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MG MGA - Engine Removal Question

Hi All,

The workshop manual says to remove the toe and front floorboards when removing the engine. It does not go into much detail as to why though. Do I really have to remove the seats and floorboards?

Roy.
R. Maher

No.
J.H. Hall

Roy,
You don't have to remove the flooboards, seats, or the firewall. If you want to pull the tranny too, then you will have to remover the shift tower cover from the tunnel and the tower itself along with the propshaft which will either be splined/slip together, or on later cars bolt together.

I would recommend removing the starter, oil pressure line, oil cooler lines if you have one, generator/coil, radiator, fan/pulley, crankshaft pulley, carbs as a unit, manifolds.

The big question is if you want to remove both the engine and trans as a unit or just the engine. It can be done either way, but if you choose to do the two as a unit, then you need to be able to put the car about a foot in the air, and still have room to work over the top and front of the car with the hoist.
It helps to have a 2nd pair of hands to either maneuver the tail of the trans mission or the hoist.

Good luck, once you dive into it, it's really pretty easy.

j
JohnB

Oh and don't forget the transmission dipstick!
JohnB

You may also have to remove the timing chain cover to preclude the timing indicators from hanging up on the front of the engine bay opening. (At least that was my experience.) That can be a last minute decision as you slowly pull the engine out and can see if they will clear.

Good luck.

Don
D. R. Carlberg

Thanks for the info it is a big help. I had planned on removing engine and gearbox as a unit, mostly because I didn't know I could pull just the engine.

I have a nice engine crane on wheels along with an engine leveler to make the job easier as a second pair of hands is hard for me to arrange. I'm thinking I will still take them both out anyway so I can check it all out.

One more thing, do I have to take the bonnet off or can it be lifted out of the way, again the second pair of hands...

Roy.

R. Maher

Bonnet needs to come off.
JohnB

I don't remove my bonnet. I just have it held up higher by a rope attached to a suitable roof beam etc.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Loosen crankshaft nut while engine still in car, use big spanner or breaker bar set up to resist rotation in engine direction, blip starter with ignition turned off.

If you have a felt seal in the timing cover, replace with a new seal, insert crankshaft pulley, replace as a unit onto crankshaft.

A rope looped around tail of gearbox and up theough hole in transmission cover helps lifting tail of gearbox over cross member.

Factory assembly was full body was lowered onto completed chassis and running gear.

If you need to undo centre not on gearbox flange on a 1600 gearbox, do with engine still connected, put in 1st or reverse gear.

Cheers
Ian F
Ian Fraser

Thank you everyone, I will be finishing the removal this weekend, I'm sure this info will help.

Roy.
R. Maher

I'm starting a frame up restoration of my 58 coupe next week, is it possible to remove the body first without removing the engine or transmission...
Mike

MIke,

Yes, that's the reverse order of how they were assembled.
Joe Cook

Mike, yes you can remove the body first, it makes the rest much easier. The same goes for assembly. put in the drive train, floors, etc before putting the body back on.
Note: if your door pillars or door latch framing needs replacement, do it before removing the body. it is very difficult to line up the front and rear half of the body and make the doors fit if not done first.
John H

Roy

I saw the manual's note on removing floor boards, etc. But no need to go there. Just remove the bonnet and any wing mirrors and store away safely.

I took my engine and gearbox out separately, with no problems just last month. I 'hoisted' the engine out by itself, with a friend. When removing the gearbox, remember to remove the gear lever and it will be found easier for two people to remove the box itself by bringing it up through the engine bay rather than dropping it out below.

Removal of the box from below is very difficult as the front cross member is in the way. Actually I did manage to remove the box by myself this way, with the car high enough to allow the bell housing to pass underneath the front valence, but I had to rotate the unit to get it low enough to clear the cross member. Not easy!

Seriously if you want to avoid damaging that lovely body work - get some help. The bonnet is also much easier with two of you. A nice old sheet to rest the back edge of the bonnet on is ideal.

Good luck.

Pete
Pete Tipping

This thread was discussed between 13/03/2006 and 24/03/2006

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