Home Engine Swap

[Wes]

Just wondered if an engine can be swapped in a single garage with about 2ft space down one side of the car is possible?. I'm thinking about the accessibility of the engine/bell-housing bolts? or would i be wasting my time trying?

[svenedin]

You don’t really need side access. You need enough space in front for a crane.

Stephen

[Wes]

You don’t really need side access. You need enough space in front for a crane.

Stephen

OK thanks. Can all bolts, incl bell housing bolts, be accessed from Engine Bay or is it a clamber underneath job too?

[svenedin]

You do need to get underneath to remove the bottom starter motor bolt and unhitch the clutch return spring (often forgotten). It is easier to get the engine out and back in again with the front of the car up on axle stands. It helps even more if your crane has a load leveller which enables you to tilt the back of the engine easily. The easiest way is to remove the front panel and radiator and then the engine can come straight forwards. If you don't have the extending bonnet prop modification then you also need to disconnect the bonnet prop and tie the bonnet up as high as you can.

There are loads of posts on how to take the engine out and put it back in so I won't repeat it all here.

Stephen

[Wes]

You do need to get underneath to remove the bottom starter motor bolt and unhitch the clutch return spring (often forgotten). It is easier to get the engine out and back in again with the front of the car up on axle stands. It helps even more if your crane has a load leveller which enables you to tilt the back of the engine easily. The easiest way is to remove the front panel and radiator and then the engine can come straight forwards. If you don't have the extending bonnet prop modification then you also need to disconnect the bonnet prop and tie the bonnet up as high as you can.

There are loads of posts on how to take the engine out and put it back in so I won't repeat it all here.

Stephen

Many thanks. Yes in the event that i plump for/forced into a new engine (failure of palliative care mentioned elsewhere) i was thinking of taking the front panel off to give the engine bay a good tidy up as well as for access.

[svenedin]

You do need to get underneath to remove the bottom starter motor bolt and unhitch the clutch return spring (often forgotten). It is easier to get the engine out and back in again with the front of the car up on axle stands. It helps even more if your crane has a load leveller which enables you to tilt the back of the engine easily. The easiest way is to remove the front panel and radiator and then the engine can come straight forwards. If you don't have the extending bonnet prop modification then you also need to disconnect the bonnet prop and tie the bonnet up as high as you can.

There are loads of posts on how to take the engine out and put it back in so I won't repeat it all here.

Stephen

Many thanks. Yes in the event that i plump for/forced into a new engine (failure of palliative care mentioned elsewhere) i was thinking of taking the front panel off to give the engine bay a good tidy up as well as for access.

That is exactly what I did and my engine was in exactly the same condition prior to total rebuild.

Stephen

[ManyMinors]

I must admit that having taken the front panel off, I've never found a need to hire an engine hoist. I raise and support the gearbox and then use a trolley jack to lift the engine which, more or less, slides out and can be lifted off the front crossmember onto the ground. This is best done by two people of course but is perfectly possible. Removal is slightly easier than replacement but again is perfectly possible at home.

[svenedin]

I must admit that having taken the front panel off, I've never found a need to hire an engine hoist. I raise and support the gearbox and then use a trolley jack to lift the engine which, more or less, slides out and can be lifted off the front crossmember onto the ground. This is best done by two people of course but is perfectly possible. Removal is slightly easier than replacement but again is perfectly possible at home.

Yes but if you have a beautifully repainted engine bay as I do you will want to use a crane!

Stephen

[Wes]

I must admit that having taken the front panel off, I've never found a need to hire an engine hoist. I raise and support the gearbox and then use a trolley jack to lift the engine which, more or less, slides out and can be lifted off the front crossmember onto the ground. This is best done by two people of course but is perfectly possible. Removal is slightly easier than replacement but again is perfectly possible at home.

Yes but if you have a beautifully repainted engine bay as I do you will want to use a crane!

Stephen

Talking of which should the horizontal body panels, the ones with the large holes in that run near the bottom of the engine be body coloured? mine are painted black. at odds with the Bermuda blue body!

[Wes]

Talking of which should the horizontal body panels, the ones with the large holes in that run near the bottom of the engine be body coloured? mine are painted black. at odds with the Bermuda blue body!

Guess this answers my question

[ManyMinors]

The engine bay including the panels you mention - which are referred to as "tie panels" - were sprayed body colour when the body was bare. The engine bay was not sprayed to a high standard. These were cheap cars and not a great deal of attention was paid to the finish in such areas.
The engines were sprayed green for much of the Minor 1000 production only once the unit was assembled, so everything including the front pulley, oil filter assembly, water pump , thermostat housing and even the manifold, were all sprayed. The engine mounting towers were painted black and nuts and bolts used in assembly were left plain.

[myoldjalopy]

Wes, it is almost entirely certain that the tie panels in your car were originally Burmuda Blue, like the rest of the car, but that a PO painted them black in a casual tidy up of dirt/surface rust. It might be hammerite?

[Wes]

The engine bay including the panels you mention - which are referred to as "tie panels" - were sprayed body colour when the body was bare. The engine bay was not sprayed to a high standard. These were cheap cars and not a great deal of attention was paid to the finish in such areas.
The engines were sprayed green for much of the Minor 1000 production only once the unit was assembled, so everything including the front pulley, oil filter assembly, water pump , thermostat housing and even the manifold, were all sprayed. The engine mounting towers were painted black and nuts and bolts used in assembly were left plain.

Thanks for this. I'll investigate and repaint should I ever swap the engine out.

[svenedin]

Don't be put off taking the engine out. It seems daunting but it is very achievable at home. I would ask around your local MMOC branch. There is bound to be somebody who will lend you an engine crane. After all, most of the time tools like this sit for months or years doing nothing. Many branches have members who will happily help you out for the price of a curry and a few beers!

My garage is only a single garage and we joke that it was built in the 1930's for a tiny car like an Austin 7. My modern car won't fit in it. I managed an engine swap in there with help from one other person. I did the hub seals a while back and I had to measure the garage to work out if there was enough side room to take the half shafts out. There was but only just.

When I took my engine out I sent it off for rebuild and that gave me several months to strip the engine bay, fit a new wiring loom (this is a lovely thing to have) and get everything looking great again. A really rewarding series of tasks culminating in the installation of a marvellous rebuilt engine!

Where are you in the UK?

Stephen

[Wes]

Don't be put off taking the engine out. It seems daunting but it is very achievable at home. I would ask around your local MMOC branch. There is bound to be somebody who will lend you an engine crane. After all, most of the time tools like this sit for months or years doing nothing. Many branches have members who will happily help you out for the price of a curry and a few beers!

My garage is only a single garage and we joke that it was built in the 1930's for a tiny car like an Austin 7. My modern car won't fit in it. I managed an engine swap in there with help from one other person. I did the hub seals a while back and I had to measure the garage to work out if there was enough side room to take the half shafts out. There was but only just.

When I took my engine out I sent it off for rebuild and that gave me several months to strip the engine bay, fit a new wiring loom (this is a lovely thing to have) and get everything looking great again. A really rewarding series of tasks culminating in the installation of a marvellous rebuilt engine!

Where are you in the UK?

Stephen

Thanks. Ive only ever changed n engine once (MGB) but that was when dad was alive and he ran a service station! so everything i needed incl ramps/tool/space were ideal

[59Elva]

Having removed and replaced a MGB engine a couple years ago I think you would find the Minor much easier assuming the front grill panel isn’t rusted in place. The smaller size and weight of the A series makes it much more maneuverable. Especially if working alone.

[Wes]

Having removed and replaced a MGB engine a couple years ago I think you would find the Minor much easier assuming the front grill panel isn’t rusted in place. The smaller size and weight of the A series makes it much more maneuverable. Especially if working alone.