69 Catalina Rescue

[mrocketscience]

Looks like attempt No 1 at replacing the oil pan resulted in a fail. I tried hoisting the front of the engine up as far as possible and managed to get all the pan bolts out and and the pan loose, but couldn't get the engine high enough to get the pan past the main cap at the front. The bell housing hits the top of the trans tunnel and won't let me raise it up enough. So, I think I'll try to take out the trans cross member and lower the back of the trans down to the ground and see if I can get a higher angle at the front of the oil pan and raise it higher. I thought about lifting the whole eng/trans up and forward with the hoist, but the front of the car is too long and the hoist won't reach without disassembling the whole front end. Not what I wanted, but it may have to happen.

[Scott Liggett]

There is something very familiar about your problem.

[mrocketscience]

I've spent most of my life woking on Mustangs and Falcons, so if you have any tips I'm listening!

[Huskinhano]

Some times you just have to bite the bullet. One of the worst jobs I did was back in HS. A buddy had a turbo charged Corvair convertible. He needed a new clutch so we planned on doing it one Sunday at a gas station he worked at. According to the Chiltons manual, you must pull the engine and trans together but of course we knew better *LOL* After a few frustrating hours of trying to remove just the engine, we ended up pulling the whole thing....which worked out way easier.

[Scott Liggett]

I've spent most of my life woking on Mustangs and Falcons, so if you have any tips I'm listening!

I couldn't get the oil pan out of the Caprice with it's 454 even by jacking up the motor until it hit the AC box on one side and the brake booster on the other. Pulling the engine out later today. Sucks, but I'm tired of the big oil leak.

[TheSilverBuick]

Yet I had success removing the pan off a 455 Buick in a '72 Centurion by undoing the motor mounts and jacking up on the harmonic balancer (with a piece of wood). You never know.

[Huskinhano]

A plus to pulling the engine. It'll be way easy to replace the timing chain! Hint,hint.

[mrocketscience]

I'll take one more shot at it today but if it's a no go then I'm just gonna put the cover on it and tackle it another day....I'll have to take the front end apart and separate the engine from the trans and pull it out.

[Blazerteam]

No machines around,that can help out..cranes tractors,or a garage with a hoist..you can build a hoist out of steel or wood..2x4..

[mrocketscience]

I wound up just giving in and removing the front end and unbolting the engine from the trans. Then I was able to lift the engine straight up enough to remove and replace the pan. Whew! So that job is done but I need to replace the motor mounts because they're pretty wasted. I put the engine and trans back together and set it down on the old mounts since today (Memorial Day) nobody who has any is open. No problem though, they can be changed pretty easily later.

[SpiderGearsMan]

fantastic car

[Scott Liggett]

I wound up just giving in and removing the front end and unbolting the engine from the trans. Then I was able to lift the engine straight up enough to remove and replace the pan. Whew! So that job is done but I need to replace the motor mounts because they're pretty wasted. I put the engine and trans back together and set it down on the old mounts since today (Memorial Day) nobody who has any is open. No problem though, they can be changed pretty easily later.

Looks just like the mess in my driveway, only I had a less glamorous tool box.

[mrocketscience]

LOL! My tool box rolls and has working drawers, but is pretty beat up otherwise. I rolled it out there because I just got tired of walking back and forth to the garage.
On another topic, whats the best way to test a GM starter and solonoid? Before I removed it, I got nothing when I turned the key, no click, nada. Remember, I'm a Ford guy, so you probably have to talk slow... lol.

[TheSilverBuick]

Make sure the trigger wire is hooked to the "S" terminal and not the "R" terminal if you aren't familar with them. Same as the Ford solenoids, only attached to the starter. If you are bench testing the starter, just ground the case and send power to the big lug and then jump some power over to the "S" terminal.

[Thumpin455]

I forgot to ask, what is the casting number on the center exhaust ports?

What I do with my GM starters is run a wire from the S pin to the battery connection, then wire up a Ford solenoid on the firewall. Then all you have to do is run the start wire to the solenoid, and the battery wires to the solenoid. It limits the heat soak so your starters last longer than a month. Its also way easier to use a remote starter button to bump the engine over under the hood.