Still another way to swap an engine.

This was an auto, and may not work quite as well with the manuals, since they don't have just the one bolt hole in the transmission mount, to act as a pivot point.

Problems I've found doing it other ways.

If you leave the crossbeam attached to the engine like the manual says, it wants to hit the rear heat exchanger nipples. And the van has to be raised about 3 feet to pull it out.

Pulling it out from above through the door. Besides needing a special engine puller, you have to disconnect the tranny and reinstall it later while aligning the engine from a precarious position. I like doing it on the garage floor where I can align them easier.

This way may be slower, but it's methodical and a one man job and even better no special tools needed.

Tools needed.

One floor jack .

4 jack stands with enough blocking under the stands to achieve 22 inches of clearance between the body and the floor.

About 20 2X6 boards about 12 inches long. If you have a second floor jack, you wouldn't need but a couple of them.

A come-a-long and a cinch strap.

Basically here's a summary. Leave the tranny and engine together. Put the cinch strap over the roof of the vehicle and tighten real tight. Put one end of the come-a-long on the strap and the other on the engine hook next to the power steering pump. What this does is keep the engine from falling over to the left. Even though the manual says to remove the power steering pump before dropping the engine (which I don't do) it is still too lopsided with the plenum and exhaust manifold on the left side. By supporting it from above it keeps it from falling over.

Place one of the 2x6 blocks on the floor jack and support the engine right in front of the transmission on the braces. This is not the center point but close enough. You'll still have enough room to remove the cross brace from the engine motor mounts. But leave the tranny still attached to the rear motor mount by that one bolt. Now slowly drop the jack. Letting out the come-a-long as you go down. When you get it down about half way, put some 2x6 blocks under the rear edge of the transmission pan. Then remove the transmission mounting bolt.

Then the whole power train is supported in 3 places. The come-a-long in front, the jack in the middle and the 2x6's in the rear. The tranny lifts up pretty easy at this point to remove some of the blocks to where the power train is about level. Then start stepping it down. Remove a block, lower the jack, ease down the come-a-long. Etc, until it's on the floor. Tilt the rear of the tranny upward and remove the jack. Place a block under the tranny, so it is aligned with the engine and remove the tranny. Tilt the engine on a motor mount and slide it from under the vehicle.

Reverse the installation. I've got pictures but they are all 1.5M Iphone pictures. I'll post them if I can figure out how to do it.

Can you show us the pictures? Send me at REDACTED. it's will be very apreciate :)

Be delighted to. I sent them in 3 emails. Check your bulk mail just in case . It'll be from Theojo

Just dug this thread up. Looks like I'm gonna start the process of parting out my 89 parts van and want to keep the engine and transmission. I hope to do it as a complete unit and think this is the method I'll use.

Any additional advice, tips or recommendations before I get started?

In your case it wouldn’t matter since you’re not saving the body but you might want to put a 1x4 or something to distribute the pressure under the cinch strap at both edges of the roof above both doors. I bent my gutter slightly on the passenger side. But I could care less.

just make sure you have a flat floor.