# Change underwear? Maybe . . . Change engine? YEAH!



## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

It worked!

I voted 4 -5 times. (And I do change my undies; just a joke, y'all!)

I pulled motors from 3 Oldsmobiles and a Chevy pickup truck.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

It was something to do on weekends when I was younger, not sure I could count them all.


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## w0j0 (Dec 29, 2017)

I've r&r'd a few VW tdi engines engines and transmissions, usually to swap bigger and better parts in. 
Pulled the dinky gas engine out of my Jeep and did all the fab work necessary to drop a Cummins 4bt into it. The oil pickup tube broke and starved the main bearings for oil which prompted a removal, rebuild and reinstall.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@w0j0 sounds like you really done it


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I was removing the engine from a Corvair Van ( remember those), and the darned thing fell out onto my chest, there I was pinned under the thing, with the weight crushing my ribs, struggling to move when a passing neighbor spotted me, and rushed over, grabbed a bottle jack, and raised the engine enough for me to slide out.

That was one time, there have been many more even up to ten years ago, removed and rebuilt a V6 (2.9L) from a Bronco II. 

My first time alone I was 10 years old, and bought this 10 year old car, to build my first dirt track racer from.

Pulled the engine, rebuilt it, converted the car per track rules, Went to the track, and they could not refuse me, but they made me run in the "powderpuff" races, at first.

The ladies in those races, raised hell, about this 11 year old kid, beating them.

So in their ultimate wisdom, the officials let me run in with the " Big Boys". 

Well me being young and fearless, I repeatedly beat them too, by pulling some stupid stunts, and passing where a sane person would not. 

And the next year they changed the rules so that only licensed drivers were allowed to race, and I being 12 could not get a legal license. 

Still could if I felt the urge, but don't feel it yet.


ED


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Well, I done flushed some y'all

Tell us more


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

de-nagorg said:


> I was removing the engine from a Corvair Van ( remember those), and the darned thing fell out onto my chest, there I was pinned under the thing, with the weight crushing my ribs, struggling to move when a passing neighbor spotted me, and rushed over, grabbed a bottle jack, and raised the engine enough for me to slide out.
> 
> That was one time, there have been many more even up to ten years ago, removed and rebuilt a V6 (2.9L) from a Bronco II.
> 
> ...


EGAD

I think that a Corvair anything has to be abuse, but I feel a thread coming on


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## Rough Rooster (Feb 7, 2015)

Did them for a living. Also shoehorned a Chrysler 440 into an Olds F85. Assisted grandson to install a Dodge Cummins into a 80's Chevy square cab.
One time I put a Chrysler Hemi in a 1949 2 ton truck to replace 6 cyl flathead.
Can do whatever. Thinking about a Chevy 350 into a Dodge D50. Now that would be interesting.

RR :smile::smile:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Rough Rooster said:


> Did them for a living. Also shoehorned a Chrysler 440 into an Olds F85. Assisted grandson to install a Dodge Cummins into a 80's Chevy square cab.
> One time I put a Chrysler Hemi in a 1949 2 ton truck to replace 6 cyl flathead.
> Can do whatever. Thinking about a Chevy 350 into a Dodge D50. Now that would be interesting.
> 
> RR :smile::smile:


Okay. 

My buds of doom didn't do that for a living. I suspect customers were . . . . 

never mind

never

mind


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## Bondo (Dec 8, 2007)

Ayuh,...... I've been a _Mechanic_ all my life, 'n am still doin' it,.....


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I have a 86 F250, with a 70 429CJ in it, that I built a few years ago, but can't afford to buy the gas for it now, it only runs on Super Premium non-ethanol gasoline, Still have not found it's top speed, I will say that it ran to a little town 10 miles away in 4.5 minutes, but I didn't push it as hard as the engine is capable of, because a big 4X4, is not made to be a race car. 

Yeah those Corvairs were a piece of work.

ED


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Dang, the biggest response is doing it for a living.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Rough Rooster said:


> Did them for a living. Also shoehorned a Chrysler 440 into an Olds F85. Assisted grandson to install a Dodge Cummins into a 80's Chevy square cab.
> One time I put a Chrysler Hemi in a 1949 2 ton truck to replace 6 cyl flathead.
> Can do whatever. Thinking about a Chevy 350 into a Dodge D50. Now that would be interesting.
> 
> RR :smile::smile:


A friend shoehorned an Olds 455 into a Chevy Nova . . . 

No va? nuh- uh! :vs_mad:


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## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

Do this for a living since 78. Doing a 2011 Ram 1500 5.7 hemi right now. I have stuffed a 72 Buick 455 into a Buick Apollo (like a Nova). Did 13's in the 1/4 mile with 1st and 2nd gear while 3rd was waiting with 323 gears. I stuffed a International truck engine into a 76 Fury, a 413 I believe but could be wrong. It w a 4** something. It was a huge engine so I had to cut the hood for the valve covers and intake. It lasted 2 weeks of driving in the desert of AZ before the frame broke. It doesn't land well.:biggrin2: I have a 83 GMC C1500. It had a 305 in it. I replaced it with a 550hp 454 with a built turbo 400 and a 12 bolt rear end with 410 gears. 11.9 in the 1/4 and it was falling on it's face on the big end. That was in '98. Now I'm throwing in a 2014 LS3 (was a L99 but converted it to LS3) 6.2 with a built auto and duel turbos. I should be hitting around 800hp. Also installing the dash, seats, and console from the Camaro into the truck. I sure hope I can get the huds display to work as the windshield angle is drastically different.:vs_cool:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Brainbucket said:


> Do this for a living since 78. Doing a 2011 Ram 1500 5.7 hemi right now. I have stuffed a 72 Buick 455 into a Buick Apollo (like a Nova). Did 13's in the 1/4 mile with 1st and 2nd gear while 3rd was waiting with 323 gears. I stuffed a International truck engine into a 76 Fury, a 413 I believe but could be wrong. It w a 4** something. It was a huge engine so I had to cut the hood for the valve covers and intake. It lasted 2 weeks of driving in the desert of AZ before the frame broke. It doesn't land well.:biggrin2: I have a 83 GMC C1500. It had a 305 in it. I replaced it with a 550hp 454 with a built turbo 400 and a 12 bolt rear end with 410 gears. 11.9 in the 1/4 and it was falling on it's face on the big end. That was in '98. Now I'm throwing in a 2014 LS3 (was a L99 but converted it to LS3) 6.2 with a built auto and duel turbos. I should be hitting around 800hp. Also installing the dash, seats, and console from the Camaro into the truck. I sure hope I can get the huds display to work as the windshield angle is drastically different.:vs_cool:


Good heavens, when you modify, you _MODIFY_! Maybe we could call you Dr. Frank-CAR-Stein? :vs_cool:


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Gee, I feel like a bit of a slacker; I answered to change engines 4 - 5 times. 7 of you did it either 10+ times or for a living. That's a lot of engines. 

Oh, the adventures of changing engines in a home driveway as a young man . . . . 

One day, an engine block with flywheel from an Olds 350 fell and hit the concrete with a gigantic *THUD* inches from my _compadre's_ head. 

He was, reasonably, startled. 

So were mom, dad and younger brother who ran out of the house. :vs_whistle:

Lordy, that was a wake up call. Still get bad dreams from that after more than 30 years. We did get a bit anal about making sure that the blocks were secure . . . . :vs_cool:


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

DoomsDave said:


> A friend shoehorned an Olds 455 into a Chevy Nova . . .
> 
> No va? nuh- uh! :vs_mad:


I just changed out our grandson's 2005 Altima engine last year. Stripped down a 4 Runner.

As for big engines in a smaller car, I had to change plugs in a 67 Nova SS with a 427 engine years back, that was one tight fit. I was a mechanic back in the 60s. Our buddy across the street has a 68 Nova with a 454 in it.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@BigJim, bet that 68 454 Nova screams foul obscenities as it roars down the street.

I tried to test-drive one once, with a stick shift, and I just couldn't control it. Probably just as well . . .


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## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

I was helping my neighbor swap his 396 and install a 454 in his 70 Chevelle back in the late 70's. We had a chain hoist hooked to a big oak limb. (Shade tree) as we are lowering the 454 in, I was underneath guiding it onto the manual trans when the limb broke. My arm was in-between the engine and tranny. Wasn't hurt, just pinned. But when my neighbor jumped on the car to reposition the hoist, the engine moved and then the pain. I thought I lost my arm. But after the engine was raised a little, I was fine. I never used a tree again. :vs_cool:


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Therein lies the reason that I have my own A frame, and chain hoist. 

Was using a come-a-long, and the ceiling beam 2X4, in a garage once when the 2X4 cracked, and dropped the engine, lucky that there was no arms, or other body parts underneath.

ED


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

de-nagorg said:


> Therein lies the reason that I have my own A frame, and chain hoist.
> 
> Was using a come-a-long, and the ceiling beam 2X4, in a garage once when the 2X4 cracked, and dropped the engine, lucky that there was no arms, or other body parts underneath.
> 
> ED


Some of the stupid stuff I did way back is unreal, I wouldn't even dream of telling some of it. It is a wonder I am still alive today.

One thing I did was: stripping down the heads from a 56 Olds getting ready to pull the engine. I had to get the hood off, so I straddled the engine to hold the hood up with my back as I took the bolts out. My foot slipped and the hood slammed shut. No one anywhere around, it had to be close to a hundred out that day. Three hours under that hood squished down on that engine, it actually felt like an air conditioner when that hood opened. LOL


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

I've "supervised" the removal of about 8 engines, but never done it myself -- because I can't muscle the engine hoist across the garage


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Once laying in the dirt in a barn. That was enough for me.


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