Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing 4/4 removing engine

Hi dears, i'm trying to remove engine from my 4/4 1971, is there any chance to get off without disassemble gearbox, only unbolt gearbox and pulling forward engine to get it off from downside?
I wait your comments!
Ciao

Ideally one needs an assistant, but it can be done on one's own.

Most important is you need to remove the fan if you are still running the mechanical one. You need the space to separate engine and gearbox. The engine does come out without the gearbox, but you have to twist it slightly, putting the thermostat area to the left hand side of the car (passenger side in the UK).

Truthfully - I can't see that you'd get the gearbox out attached to the engine as there is a cross-member in the way.

Only time I've fitted an engine without a hoist was at rebuild time. It may be possible to remove engine from below, but it will be tricky as the chassis will get in the way.

In the UK, hoist hire is expensive, I've got a proper hoist and as it has been used 3 times for a 4/4, two weekends of messing sorting out the three wheeler and lent to a friend with a MG Midget, it has more than paid for itself.

Hi Martyn,
thank you for your answer, i will remove fan and water pump to get space on front, so i can remove the engine from below.
I do this because i have a freshly rebuilt engine to put on my Mog.
What you mean by putting the thermostat area to the left of the car?
Thank you for your help.
Ciao
Fabio

I've got no experience of removing an engine from below, and my first thoughts are it may not be possible. Even using a hoist, you have to tilt and twist the engine to get it out.

You have a bit more space to get the engine out from above as the Z section chassis encroaches below.

Thermostat area is the front of the engine. When the engine is supported by the hoist, and separated from the gearbox, you need to twist it so that the thermostat area goes to the left hand side of the car - taking left and right from the perspective of sitting in the drivers seat.

You can get an engine out from underneath.

You actually have a bit more room to play with as you don't have the obstruction of the top end of the Rad. you do need to remove the engine mountings completely though.

Cool, although one does have to have the means of getting the car quite high.

Only time I put an engine in from below was when the engine was the first thing to go in on a new chassis.

I removed the engine without the water pump and fan, but now it's difficult to get the engine on and fit the transmission!

If you mean getting the gearbox input shaft through the clutch and spigot bearing on the end of the crank-shaft, yes it can be a problem.

I can't give any real tips on this as it never was that simple for me. Only pointer I can give is the need to use a clutch alignment tool and be very fussy about getting the plate absolutely centralised.

If one has a spare gearbox shaft, you can use that, but an adjustable clutch alignment tool is not that expensive.

My experiences were ages spent moving the engine around followed by the two bits going together so quickly one wonders what all the fuss was about.

I will try to disconnect gearbox from transmission, so i can move some centimeters at rear.

Leave the gearbox in situ - it's the clutch and spigot bearing alignment - as Martyn says - use a alignment tool before fitting engine into car or you can also use a hacked off input shaft off an old gearbox.

Other than that - if you have checked alignment - put a spanner on the crank lower pulley bolt and use it to jiggle the crank whilst having the engine in the car with the gearbox partially installed (ie. when it won't quite slide home) - you should get the appropriate spline alignment on the clutch plate and it slide into position.

As Martyn says - quite often at this point you wonder what all the fuss was.