hello everyone, I am getting ready to remove the 383 and trans out of my 67 coronet for a rebuild. any tips or tricks to make it easier? thanks, Joe

spend the money on an eng tilter & remove the handle & weld on a nut for your air ratchet. bolt the 2 front chains to the front intake manifold bolts and the 2 rear chains to not the rearmost pair of bolts but the pair next to them to the front. hyd floor jack under the trans. Remove idler/pitman arms and drop the center link and I am picky and remove the steering box and the steering column. I want no scratches nowhere. Drain oil/trans fluid/block antifreeze. Grab (pay if necc) a helper. level concrete. As many blocks of concrete/scrap iron that will fit on your cherry picker. Hood most likely needs to come off. Do it on a good day/take your time & if something starts to go awry STOP & correct it rather than continuing. Be aware of how things are balancing

Many opinions and techniques.

For me, the easiest way to lift, BAR NONE, is to use a carb mounting lift plate. CHEAP from a local speed shop or ebag, etc..

Bolts straight on where the carb was. No chain, no hassel.

Some say not to do it with aluminum manifold. The pull strenght on one of those bolts is many times the weight of a motor and trans(even in aluminum), so it isn't an issue. Andy F has some interesting pictures of his motor and trans hanging by the alum manifold.

Unbolt the ps pump from the engine, leaving the lines attached. Way less mess.

Assuming Automatic....
Undo the large nut on the speedo cable, leaving the gear in. Should reduce spillage/mess.

Drain the trans(pan) prior to pulling.

No matter how well you drain it, some will come out the drive shaft end when you tilt it. You can avoid this by plugging the hole. Some guys have a plastic plug that will fit in there. If you don't you can pull the slip yolk off the drive shaft, then put it in the end of the trans.

You can leave in the starter, and the trans cooler lines. You can also leave the trans throttle linkage on, but obviously you have to disconnect the shifter, and the accelerator pedal cable etc..

Rad must come out

buy a bag a kitty litter and/or floor dry. You will need it, no matter how carefull you are. Especially on your first one.

Good stuff!
There are block drains on each side for the coolant. drain coolant, oil, trans before starting.
Take digital pics and have a notebook handy to write down all the stuff you took off and where it goes. Get pics of the front brackets and motor mounts. Note where the wiring goes and connects.
A/C and P/S stay in the car. Alt. can too.
Safety= jackstands, eye protection, and being aware that anything over 200 pounds is not something you want to be under and cannot catch.

Have a cart or bench nearby and have your tools near at hand, avoid walking away unless needed.

Take the obligatory greasy guy with engine hanging picture.

this is worth its weight in gold,if your working on a show car or are just real picky about scratches or if you do alot of R&R.

All great tips!I also use save the GO_JO hand cleaner containers to keep nuts,bolts and brackets in.The container has a little hole in the bottom so it works great in the parts washer.Or regular tuppaware stuff with LIDS.I have done enough to put everything in one bucket,if your a newbee,use separate containers for engine top,bottom,trans etc.

thanks everyone for the great input,many great ideas. i haven't pulled an engine in 20yrs. or more and my engine bay is in greatshape and thats why i was looking for the info. thanks again, Joe

take the carb studs out & use bolts for the lift plate

Next time I do one, I am going to drop everything through the bottom with the K member.