel pump and ignition relay and crank the engine over untill you get oil pressure. Reinstall fuses and start normally. These were my bibles for the process: Engine Removal http://www.ttzd.com/tech/enginetech.html Engine Rebuild http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/tech/rebuild/rebuild.aspx
