Hi, I am trying to remove my engine and leave the gearbox in place (tell me if this isn’t possible!)
I have removed the plate that covers the bottom part of the flexplate but I can’t for the life of me get a spanner on the torque converter bolts. I can’t get a socket, ring spanner or anything apart from an open ended spanner to touch the bolts, and even then at an angle which doesn’t get a grip.
It even looks to me that with the sump out I still wouldn’t be able to get on the bolts.
Looks like I can with the sandwich plate removed which kind of would seem extreme…
At the moment it looks to me like even if I remove the engine and box together I won’t be able to get on the bolts.
The starter is out, exhaust downpipes are out, gearbox filler tube is out…
You’re talking about the bolts that hold the torque converter to the flex plate, right? The heads face forward? We took the BW out of the s3 etype with no trouble, I am trying to think what would be that different. Can u post a pic maybe?
There is a hole in the block on the opposite side to the starter motor.
It usually has a black plastic plug, but on a car this old there might be
no plug or any old thing stuffed in there as a cover.
The hole is there to get a socket on the convertor bolts.
I ran into the same situation when I pulled the 400 turbo on my "88 v12. The flexplate bolts are inset and hard to access. I found that if I rotated the engine using the ring gear (In the correct direction!) so that a bolt was in the six o’clock position, I could just get a really shallow socket to engage, followed by a 3/8 small breaker bar . Not a ratchet. Breaking the bolt loose meant wedging the ring gear and a hard blow with the heel of my hand. Then rotate the ring gear again, and on to the next- six times. Truly a PITA. Do not allow the engine to rotate backwards if you try this.
Reassembly was just as slow and drawn out. I didn’t notice an access hole anywhere as Richard described. I also do not know if the B/W has the same bolt pattern for the pre-HE as mine does with the 400 and HE, but maybe others will know.
Edit.
I just did some searching, and Richard is right- there is an access bung as he described. I wish I had seen it! The part no is C-34016. Next time…
Thanks for the replies folks. I just can’t get anything other than part of an open end spanner to touch the bolts dues to them being inset at a;level “behind” the ring gear.
But if that access hole exists on mine I’m gonna be happy!
I just went to have a look and shine a torch on the block but my oil filter assembly is blocking me from seeing anything.
I’ll have a look in daylight and preferably when I raise the car again.
I think this is the only thing stopping me pulling the engine now as I think Ican get on all the bellhousing bolts.
Malc
Kirbert
(Author of the Book, former owner of an '83 XJ-S H.E.)
7
Oh, how are the mighty fallen.
I have reason to remember that access hole.
Going back many years I used it twice to release the converter.
18 months ago I went to a workshop to pick up a 2nd hand V12 with turbo 400 still bolted to it.
I did not want the turbo and it was not part of the price so all 4 of us sat around puzzling how to get the convertor off the V12, since I did not want it but the seller did.
Simply forgot all about the magic hole.
So the V12 goes on the trailer and gets hauled back to my factory. My son in law is giving me a hand to unload it with the engine crane and we are in a hurry to get the convertor off the V12 so I can put it on a prepared trolley. Problem solved, out with the big grinder and cut the lugs off the converter.
The engine was filthy dirty and the access hole not immediately obvious. Ten minutes after putting the V12 on the trolley and giving it a quick look the penny dropped.
You guys are heroes! Found the plug after removing the oil filter and had those pesky bolts out in about an hour. This after buying all sorts of spanner’s that wouldn’t fit for a week!!!
Cheers for your help all. If it wasn’t for this I’d be taking the box out with the engine in one go. I’d rather separate them first.
Richard, I think that Jaguar owners who do all their own work should be given some kind of award after a few years. Maybe a certificate for tenacity.My own car still manages to stump me once in a while!
