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ENGINE SUPPORT DURING BOX REMOVAL


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Hi guys

Following on from recent chat about gearbox removal... once the box is removed, is it ok to just support the engine using a block of wood between the engine and fire wall (see photo)?  I would like to be able to move the car about the garage once the box is removed.  I hope that the support under the engine is only really required while there is a chance of the gearbox applying additional load onto the engine (which can happen I presume despite best efforts to support box and engine separately).

TIA!

image.thumb.png.8ac5d1a83f93830ef1eebca13394ab3f.png

 

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6 hours ago, bigmalcy said:

Hi guys

Following on from recent chat about gearbox removal... once the box is removed, is it ok to just support the engine using a block of wood between the engine and fire wall (see photo)?  I would like to be able to move the car about the garage once the box is removed.  I hope that the support under the engine is only really required while there is a chance of the gearbox applying additional load onto the engine (which can happen I presume despite best efforts to support box and engine separately).

TIA!

image.thumb.png.8ac5d1a83f93830ef1eebca13394ab3f.png

 

I do that on my daily driver TR2. On the restored one I avoid it as it can bend the firewall, even with good timber support

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Substantial piece of timber beam across the wings (protection underneath) with two small "chocs" positioned inside the wings to prevent it sliding either way, sling a loop of rope around the rear of engine and suspend from the beam. The engine will prevent it moving forwards.

Mick Richards 

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Just be careful if you have a cast iron manifold ( particularly a 4A one) with the exhaust in situ, because if the engine does drop. even a little, you could easily end up cracking your manifold, as I found out to my cost!

cheers Rich

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If you want the same idea a little more Hi tech (and costly) seems a lot of money for an occasional use item

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/500kg-1102lbs-Engine-Gearbox-Support-Beam-Double-Support/352809207983?epid=11031181688&hash=item52251148af:g:Vi0AAOSwl6Rd3ix4

Mick Richards

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I may be wrong but …

With the block of wood between the engine and the bulkhead, isn’t there some force put on the engine trying to push it forwards? (It has been mentioned that it can distort the bulkhead by pushing against it.)

No problem if the engine mounts are in good condition, but if they have gone soft over the years with oil contamination, isn’t there a chance of the engine moving forwards and the block of wood no longer being effective causing the back end to drop?

Worse case would be for one of the engine mounts to fail, the engine shoots forwards, the fan goes through the radiator and you end up with the engine wedged into the chassis.

Or am I being too dramatic?

Charlie.

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The scenario you describe is probably feasible Charlie. It’s the sort of thing I would expect to be considered if one were developing a nuclear safety case. 

Fortunately none of the above happened when I removed my gearbox and rolled the car in and subsequently out of the garage. 

Rgds Ian

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Thanks fellas - I've gone with the wooden strip against the firewall... plenty of creaking and groaning as it took up the slack and slipped a little against the firewall, but seems ok now.  Will probably chock the engine up under the sump once the car's back in position and waiting for the box to be re-installed... seems like a lot of load on that firewall.

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Malcy,

You said:

“…seems like a lot of load on that firewall…”

I guess that means that your engine mounts are probably in good condition.
(No need to worry about the fan going through the radiator and punching a fan shaped hole in the front apron, whilst the rear part of the sump gets flattened on the concrete floor, bending the oil pump pickup tube in the process.)

Of course it may now mean that the entire body could be slowly being pushed back and sliding along the chassis with all that force.
You did make sure all the body mounting bolts were tight before you tried it?

Charlie (Always look on the bright side of life) Davies

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I don't need any help being a worrier, thanks Charlie! 

Engine now supported on blocks ;) 

At the very least it gives me an extra reason to get the box fixed and the car move back out of the way!

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