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72 Boss 302 R&R

668 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  TommyK 
#1 ·
I won't have the car in front of me for a couple weeks, but would like some hints & tips to remove, long block & install the engine. Like do I lay the exhaust manifolds to the side or leave them on, supporting the C4, is there enough clearence to leave the water pump & balancer on, standing on my head to get bell housing bolts? thanks in advance to those respond. Forums are great!
 
#2 · (Edited)
Okay here's my 2 cts. I haven't done a Boss, but I have done a bunch of others. Clearance on removing an engine is always a problem. For starters, you will want to remove anything remotely in the way, as when you start to lift the motor, you don't want to stop and removing something, so it is better to remove too much to start with than not enough. If you can not get under the car, then raise the car on some jack stands, so you can. Then follow this procedure.

1. Disconnect the battery ground cable.
2. Drain the oil, and coolant, remove the oil filter.
3. Disconnect the transmission cooler lines from the radiator, and tape them off.
4. Remove the fan, fan spacer, and shroud, then the radiator hoses from the radiator and block, remove the belts, disconnect the heater hoses and wire out of the way, then carefully remove the radiator and place it somewhere where it won't get damaged, the tubes are very fragile.
5. Remove all the accessories from the engine, and wire to the sides (old blankets and towels under them will help keep them scratching the fender aprons), out of the way.
6. I would remove the exhaust pipes from the manifolds, and then remove the manifolds if you can.
7. Disconnects all vacuum lines and mark them where they go, and all electrical wires from the engine (starter, ignition etc.)and where they go. Remove the starter and inspection cover on the transmission bell housing. Remove the 4 nuts on the torque convertor holding it to the flexplate, and use a dap of paint to mark the flexplate and the drain plug so you put it back into that hole. Disconnect the accelerator and trans kick down linkage and cables from the carb and wire out of the way. Disconnect the rubber fuel line at the fuel pump and stuff a bolt that doesn't have alot of threads but has more smooth shank into the fuel line, if it drips, you will have to put one the fuel line clamps on it.
8. You need to decide how you are going to lift the engine, whether you use the carb bolts or intake bolts, some of the engines had lift brackets on the exhaust manifold bolts, if you use intake bolts you will need longer ones, plus washers between the chain and the intake, same goes for the carb studs (naturally you will have to remove the carb, some lift plates are available to bolt in its place) as you don't want to nick or damage the intake. I'm not sure on the automatic shift linkage is any of it or the trim stuff inside needs to be removed to be able to raise the transmission as the engine comes up, so you may need a little more info on this.
9. Mark with a grease pencil around the hood hinges, so you can put the hood back in the same spot, and then remove the hood.
10. Use the engine hoist to snug the lift chain but do not lift yet, put a floor jack with about a 10" square board on the lift part so you have a flat surface to go against the transmission pan, as you do not want to damage the pan. Remove the bolts holding the transmission mount so it can move some. The place the floor jack under the transmission pan to support the transmission (as the engine is raised, it will be necessary to raise the transmission some also with the floor jack), whatever final height of the transmission is when it comes loose and the engine can clear the motor mounts, leave the floor jack at this height as it will make putting the engine back in easier. Remove the bellhousing bolts. Remove the motor mount bolts.
11. At this point is I have not forgotten anything, you should be to start lifting the engine, don't forget to raise the transmission with the engine as you go up, once the engine top half of the motor mount is clear of the bottom half, or it the engine is clear of the motor mounts, you should be able to wiggle it side to side a little to get it to come free of the transmission and the torque convertor from the flexplate, don't take the torque convertor off the transmission, once it is free,you should be able to pull the engine forward a little and continue to raise it. I hope I have not forgotten anything.
Good Luck.
 
#3 ·
Not sure what a 72 Boss 302 is but you do not need to remove the exhaust manifolds to remove the engine from the engine bay. I know from experience a 460 will go in and out with manifolds on so there should be no problem with a 302. While not absolutely necessary, I would remove the radiator just so it doesn't get damaged accidentally.
 
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