School me on R&R engine from bottom

Getting ready to pull my 340 and replace with 5.7
Considering doing this from bottom, what are the steps needed to get this done.
Background:
70 Challenger, 340, 518
Will be doing this in garage, so height clearance isn't great.
Does the rear need to be on jack stands?
Tires need to come off, or will it roll out all together?
Planning on leaving the trans in car and just removing engine.

Any and all info appreciated

Thx

All the pictures and videos where this is being done the trans and engine are bolted together. If you leave the transmission in place you have to figure out how to support it as well.

Also need to make sure the engine picker legs and wheels stay clear of the engine cart.

Rear wheels can be left on the car and on the ground.

Couple YouTube videos on it out there to help see it in action. Here is one with the body still on caster wheels in the back.

https://youtu.be/8HHQqGnU5DQ

You disconnect all the usual stuff, plus disconnect the coupler of the steering shaft from the steering box, remove the front shocks, remove the torsion bars, uncouple the lower ball joint studs from the spindles. It works nice to build some kind of cart on caster wheels with some supports on it that will hold up the K frame and the transmission. Lower the car enough that the K frame and the transmission are sitting on the cart. Take out the 4 K frame bolts, remove the transmission cross member, then lift the body off of the engine / transmission / k-frame assembly.
What you lift it with depends on your situation. I like to do it with the car on the hoist so that I can safely and easily lift the body. If you don't have a hoist, I think it's going to be a lot harder. You need to get the car up in the air pretty high. If I didn't have a hoist, I think I'd pull it out from the top. I think it would be a lot easier.

This is how the factory did it.

It is very easy to do from the bottom.

Good info and video, I'll add this is going to be only me doing this by myself.
I bought the HF 2T lift, but it looks like way more stuff needs to be disassembled and put back together when going in from bottom.
Seems to be perfect for a car under going a full resto.
I don't mind the extra work if that makes sense, just worried getting everything aligned from bottom might be tougher compared to dropping in from top, if I'm doing this alone?

I also don't see buying a dolly for an engine/trans combo, unless maybe a couple of HF wooden types could work.

Thx

I have seen several wooden bucks that guys built themselves. Just make sure you have good casters that will hold the weight.
And get the height close for the buck. I would suggest you measure from the ground up to the longitudinals where the k frame attaches and mimic that on the buck.
For the trans you may want to raise or lower that with a floor jack to get the cross member in.

It is a the right way to do it but it requires a bunch more equipment and space. Doesn't sound like you're set up for it.

I did that install myself in a 2 car garage. The engine trans dolly was an old toolbox frame with an added cross member. Quite simple and uneventful. I have done it this way on A bodies also. I also built my own run stand.

You're probably right, underneath seems great if the car is already apart.
It looks like the valance and bumper would also need to be removed at a minimum. No to mention the steering, K-frame, separating ball joints, torsion bars, etc........................
And then I'd have to build/buy some sort of brackets for lifting.

I have a big shop and an overhead crane so the job is easy for me. I just lift the car with the overhead crane and then roll the engine and trans underneath. Then I pull the engine into place and bolt on the suspension while the car is up in the air.

That's the hard way of doing it. Most just unbolt the UCA inner pivots, disconnect the steering coupler, unwire it, remove the radiator and hoses, take out the four K member bolts and drop it out on the K member. How you lift the body varies depending on what you have to lift with but a couple of extensions mounted to where the bumper brackets bolt up and lifting with those can do the trick.

Nice car and shop, Andy.

No need to take the front valence or bumper off. I use a homemade jig to lift the car with my engine hoist and the rear end on jack stands. The jig has to bolts welded at either end that fit into one of the factory holes in the bottom of the frame, so the jig can't slip out of position. The jig goes between the frame rails approximately where the radiator goes.I don't have to remove the hood either. I do have to remove the rear valance to lower my exhaust.

To roll the engine/trans out from under the car, I use a simple furniture dolly. The nice thing about doing it this way is that the headers and accessory drives can be assembled while the powertrain is out of the car. I did pull my transmission first, so I would not have to bleed my hydraulic throwout bearing.

This time I separated the lower ball joints and left the discs, shocks and upper control arms in place on the car. I usually work alone on my stuff, and am careful to use good safety practices to avoid injury.

Anything engine related on any of my 3 cars goes out the bottom...

Rear wheels on the ground...

Engine crane with a bracket similar to the one posted above that drops in once the radiator is removed...

Unbolt everything up top...

Lift the car up on to jack stands...
remove driveshaft...
loosen but leave in place the 4 bolts for the trans crossmember...
separate collectors from headers...
separate lower ball joints leaving all brakes...spindle and rotor together and tie up into wheelwell...
remove torsion bars and steering column shaft from box...

I then raise the car up and put my dolly in under the engine and transmission...

Lower the car down and remove the 4 K frame bolts and the 4 trans crossmember bolts...

Lift the car up and then roll the engine and trans out with the K frame...headers...starter and everything else attached...

Lower the car back down onto the jack stands until its time to repeat the process in the opposite order...

Same for the 69 Dart...

I built a tricycle caster setup for the engine and transmission and then I made a bracket for my transmission jack to hold the K frame and suspension. These were both super simple tools for me to build but I'm set up with some basic fab equipment as well as a welder. Not everyone has the tools to build the tools.

in all my years of replacing engines, i never once took one out the bottom.
you guys almost have me convinced to do that when i finally get around to swapping the engine in my charger.
however, i'm afraid of "mission creep", deciding i need/want to do more things to it, and the car has been down way too long as it is, and i ain't getting any younger !
i can fab up just about any tool or fixture i may need for any repair or modification of any item.

From the bottom install is a good choice if you have done a whole restoration as it allows you to get a whole bunch of stuff up under there at once while minimizing paint damage.

If you have a running and driving car and just need to get the engine out (only) it may be faster to go out from the top as your not messing with the suspension etc. You can just stack some wood under the trans to hold it in place while the engine is removed.

Don’t need a big shop. Both these Hemi stuffed in an A-body were done in a two car garage. 1st a Dart, then a Barracuda….

I elevate the rear tires about 6-8 inches off the ground; use nylon tie-down straps (big not small) and hook the front bumper backets. i then lift the body with a cherry picker. The engine/trans and K-frame sit on furniture dollies. Sooo much easier than in through the top and with fewer scratches to the fire wall.

I put drive train in from bottom on the Sport Satellite . . .built the front casters with a plate so I could turn 90deg and bolt it to where bumper brackets bolt to and use engine hoist to lift car - all in two car garage (although I do have 11' ceiling height) . . . had engine/transmission on a car skates - used under wheels of car to move car, with couple pieces of plywood to distribute the weight . . nothing fancy . . .

Lot of great info, much appreciated.
I am seeing a common theme, coming in from bottom is best suited for a car that's apart.
Another issue, as Andy stated, "having the tools to build the tools"
I need to decide whether its worthwhile to get everything needed, for what I hope is a 1 time deal.

I'm in a HOA, so all the work has to be done in garage, so that's another issue.
Would rather not leave my other car in the driveway for the 3-4 weeks I see this taking.
I know that seems like a long time, but I have very limited time available with my work schedule and will only realistically be spending 30 mins a day on this. This all leads to mission creep.
As an example, it took me 2 weeks to relocate the battery to trunk and install the Borgeson box, I know most guys would knock this out in an afternoon.

Having said all the above, I'm still tempted to give it a shot.

If the engine/K-member/suspension cradle is ready, you should have a roller in a few hours. The chassis should have the upper control arm mounted.

Those pics of the Hemi Abody install were 1 1/2 hours start to finish.

If you were local I'd tell you to come over and we could do the job in my shop. I almost always have a local guy or two hanging out in my shop working on their Mopar.

Here’s one with car more complete.

Elevated and cradled rear wheels on other rims so car could pivot and be higher for that K-member table.

This table (first) was too high and has evolved into the low, less wide, and tapered to rear table in the previous picture with the Hemi 68 Barracuda.

This is all Troy’s stuff. I just took pictures.

I picked up this old freight cart for next to nothing at an auction, and using some scrap metal pieces converted for this purpose. It has an awesome set of caster wheels on it, very heavy duty.

I'm leaning towards doing this from the bottom, follow up question.
Car is completely together now, I drive it every week.
Any issues with leaving the 518 in when I pull the 340 with the K-frame?
Seems it would be easier to leave trans in car, then transplant the 5.7 and reassemble?

I'm embarrassed to say it took me 2 days to just get the 5.7 out of the shipping crate and on the dolly.
Tried to lift with the wrong HW, tipped motor breaking wooden dolly and leaking oil all over garage.
Repaired dolly, spent another $100, cleaned up garage and have motor ready for engine stand.

This is gonna take awhile...............

Thx

When you install it, get some all thread the size of the K frame bolts. Cut them 8 inches or so long, install on car where the bolts go, and use them as a guide to get the K frame lined up. Then remove one at a time and replace with the bolt.

Have to figure out how to support the front half of the transmission while allowing the car to move up in the air. Not seen anyone do this before so maybe tie the transmission to the firewall or frame rails somehow? Honestly I think it would be less hassle to yank the trans and engine as a pair.

You are going to want to pull the transmission out of the car.

Something will have to move forward (Engine), or something will have to move back (transmission) to clear the flexplate from the bellhousing.

Now the starter has to be removed with the engine in the car and if you have headers then you may have to move or drop the left header so the starter will clear. You also have to get the upper bellhousing bolts out with everything snuggled up against the floor.

Drop the trans with the engine and the starter can stay where it's at, the headers can stay (if equipped, and non-fenderwell), and the bellhousing bolts can be removed when everything is on the floor.

Driveshaft, four crossmember bolts, speedo cable, and shift linkage and the trans can stay with the engine. Sooooooo much easier.

THIS ^^^^^^^

i do this all the time when something needs to be aligned and is awkward to handle. i have a box full of these things, all painted a[ny] color to match the thread pitch and length. that way, it's easy to grab the ones you want since they are the same color, and not have to fiddle around making sure you have the right thread and length for the job at hand.
sure saves learning "new" words.........

Very interesting thread.

Any added considerations/modifications if doing a bottom takeout
on a 2wd pickup truck?

A big sawzall to cut the frame out of the way?

I think most pickup trucks are built on the frame. So the engine and trans is mounted on the frame and then the cab goes on. I've seen dealerships pull the fenders and cab to do an engine replacement but I think it depends on the make and model as well as the tools and space that the shop has.

If you've got a two post lift then do a body-off, otherwise it's coming out the top.

Body-off isn't all that hard and can save your back and shoulders.

Remove underside body bolts, ground straps, hoses. PS and AC just unbolt from engine and strap to inner fenderwell. Unbolt master cylinder, leave the lines attached and lean over to engine.

Disconnect speedo cable from trans and shift linkage.

If it's a late model truck, harness stays with engine. Early truck and it would probably be easier to unplug from engine components and harness goes up with cab, you decide.

Block tires, place arms under pinch welds and take her up. Do not move the tires once frame is seperated from cab.

The Fords are easy. The Dodge trucks require a few more disconnects on late model. Front bumper may need to come off. !st time I did a cab-off at the Dodge Dealership evryone thought I was nuts until they saw how easy it was to do heads on a 4.7L Dakota. Common practice for decades at the Ford shops.

Take it up slow because you will, with out doubt, forget something.

I recommend you tie the cab down to the lift arms.

1st time takes a little time. 3rd time you do it and you'll never work on a truck engine any other way.