# 89 Chevy dually seized engine removal



## frenchelectrican (Apr 12, 2006)

thehvacguy said:


> So the engine straight seized up. I was driving then I hit the gas and went nowhere, it stalled out. All the oil leaked out of the oil filter I guess it unscrewed itself or something... I got everything disconnected except for the torque converter. How do I take those bolts out????????


Very easy .,

Take the toqure converter cover off at bottom front of the tranmmision ( do not touch the main tranmission pan just leave that alone )

Once you get the cover off I think either 13 or 15 mm nuts and it will come out I think total of 4 or 6 one of the two.

Once you get that cover off then you can able get a open end wrench I think 14 or 15 mm open end wrench will do it and unscrew 3 or 4 bolts unless you have HD model which it will have 4 or 6 bolts to take it out. ( Diesel verison will have more than 6 bolts useally either 6 or 8 bolts )

Take a channel lock pilers you may bar the engine over somehow to get couple bolts out,

But for some reason it will not come out then you will have to take the main engine / tranny bolts out and it will come apart but you will need at least 6 to 8 inches movement unless you pull the tranmmison from below by drop it down then then engine with the toqure conveter still on can come out from top without issue.( make sure you get the Radiatour out and may have to remove the A/C condsiner grill or move it one side and take the hood support bracket off then it will work equeally well.

Bon Chance.
Merci,
Marc


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

thehvacguy said:


> How do I take those bolts out????????


don't even try. just pull the engine. and you will get a bunch of trans fluid = mess. so have a good sized pan under it. you can then get em loose. 

oh. put a new seal in the trans.


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## Maintenance 6 (Feb 26, 2008)

Agree. If the engine is still siezed, you won't be able to turn the crank to unbolt it. Slide the engine front and take the converter out with it. You might have to drop the engine oil pan and loosen the rod and main caps to get the crank to turn.


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## caveeagle (Jul 22, 2013)

Agree with prev post. If you can't turn the motor over, you can't get all the torque cvtr bolts/nuts off. And you usually don't have enough room to remove the tranny from underneath with the Tq-convt still attached.

I have always preferred to pull a motor/tranny as a unit anyway.

This is a good example of the "while I have it apart..." syndrome. Replacing the tranny seal is a great idea. New U-joints are a cheap upgrade to high mileage driveshaft while you have it apart. 

Best advice is to do as many quality improvements so that you NEVER have to pull that motor/tranny again.

A decent Load Leveler can be purchased for ~$50 and is a virtuall necesity when pulling a motor/tranny together.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Be careful sliding the tranny off the torque convertor so you don't damage the pump bushing. Pull it straight off and then unbolt the torque convertor from the flex plate.


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## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)

I'm doing this in the backyard with a cherry picker. I took out my radiator, oil cooler, a/c condenser, and grill. Will it be a pain in the ass to pull the engine and tranny out the top?

Also someone told me I could take the rod ends off and get a screwdriver and hammer and pound the pistons up then I would be able to turn the crank so I can take the torque converter bolts off without pulling the tranny. Is that true?

I'm just tryin to get my truck on the jobsite Monday. I'm going to have the seized engine rebuilt, and the extra transmittion rebuilt, and after this winter I'm gonna change em both. I made a promise to my truck that she would live to see the odometer roll over and I'm over a third of the way there!


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## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)

Also I was told there is no seal on the front of the tranny cause its an automatic, and AutoZone doesn't show one in their computer. That doesn't make sense to me... I just think the AutoZone guy was a dumbass but he could be right. What do you guys think?


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## caveeagle (Jul 22, 2013)

So it sounds like you have a replacement motor, and a spare transmission??

I would not want to take the oil pan off and remove the rod & main caps from underneath. Thats an ugly job from the bottom. Even then, You will probably need to remove all the front pulleys and dampner to get the front cover and #1 main cap off. Remember, with a totally siezed motor, your main bearings are also holding onto that crank.

You can do it with a cherry picker if you have a load-leveler. GO GET ONE! especially if you are swapping motors again in the near future. I have done several V8 swaps with my cherry-picker & load leveler. Its nice to have an extra set of hands, but with the leveler, you can tip the engine/tranny at a steep angle and pull it out the top.

I will comment that I usually deal with small er cars (like mustangs), so you trunk is much higher. You need to make sure your cherry-picker can get you the elevation you need to clear the engin may. I think you mentioned removing the grill that may solve that problem.


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## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)

caveeagle said:


> So it sounds like you have a replacement motor, and a spare transmission??
> 
> I would not want to take the oil pan off and remove the rod & main caps from underneath. Thats an ugly job from the bottom. Even then, You will probably need to remove all the front pulleys and dampner to get the front cover and #1 main cap off. Remember, with a totally siezed motor, your main bearings are also holding onto that crank.
> 
> ...


Yes, I bought a parts truck that still runs. Same year, same engine size, both one ton duallys. I've changed the main bearings on my corolla before and it wasn't bad at all... All the accessories on my seized motor are brand new with a lifetime warranty. I will be changing them over to my new motor.

I'm mechanically inclined, but I'm not trained to work on cars, just done some stuff myself. And I could be wrong but because the way the engine stopped I'm thinking that the rings swoll up or something. I was driving down the road when I hit the stop light I noticed smoke from under my truck. I made a left hand turn and was gonna pull over a few hundred feet down the road when the engine idle slowed down til it stalled and I coasted to the side. All the oil leaked out from the oil filter. There was no knocking or weird noises at all. My truck was running great one minute, then the next minute it was on a tow truck...


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

There is a seal on the front of the tranny.
It's the oil pump seal. If you do want to change it and you have a 700r4, this seal needs to be red locktited in place. A TH400 just needs to be driven in.

Auto parts stores may not sell it. Pick one up at a tranny shop.

Pull the engine and tranny together. No problem.


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## frenchelectrican (Apr 12, 2006)

When you pull the engine / tranmission combo expect the weight will be over 1500 Lbs and a side note if you have 4X4 transfer case remove that first before you slide the engine / tranmmision.

I am pretty sure your cherry picker can able pull this out but keep the mast near vertical much as possble so you can control it better. ( you may have to look at the chart to see what the max weight it can pick at X numbers of mast angle and if mast is extendend or not.)

The last time I pull the engine out was old caterpiller engine that weight in 2800 lbs so I used my diesel forklift truck to pull it out.

Make sure you use the load leveler and you will have to adjust it along the way when you pull it out.

And make sure you have pretty big drain pan below the tailshaft ( output shaft ) of the automatique transmmison so expect the transmmison fluid to fly out of the tailshaft. I know the TH350 tranmisson expect that to dump about 10 to 15 liter worth of fluid right out and TH400 about 15 liter easy if you crank it too much.

Bon Chance.

Merci,
Marc


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## caveeagle (Jul 22, 2013)

frenchelectrican said:


> ........
> And make sure you have pretty big drain pan below the tailshaft ( output shaft ) of the automatique transmmison so expect the transmmison fluid to fly out of the tailshaft. I know the TH350 tranmisson expect that to dump about 10 to 15 liter worth of fluid right out and TH400 about 15 liter easy if you crank it too much.
> 
> Bon Chance.
> ...


I keep a spare driveshaft yoke around to plug the transmission tailshaft. No matter how well you drain your tranny, you will still make a mess when you tilt it 70-80 degrees to pull from the engin bay. Plug up the tailshaft with a spare yoke, and even the cooling line holes if you can. This will make life a lot easier.


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## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)

caveeagle said:


> I keep a spare driveshaft yoke around to plug the transmission tailshaft. No matter how well you drain your tranny, you will still make a mess when you tilt it 70-80 degrees to pull from the engin bay. Plug up the tailshaft with a spare yoke, and even the cooling line holes if you can. This will make life a lot easier.


Well its a GOOD thing I got the whole truck! Lol I got an extra driveshaft


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

We un-seized GM engines in driveway, by simply removing oil pan and replacing piston connecting rods bearings on crank shaft. 
Dats it.


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## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)

123pugsy said:


> There is a seal on the front of the tranny.
> It's the oil pump seal. If you do want to change it and you have a 700r4, this seal needs to be red locktited in place. A TH400 just needs to be driven in.
> 
> Auto parts stores may not sell it. Pick one up at a tranny shop.
> ...


What do you mean by "red lock righted in?" I do believe it is a 700r4.


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## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)

Thanks for all the advise guys!!! I got the seized motor out by removing the tranny bolts. Good thing I'm a Chevy guy! I had enough room to fit my fat hands behind the engine to get the top ones so we got both motors pulled today. Tomorrow I'm pressure washing the engine compartment and changing the steering gearbox and hydraboost unit while the motor is out. Then ill be changing all the accessories off the seized engine and putting them on the new one. Hopefully next weekend ill have the truck back together. I gotta figure out the wiring harness though. I wanted to use the one on the new engine but has less wires and harnesses than the one on my seized one. Problem is there's a lot of bare wires and broken connectors... Its a potential problem...


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

thehvacguy said:


> What do you mean by "red lock righted in?" I do believe it is a 700r4.


If you ever change the front pump seal on a 700r4, apply red locktite around the edge before driving it in.


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

thehvacguy said:


> Thanks for all the advise guys!!! I got the seized motor out by removing the tranny bolts. Good thing I'm a Chevy guy! I had enough room to fit my fat hands behind the engine to get the top ones so we got both motors pulled today. Tomorrow I'm pressure washing the engine compartment and changing the steering gearbox and hydraboost unit while the motor is out. Then ill be changing all the accessories off the seized engine and putting them on the new one. Hopefully next weekend ill have the truck back together. I gotta figure out the wiring harness though. I wanted to use the one on the new engine but has less wires and harnesses than the one on my seized one. Problem is there's a lot of bare wires and broken connectors... Its a potential problem...


Keep your existing harness with the new motor if possible. Use the sensors from the seized motor.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Ahh...I miss being that motivated to drop and engine in the driveway.


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## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)

Windows on Wash said:


> Ahh...I miss being that motivated to drop and engine in the driveway.


Lol there's no driveway... Were doing it in the dirt out in the country. Ill post a pic if I can figure it out...


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Windows on Wash said:


> Ahh...I miss being that motivated to drop and engine in the driveway.


my bother and i just put a crate 350 and a 700r4 in his 78 camaro.


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## thehvacguy (Oct 30, 2009)




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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Yep, that's in the dirt alright.


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