Technical engine drop

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Technical engine drop

JakeF

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Hi,

Is it somewhere in the web any good pictures about dropping the engine. Cant understand the haynes, the pictures are poor ones. Would like to know for sure which bolts and cables needs to be opened etc.

Thanks.
 
Hi Jake,

Go to the fiat500america.com web site. They have an english translation of the procedure from an Italian club site.
It is actually very easy to pull the engine and transmission.

John
 
Hi,

Is it somewhere in the web any good pictures about dropping the engine. Cant understand the haynes, the pictures are poor ones. Would like to know for sure which bolts and cables needs to be opened etc.

Thanks.

Hi Jake,

As John has said, it is very easy. I got my car on a hoist and disconnected everything that I could see except the two front and the rear engine mounts.

Next, I lowered the car onto the garage floor and removed the rear engine cover and then disconnected everything else - I took lots of photos along the way.

Then finally, while supporting the engine/transaxle, I unbolted the front engine mounts and the rear transom and withdrew it all in one.

It took me a couple of hours but I was working by myself and going fairly slowly.

The photo is of my new engine/transaxle ready to go in and may give you an idea of what I left on it when I removed the old engine.

Chris

PS: Was in Helsinki recently - lovely city.
 

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Thanks again for your help. Found the site! (y)

That's a nice clean engine Chris! So, I think it is easier to drop the engine and transmission bolted together?
 
Hi Jake;
Did you get my e-mail? couldn't get the instructions on how to drop an engine (on its own if you haven't got a car lift) on the forum--kept shutting down. Unless you have a vehicle lift and another set of hands i would suggest that you do engine seperately--it is surprising how heavy even a small engine and gearbox can be! Just be careful:)
 
Thanks again for your help. Found the site! (y)

That's a nice clean engine Chris! So, I think it is easier to drop the engine and transmission bolted together?

I found it easier, though I also agree that it may be safer to remove the engine first then the transmission.

Whatever you do, please take care.

Chris
 
Easier to take the engine out on its own. My advice would be to make sure you have about three feet/one metre of clearance in front of the vehicle; disconnect the battery; take the weight of the engine on a good-sized hydraulic jack; undo the bolts round the bell-housing, including the starter motor; unclip the heater hose; undo the wires to the dynamo, the choke and throttle cables, oil pressure sensor wire. (I think that's everything - I last did this about 40 years ago!) Undo the four nuts on the rear cross-member. Push the car away, leaving the engine sitting on the jack.

Once you've done it the first time it's the simplest engine removal task ever - I used to be able to do it in less than 20 minutes.

Good luck.
 
Hi Jake;
Did you get my e-mail? couldn't get the instructions on how to drop an engine (on its own if you haven't got a car lift) on the forum--kept shutting down. Unless you have a vehicle lift and another set of hands i would suggest that you do engine seperately--it is surprising how heavy even a small engine and gearbox can be! Just be careful:)

No mail?
 
So maybe I drop the engine first.
I got two hydraulic Jacks and another pair of hands. So put the car on the stands and unbolt all wires cables etc.
Which way should I go, the Jack under the oil sump (is it possible) or a hook which is bolted heavily in the roof? :)
 
It does not sound like Jake has many lifting options. Jake, you should support the car on jack stands and put a rolling floor jack under the engine with a piece of wood between the jack and the engine. Then roll the engine out.

Other option mentioned earlier is to support the engine and roll the car forward (obviously on its wheels), releasing the engine.

There is an eye hook just in front of the carburetor that can be used for lifting the engine. It may or may not still be on your car. What every you use on this hook to lift the engine must be able to safely take the weight of the engine!

John
 
If you only have a standard trolley jack, I must agree - remove the engine & transmission separately. Balancing the two together on the top of a standard jack head would be pretty hairy and dangerous if you are working by yourself :eek:

The lifting points referred to by John are shown in the picture. There were two on my engine which, for me, made lifting the whole assembly from the floor to the jack for refitting very easy.

Good luck, take care and keep us informed,
Chris
 

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Thanks.

Actually yesterday when I was at the garage I spotted the liftin points and I wondered what are those for :).

I'll keep you informed about the project, maybe next weekend I take a try!

It is raining hole the time in Helsinki, I think my driving season is over. No snow yet. :D
 
Hi Jake;
I have looked at the 'Fiat500America.com' site--strewth, the Yanks do believe in doing things the hard way! When I was at Radbourne Racing clever special jacks just weren't available, so we used to support the engine with a block of wood under the sump and remove the crossmember as the first 'big' job. With the cross-member out of the way, all parts of the engine become very accesable, even the bell-housing studs can be got at by just reaching round the engine. Undo the top 2 nuts first, this will allow you to get the starter out of the way. Undo all the bits other people have mentioned, including the 2 air-duct tubes (1 from back of fan housing to air inlet under the rear window and 1 from the right-side engine shroud to the into-car opening). If you make the block under the engine fairly long, in the front to rear direction, you will be able to keep the engine on the block when you pull it out--remember however DISCONNECT THE BATTERY BEFORE YOU DO ANY WORK REGARDING THE ENGINE REMOVAL!!(y)
 
Hi Jake;
I have looked at the 'Fiat500America.com' site--strewth, the Yanks do believe in doing things the hard way! When I was at Radbourne Racing clever special jacks just weren't available, so we used to support the engine with a block of wood under the sump and remove the crossmember as the first 'big' job. With the cross-member out of the way, all parts of the engine become very accesable, even the bell-housing studs can be got at by just reaching round the engine. Undo the top 2 nuts first, this will allow you to get the starter out of the way. Undo all the bits other people have mentioned, including the 2 air-duct tubes (1 from back of fan housing to air inlet under the rear window and 1 from the right-side engine shroud to the into-car opening). If you make the block under the engine fairly long, in the front to rear direction, you will be able to keep the engine on the block when you pull it out--remember however DISCONNECT THE BATTERY BEFORE YOU DO ANY WORK REGARDING THE ENGINE REMOVAL!!(y)

Thanks!
 
Going to be 26 C today in Nashville, Tennessee!

Sorry, just had to do that.:D

John

For those of us that live on the southern half of the planet, we are heading into Spring. Where I live, we also had a 26degC day today with similar forecast for the foreseeable future :)

Without wishing to get into a 'my vista is better than yours' war, I've attached a photo of the beach close to where I live. The photo was taken about this time of the year.

Sorry for the hijack Mr. List Moderator, I'll get back to the topic in hand.

Chris
 

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Hi john;
No insult intended, you are after all our transatlantic cousins with a 'special relationship'; please accept my apologies. Whoever wrote it, it's much easier to heave a 500 engine out eith the cross-member removed and out of the way.:worship:
 
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