From: sfisher@megatest.com (Scott Fisher)
|> My piston-replacement question has to do with the choice of pulling
|> the motor (what? again?) or dropping the pan and pushing the piston
|> and rod up out of the deck of the block with the motor still bolted
|> to the bellhousing.
|>
|> I'm not looking forward to pulling the motor -- it's such a chore --
|> but I'm really a phobe when it comes to lying all the way under the
|> car, in a position as would be required for removing the pan (not
|> to mention the rods). Every wobble makes me think the car is going
|> to fall on me. And I further understand that a few of the oil pan
|> bolts, those occluded by the crossmember, are almost impossible to
|> remove.
|>
|> So my question is for anyone who has dropped the pan on an MGB and
|> removed one or more pistons without removing the block:
Wow, this is a switch, I get to relate my experience to Scott Fisher
instead of the other way around. If you recall, last summer I had a
piston break and I put a new one in with the engine in place (along
with new rings and rod-bearings all around).
|>
|> How ugly a job is it? How far up do you have to get the car? What
|> kind of jackstands did you use? What would you do differently if you
|> had to do it again?
Pulling the pan is not horrible, but it certainly is not a pleasent
experience either. To get the front bolts out you have to jack the
engine up a bit unless you have a '75 or after B. I did this on my
very first B, a '75 rusted out with horrendous rod knock. This was
back before I had ever changed the oil on a car and I didn't know
about this list. It is much easier on a '75 than a '74 because the
crossmember has spacers to raise the ride height.
Anyway, I'm digressing. Getting the pan off isn't really the bad part,
it's kind of messy, but your air tools should help a lot.
It is pretty cramped under there (I used ordinary jackstands), but
remember I am 6'5" ~240 lbs so cramped for me might not be so bad for
someone smaller. Getting the pan back on SUCKS. Getting a good seal
with the pan gasket is not easy. If you do it this way, BE SURE TO
WEAR EYE PROTECTION, as you will have oil/gunk/rust/etc fall on your
face. One idea I have had is instead of using jack stands, use tire
ramps with the ramp part pointing forward. This would raise the car
more and give you more space underneath. If you do this though be
sure you are either using a hoist or you have some way of jacking the
engine up.
The other thing that is difficult is keeping everything clean (such as
rod bearings) while under there.
|>
|> Thanks for any advice, encouragement, or data you can provide.
Being in the middle of pulling my engine, I would say doing it with
the car will save you some time (and you have to be under the car a
considerable amount when pulling an engine as well.)
|>
|> --Scott
|