Date:         Fri, 24 Nov 1995 08:21:46 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Dieter Dworkin Muller <dworkin@village.org>
Subject:      Re: engine removal 71 bus 


bus@blackhwk.interpath.net wrote:
:  I am going to pull the engine on my 71 bus and am wondering if anyone 
:  knows the most efficient way to remove the four bolts holding the engine 
:  to the transmission.  Any help would be appreciated.

Well, I use a ratcheting box end wrench for the upper two (a socket
can be used almost as easily), and a non-ratcheting, offset box end
for the lower two.

However, you don't remove the `bolts' -- they're actually studs.  What
gets removed are the nuts on the studs.  If you do actually remove the
studs, life becomes bad.

The main trick I've found is to make sure you've got something with
wheels supporting the engine.  I have a two-ton floor jack that works
well.  You don't have to worry about the engine falling right after
you take the nuts off, fortunately.  What ends up happening (at least
for me) is that I remove the nuts, and then spend a few minutes
jockeying the engine/jack combination up and down until the engine and
the transmission are suspended next to each other, rather than one
being supported by the other.  Then you pull the engine back far
enough to disengage the studs from the transmission.  At this point,
you'll notice that the engine can't come much farther because the
supports for the rear deck metal are blocking the heads.  Lower the
jack (slowly!), so that everything clears.  Be very careful of hanging
up the various wires and such that are dangling all around.

Of course, all this assumes that you've disconnected wires, fuel line,
throttle cable, heater box controls and tubes, etc, before getting
around to removing the engine stud nuts.  It's amazing how much
resistance to movement you can get from just one of those things still
being connected.  In any case, I try to remove the nuts as the last
thing, just to reduce wear and tear on the rest of things because I
forgot to disconnect something.

	Dworkin