Exmo engine removal

[Denzil]

Hi can anyone give me some tips on how to remove pinto engine and gearbox! 

[Sparepart]

Took one out of an Exmo about 2 years ago ... lets try and remember ... Engine and gearbox are taken out together, it's a snug fit so everything you can do to make space is helpful. The unit must come forward but also up at angle, quite a steep angle in order to clear the top of the front cross member, so obviously radiator and viscous fan come off, I removed the nosecone just in case it would get biffed when sump came over the cross member. The RHE four branch manifold must be removed, and I did take off the inlet manifold with carb attached, probably not required but again avoiding inadvertant damage. Once the engine weight is on the hoist take the engine mounts off at the block and remove from engine bay. I also removed the starter motor and alternator, to reduce weight and increase manouverability. Obviously the gear lever, but also the speedo cable, which was quite tricky because it came out of a hole in the transmission tunnel which gave a very small apeture through which to get a circlip remover to release the cable from the gearbox. Also beware! since the propshaft cant be removed from the rear (not without taking the diff out) it stays in place and drops off the gear box as the box moves foreward, this makes a bang as the propshaft hits the transmission tunnel floor. ALSO .. at this point  ... if you can .. try and get some cling film or plastic around the hole that the propshaft has just left. There is no drain plug on the gearbox. So as you fiddle around gradualy pulling the engine forward and up at angle the gearbox is busy draining itself out of the propshaft hole all over your nice clean garage floor. I guess a large pan like the one you do your Sunday roast in strategicaly placed during the removal might be okay to catch the oil, but makes the beef taste a bit odd later.  Can't think of anything else at the moment, but there are probably other things I have forgotten. Good luck!.

Edited August 23, 2022 by Sparepart
corrections

[Peter Bell]

It was some time ago when I last removed mine but I split the engine from the gearbox, it seemed fairy easy that way, remove the rad etc. slide the engine forward (on a skateboard) then lift it out. Gearbox can then be then pulled into the engine bay and removed. Don’t forget the gearbox mountings.

[Sparepart]

Interesting, I did not try this on my Exmo what I was afraid of is that the sump is below a quickly narrowing part of underbody that supports the engine mounting trays, they make a forward pointing V shape, it looks like the engine will not just slide forward as the sump gets wedged in the V, so it has to be raised at the front, so that would mean supporting the front of the gearbox in order to pull them apart, which raises the possibility of putting up or down pressure on the gearbox input shaft just before it pulls out of the spigot bearing or scratching the end on the clutch release mechanism. So, probably over cautious, I took the unit out joined and seperated the engine from the gearbox with them both level and a small trolley under each. Taking them out seperately avoides losing gearbox oil and probably makes fiddling with the speedo cable easier as the gear box can be moved closer to the hole in the transmission tunnel. Also of course if it's just the engine your after then why remove the gearbox. One other thing is the clutch cable removal. The clutch cable is normaly under some tension from the auto adjusting mechanism in the pedal box, this can be released to make cable disconnect easier by lifting the clutch pedal up as far as it will go and keeping it there with a piece of wood. This lifts a small serated cam off the adjusting quadrant that is hidden in the pedal box.

[Denzil]

Thanks for all the information!! Will make removal a lot easier knowing what you guys did