Motor out, What to do?

[Christang95]

Ok so me and a few buddy's ripped out my motor and tranny today. My question is, what should I do now that the motor is out and easier to work on? Im thinking about replacing the rear main seal. Some people say a new clutch but I think the clutch isn't too bad.

 

[LAFENATU]

Why would you take the motor/trans out to do a rear main or clutch?

Only time I take those out is if I am rebuilding or replacing.

 

[94kingcbra]

If you plan on fixing problems and then putting it back in, then I would start with finding everything that's wrong, and fixing it. Rear main is definitely a good place to start. How many miles were on the car? What's been replaced? What hasn't?

 

[Christang95]

I took my motor out because it was blown. Im putting another 302 out of a wreck and im just wondering if theres any maintenance I should do or parts to get before I put the motor in.

 

[LAFENATU]

Ahh...ok.

Do you know the replacement engine runs and runs well or are we not sure?

 

[Christang95]

Im pretty sure lol. I didn't see it run because of something with the cars alarm system but he showed it to other people and it was running.

 

[5.0kid]

well, hopefully it does run
if it didn't have any known leaks, it would probably be easiest to just leave it be, otherwise if you replace something (like the rear main seal) it may have a chance of leaking (if the install goes wrong or factory bad seal- i had one from fel pro) and you'll have to pull the tranny.

 

[GearGambler]

put a bigger one back in?

 

[95mstng]

Now a perfect opportunity to replace your gaskets. You should replace the valve cover, oil pan, rear main, timing cover, water pump, upper and lower intake. Depending how many mile on the car maybe the even the head gaskets. You should also replace your oil pump since its easy to get to right now. this could also be used as an opportunity to detail your engine compartment, since the engine is out of the way.

 

[94kingcbra]

Yes! I would go down to the head gaskets as well. It's the only way you can really be sure everything is gonna work out. I just put an engine that was built on horsepower tv in a mustang. It blew the head gasket on the first pull on the dyno. So I pulled hte engine and disassembled it. While doing that, I noticed almost every intake bolt was loose, and there were several head bolts loose, partically near where the gasket blew. Moral of the story, it doesn't hurt to be thorough.

 

[Christang95]

Ok awesome thanks for the help, I will probably pick up a gasket kit. I might also buy a new throwout bearing and maybe some new hoses. Oh yeah and clean the engine compartment.

 

[ram360]

Do a rebuild on it and be done w/ it...

 

[Christang95]

How much is a good rebuild?

 

[ram360]

How much is a good rebuild?

well, if your just going to hone, regasket, bearings, freeze plugs, grind the crank, etc...assuming you can reuse all your current parts prob $500 at least that's what my engine guy charges.

 

[BlkoutGT]

How much is a good rebuild?

well, if your just going to hone, regasket, bearings, freeze plugs, grind the crank, etc...assuming you can reuse all your current parts prob $500 at least that's what my engine guy charges.

You may be able to cut some of the list down, but be prepaired to spend that much just in case you open the engine up and get a nasty suprise.

 

[LAFENATU]

its a sbf, it should just need bearings, a hone and rings. cost less the a couple hundred in parts.


.02

 

[Ryno8705]

If you start tearing into the motor, you will find things you don't like, then you will sit there and wonder what you should do--full rebuild, try and get by, get a different motor, etc... Just be prepared if you tear the motor apart, it's inevitable you will find things you don't want to see.

I pulled mine to do some random things, not a rebuild... I pulled the upper and lower intakes and two lifters, ONLY to check everything out. A full rebuild and cam later, the motor went back into the car. -- I'm not a odd-ball case, it happens all the time.

 

[Christang95]

I would love to do a full rebuild but im trying to get the car running by the middle of August before I go to school so im pressed for time.

 

[Ryno8705]

I would just go with a new rear-main if the one you have is leaking, if not, I wouldn't mess with it. If you don't get the new one in right, you could leak more than before. If you do replace it, go with the expensive Fel-pro one (like $18). I think it's teflon, but doesn't come up as teflon on most parts store computers.

With the motor out of the car, replace the oil-pan gasket. I went with the felpro one piece and no problems yet. If the timing cover looks like it's leaking, replace that gasket while the oil pan is off. Replace the timing cover seal while you're at it. Valve cover gaskets if they look bad.

I guess to sum it up, if a gasket looks like it's leaking, replace it, otherwise leave it alone. If you were not on a time crunch, I would say new headgaskets also, but going that deep, can take time I don't know you have.

 

[Christang95]

alright ill do that thanks, im just not sure if the seal is leaking or it just got some oil on it due to the motor being removed. Maybe it just got some oil spilled on it.