Club 80-90 Forums

OK I am going to swap this engine over for another this weekend so if anyone has any advice they can share or would just like to pop by & learn with me then I'm all ears/eyes/cups of tea.

I'm in Camberwell, South London & think I'm going to hire an engine hoist/crane to take it out of the top. Think that'll be safer as the camber on the road has thwarted my attempts to get it up on axle stands, with it moving a bit nearer the pavement, & me, each time I get the trolley jack up to a decent enough height.

Any advise out there for a engine swap out the top?

Cheers...Steve

You wont get it out throught the hatch... if you cant get it up ramps you need a good jack to lift it and put it on them......

Thanks TMT you've saved me a few quid & a lot of frustration by the sounds of it.

I'll see if I can hire a decent jack rather than the lil' draper one I have now. It's done me OK thus far but it's only had to cope with 60s English cars which were much lighter even before the tin worm

I changed my CU engine with advice from here I was amazed how easy and quick it was.

I used a hoist to lower it down on to the leg support of the hoist and just wheel out, make sure you support the gear box, I made notes as I went along as its the first time i'd changed an engine. also took a lot of pictures with digital camera for ref back to just in case.


Good luck

Make sure you disconect the gear shift from the box too and be carefull not to stretch the clutch hose/cable (better to dissconect it IMHO)

There are some threads on here with good instructions... (along with the Haynes book ) an engine hoist will help to lower, but whith a good trolly jack its poss.. you need to lower it to get the engine off the box... It can be as easy to drop the box and engine together... then seperate them.. but it makes for an awfully large lump of metal to control.......

Had mine out a few times. Never undone the gear link.


The engine balances just right if you sit the jack under the oil strainer. lower the lot leaving the gearbox still attached to the vehicle, sit the gearbox on a block of wood (4-5 inch off ground) undo the bell housing and wheel the engine out sat on the jack.

Thanks for the advice.

Just got it up on axle stands by mounting drivers wheels on curb which with the road camber gives a level van. Now for a spot of well earned lunch