Pulling motor out the top

[bchaney]

I've got a couple of questions for those of you who have pulled a motor out of your ep from the top. The helms has instructions for getting it out the bottom of the engine bay, but I'd prefer not to mess with the subframe / suspension components if I don't have to.

1. How do I move the A/C line out of the way?

2. Can I disconnect my axles from the trans and leave them on the rotors or do I have to completely remove them like the helms suggests?

3. Do I have to remove the radiator?

4. Do I have to remove the exhaust manifold?

Any extra advice is appreciated. Just looking for any additional info I need to get the motor out the top, since the helms only describes getting it out the bottom.

[RedSiBaron]

I've got a couple of questions for those of you who have pulled a motor out of your ep from the top. The helms has instructions for getting it out the bottom of the engine bay, but I'd prefer not to mess with the subframe / suspension components if I don't have to.

1. How do I move the A/C line out of the way?

2. Can I disconnect my axles from the trans and leave them on the rotors or do I have to completely remove them like the helms suggests?

3. Do I have to remove the radiator?

4. Do I have to remove the exhaust manifold?

Any extra advice is appreciated. Just looking for any additional info I need to get the motor out the top, since the helms only describes getting it out the bottom.

1. id get in there and just take your a/c compressor off the motor...youll probably need to unbolt the bolts holding the lines...hopefully you can pull it out of the way because you absolutely dont want to open up your closed a/c system to the air if you dont have to...otherwise youll need to pull a vacuum on it and probably replace your dryer, since opening up your dryer to the air will probably kill it. the dryer has a thing called a desiccant dryer in it, and it has finite absorption of moisture, once its absorbed set amount, thats it, its done. Luckily once it dries out a closed loop a/c system, it wont be absorbing much, and should last awhile, as long as it doesnt open to the atmosphere. i mean you could disconnect the lines at the dryer and cap it right away, but your lines will still collect moisture that will need to be dried...its all up to you, but id get that compressor and lines unmounted but leave the system closed.

2. yes you can leave your axles hanging, thats fine, but youll probably need to get the knuckles off the lower control arm just to get them out. while you're at it, you might want to drop the trans from the bottom before pulling the motor out the top, it might make it easier to swing the motor over to avoid the a/c system, re: question #1

plus if you take your axles out of the hubs, you'll need to get new axle nuts...i mean, ive reused them, but i try not to if i can afford it...

3. dude, i would, you already need to disconnect the hoses, its just a little more work from there and you dont have to risk damaging it...and re: question#1, by removing the radiator youll have an easier time getting at the a/c compressor to get it out of the way...otherwise you'll have to reach around the alternator and its just a bitch (i had to replace my a/c compressor and it wasnt fun...i should have just pulled the alternator :lol:)

4. depends on what kind you have...if you have a stock/rsx/type r header, you can disconnect the downpipe section since it runs under the swaybar and that will give you a hard time, and leave the manifold part connected to the head, but that might be seized and you'll have to drop the whole thing...to disconnect anything, you'll have to pull the heat shield top and bottom on the header, and those are a bitch because they are usually rusty...i had to cut around a bolt when i took my stock one off...its a clearance issue, and you have things mounted on the firewall, id drop the whole thing...

pulling the motor out the top is a little tricky, but very doable, and id just disconnect/get out of the way, as many things as possible just so theres less chance of smashing stuff up

hope that helps

[japarossa]

I always pull mine out the top. You will need to remove the rad if you want to unbolt the A/C compressor from the motor and leave the lines connected because it is very tight in there. I'm deleting the A/C so I just disconnected the lines. I have pulled it out before and just disconnected the lines. I had no problems with the A/C once it was recharged.
It will come out with the exhaust manifold still on the motor. I always leave my axles hanging, just unbolt the 2 bolts on the strut and you will have enough play to pull the knuckle towards you and the axles will come right out. I use a 1/2" socket extension and a hammer to get the passengers side axle seperated from the halfshaft but you can just unbolt the halfshaft if you don't want to seperate them.
I would get the honda manual if your going to do this because the helms manual is useless. I also pull it out the top with the transmission still attached to the motor, I just unbolt the drivers side transmission mount from the frame and pull it out still attatched to the transmission. For me going out the top is the easier way to do it.

[RedSiBaron]

I always pull mine out the top. You will need to remove the rad if you want to unbolt the A/C compressor from the motor and leave the lines connected because it is very tight in there. I'm deleting the A/C so I just disconnected the lines. I have pulled it out before and just disconnected the lines. I had no problems with the A/C once it was recharged.
It will come out with the exhaust manifold still on the motor. I always leave my axles hanging, just unbolt the 2 bolts on the strut and you will have enough play to pull the knuckle towards you and the axles will come right out. I use a 1/2" socket extension and a hammer to get the passengers side axle seperated from the halfshaft but you can just unbolt the halfshaft if you don't want to seperate them.
I would get the honda manual if your going to do this because the helms manual is useless. I also pull it out the top with the transmission still attached to the motor, I just unbolt the drivers side transmission mount from the frame and pull it out still attatched to the transmission. For me going out the top is the easier way to do it.

good advice, i was just trying to give him the "make it easier" method...

honestly the only way going out the bottom seems to be easier is if you have a lift

[Ba82Ep3]

Its really easy to take the engine out the top.

I left my AC system intact. The AC compressor will sit on the subframe, and i held it there with a bungee cord. I also left the front bumper cover and radiator intact. As long as you have someone helping you to guide the engine in/out of the bay you will do fine w/o hitting anything.

The only thing i had to worry about was the battery bracket (removed to clear the tranny), and keep my eye on the brake reservoir during install/removal (tranny clearance).

I took the axles out, but only because i had to roll the car in and out of the garage i was doing the work in. I didnt have enough room to rebuild the engine, and store the EP at the same time. So i rolled the EP in when i needed to, and rolled it back out when i was done. You could leave the axles in, but would prolly need someone under the car to help pull them from the tranny as you lifted the engine/tranny out of the bay. Sounds kinda dangerous to me.

A lift by far is the easiest way... subframe with engine/tranny/LCA's and axles/brakes all in one swoop. It takes about an hour to drop this way.

[RedSiBaron]

because how quick it is with a lift, im strongly considering get a midrise lift from directlift.com thats the same place i picked up my chassis rotisserie from

between my racecar, my ep, my 240sx and the 86si ill be picking up in the next year to rebuild my first car, it will come in sooo handy

plus im height limited in the garage

http://www.directlift.com/Midrise-Lifts-C11.aspx

[Ba82Ep3]

Thanx for the link! That rotisserie is a must have!!

[rolldogK20]

Great info guys cause i had the same question. i will be doing my swap next weekend..

[talonXracer]

I find it easier pulling the engine from the top.

[bchaney]

Thanks for the info guys, hopefully pulling the motor this week. I'll let you know how it goes.

[eptwah]

definitly remove the radiator. especially bc that front motor mount is a bitch and a half if you dont have the room to get too it. I took the hood off too. It made things alot easier. Hung both harnesses over each fender over a towel. Also remove the top radiator support for more room to work. be careful with the passnger side motor mount bc they tend to bust rather easily. GOOD LUCK on the swap!

[AKEP]

man when i did my swap, i was originally doing it from the top, but it was so much easier to drop it. i didn't have any good attachments for the hoist to lift, i assumed the shop i was at was equiped so, but it wasn't. popped the lower ball joints and the subframe bolts and it was lowered out much easier.

the ac compressor was the biggest pain in the ass for the entire project, and for some reason, i could not get my axles out of the trans. they eventually just fell out...

axle nuts are really cheap. if you got money to pull the motor for whatever reason, you got a few bucks for new axle nuts from napa.

and it gives you more clearance to remove the header all together.

i also removed the rad support and the passenger side fan of the radiator. i only needed a couple inches.

good luck.

[RHCP0801]

definitly remove the radiator. especially bc that front motor mount is a bitch and a half if you dont have the room to get too it. I took the hood off too. It made things alot easier. Hung both harnesses over each fender over a towel. Also remove the top radiator support for more room to work. be careful with the passnger side motor mount bc they tend to bust rather easily. GOOD LUCK on the swap!

i didnt do any of this and its came out perfectly fine, i only removed the hood

[talonXracer]

You are lucky that you didnt destroy the rad.

I consider it absolutely essential to remove the rad and rad support. Why not? Everything is already disconnected and drained!

[RHCP0801]

i unbolted it and just had it pushed back while the engine was being pulled out and put back in. Never even came close to hitting it

[heyvortek]

i bent a lot of stuff when i took it off the top. i really didnt have the equipment to do it pro. i broke a couple of wrenches...its just like a bseries swap :)

[bchaney]

Got the radiator, axles, and cat out last nite. Just gotta unbolt the compressor then I should be able to hoist her out.

One more question - where is the hoist point on the motor side? I see the one on the trans. The helms makes it look like there should be a bracket on the motor mount that you can hook the hoist to but there's nothing on my mount.

[AKEP]

i warpped a chain around one of the long screws that poke out the side of the mount when its partially unscrewed. obviously i had the chain bolted/hooked to itself...

[japarossa]

On the passenger side mount there is a bolt hole in the bracket that is attatched to the motor. That is the mounting point they show in the manual, its just hard as hell to get a bolt in there. I just put a chain link over each of the long bolts sticking out of that bracket, put some washers on top of the chain links and bolted it down.

[bchaney]

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/2188/img00013201103242018.jpg (http://img545.imageshack.us/i/img00013201103242018.jpg/)

[Ba82Ep3]

NICE! Feels good doesnt it? Its a good amount of work... but its awesome to know you did it yourself!

[PAPITUYO326]

I've done all my swaps through the top.

[AKEP]

god damn u pulled out everything

[rolldogK20]

Did mine this weekend !!

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c396/mike1066/9c6d2f4d.jpg

[bchaney]

Nice man, congrats.

Getting it out wasn't too bad - kinda worried about getting it back in there tho... I hope I can remember what connectors/hoses go where.

[rolldogK20]

Nice man, congrats.

Getting it out wasn't too bad - kinda worried about getting it back in there tho... I hope I can remember what connectors/hoses go where.

LOL am on same boat!! am just waiting for my motor mounts to put it back in.

[RHCP0801]

connectors and hoses are easy, connectors can pretty much only plug into one location and the lengths are all different so they only reach where they have to go. Hoses are the same but there are tons of pics on here and clubrsx that will help

[ep3jd]

Or have an ep friend come over and pop their hood :mangel:

[RHCP0801]

haha yea that always helps out a lot, and did help out a lot