[How to] Pull the engine

UtahSleeper

Active member
Random bump if people want to add anymore info. I will be taking this on soon and will contribute if anything I come across is missed here.
 

UtahSleeper

Active member
So, on a ST165 do you need to disconnect the hubs/struts to remove the cv axles or is it possible to remove the axles without disconnecting the hub area?
 

88gt4DE

Active member
UtahSleeper":2f2vfpgt said:
So, on a ST165 do you need to disconnect the hubs/struts to remove the cv axles or is it possible to remove the axles without disconnecting the hub area?

You will have to un bolt the ball joints and pull the suspension around. FYI if you plan to move the car around put the axle back in through the rotor and put the nut back on or the wheel bearings will come apart. Or if you have some old axle outer parts laying around throw those in there ....
 

UtahSleeper

Active member
Thanks for the input. I decided to start disconnecting the suspension part anyway.

On to my next concern, are the CV axles suppose to slide out of the transfer case/transmission? Or do you have to beat the axles out of them? I thought I had read somewhere you really didn't want to undo the bolts holding the axle to the hub at the trans.
 

___Scott___

Active member
The axles don´t just ¨slide out¨ but they will pop out with a little effort. I seem to remember putting a little force on one side with a pry bar (11 o´clock) and then hitting the other side (5 o´clock) with a dead-blow hammer. It didn´t take a lot of effort to get them to pop out.
 

flyingdutchman

New member
UtahSleeper":tbhfs59u said:
Thanks for the input. I decided to start disconnecting the suspension part anyway.

On to my next concern, are the CV axles suppose to slide out of the transfer case/transmission? Or do you have to beat the axles out of them? I thought I had read somewhere you really didn't want to undo the bolts holding the axle to the hub at the trans.

Never heard of anything about not unbolting at the hub. (In fact, you might not get enough clearance if you only undo the transmission side.) You will need a new cotter pin and maybe a nut. The axles will come out of the transmission after some force. I usually tap against a lip on the inner end(whatever is suitable). Use a hammer and a punch. You might also have to punch them out of the hub side.

(If you undo the axle nut) Impact tools make this unnecessary, but stick a big screwdriver in one of the rotor vents so it jams against the caliper. Then you can undo the nut without having to put the wheel back on, put it on the ground, etc. Just make sure to use a beefy screwdriver.

Goodluck!
 

CSAlltrac

New member
Where ever you read that you can't unbolt the axle bolts, disregard it. I have done multiple motors successfully, all of them I have left my axle stubs in the trans. I've also never had my wheel bearing "come apart" with the axles out. These cars are not made of glass, Toyota and rally racing has given them a high threshold of tolerance.
 

MWP

New member
The wheel bearings do open up without the axles bolted in.
They dont "fall out", but it will cause your hubs & wheels to move around, and it will chew out the bearings if you push the car around too much with them like that.
 

underscore

Well-known member
flyingdutchman":2zh4ryco said:
(If you undo the axle nut) Impact tools make this unnecessary, but stick a big screwdriver in one of the rotor vents so it jams against the caliper. Then you can undo the nut without having to put the wheel back on, put it on the ground, etc. Just make sure to use a beefy screwdriver.

Goodluck!

That's a good idea, I always just jammed an extra breaker bar between the wheel studs and the ground.
 

GTSfreak

New member
defective":123h1fmw said:
I have pulled the engine out of my gt-four 2 times now.I pulled my engine out through the top both times with no trouble at all,the key to doing it is having an engine leveler and of course the engine hoist.Figured id post a couple pictures of the last engine removal.Notice the angle you got to have the engine on in order to remove it.I've never tried dropping the motor down through the bottom so I can't say what way is easier, but I can say this way went very smooth and I will continue doing it this way...Hopefully not for awhile anyway hahah.Lets face it either way is probably a pain an the ass, just one of the many joys of working on these cars 8)


Im planning on buying an alltrac that needs a throw out bearing which might as well do the whole clutch.

Im honestly intimidated by the awd transmission setup and its removal and i do like your image you attached because i personally feel more comfortable with removing the engine from the top.

I've pulled my fair share of engines but all of them being RWD FR platforms so its a much simpler process.

But i think in my opinion id rather try this method before i try to jack up the whole front end of the car.

I feel like the process of jacking up the front end that high and having to do this balancing act of having the motor suspended while the car is that high and then lowering it through the bottom would be a tricky situation. id imagine the engine hoise leveler like you mentioned is the key to pulling the motor out through the top.
 

FC Zach

Active member
GTSfreak":1lvhpthw said:
I feel like the process of jacking up the front end that high and having to do this balancing act of having the motor suspended while the car is that high and then lowering it through the bottom would be a tricky situation. id imagine the engine hoise leveler like you mentioned is the key to pulling the motor out through the top.

It's really not that bad. That is made to sound more difficult than it needs to be. . once the engine/trans is ready to be removed, lower it to the ground (on a sturdy dolly or carpet), remove and attach lift to car (with the bolts installed, I use the East & West engine mounts. . *leave the bumper on), and raise the car off it. Then roll/slide the engine assy out. IMO that's much simpler than trying to squeeze an engine and trans through the top all while potentially scratching/cracking/breaking bits and pieces along the way, especially when doing this all by yourself!

Obviously the only way to make this process any easier than that is with the use of a two post lift (if you are lucky enough to own one). Good luck with whichever route you take.

*I've seem others recommend to remove it. To each their own but will mostly depend on the length of your lift's arm. I was able to raise my car without my lift touching the bumper.
 

underscore

Well-known member
I pulled the 3SGE out of my 4th gen GTS through the top and it was a huge pain, if you can get the height out of your engine hoist dropping it out of the bottom seems much easier. I know some people leave the crossmembers attached to the engine/trans and bolt casters to the ends of the crossmembers through the mounting holes and roll it around on that.
 

GTSfreak

New member
FC Zach":1548wzyi said:
GTSfreak":1548wzyi said:
I feel like the process of jacking up the front end that high and having to do this balancing act of having the motor suspended while the car is that high and then lowering it through the bottom would be a tricky situation. id imagine the engine hoise leveler like you mentioned is the key to pulling the motor out through the top.

It's really not that bad. That is made to sound more difficult than it needs to be. . once the engine/trans is ready to be removed, lower it to the ground (on a sturdy dolly or carpet), remove and attach lift to car (with the bolts installed, I use the East & West engine mounts. . *leave the bumper on), and raise the car off it. Then roll/slide the engine assy out. IMO that's much simpler than trying to squeeze an engine and trans through the top all while potentially scratching/cracking/breaking bits and pieces along the way, especially when doing this all by yourself!

Obviously the only way to make this process any easier than that is with the use of a two post lift (if you are lucky enough to own one). Good luck with whichever route you take.

*I've seem others recommend to remove it. To each their own but will mostly depend on the length of your lift's arm. I was able to raise my car without my lift touching the bumper.


I guess what im having trouble visualizing is how to be disconnecting things while the car is completely in that position and trying to lower it back down then taking more things off from the top and lifting it back up ? i may have to get a newer engine hoist. mine took a beating from how heavy the supra's engine and transmission was. actually bent the legs on it.

I do have a engine table that i can jack up. but im not sure how id manage to get it under the car and still have my hoist lift the car high enough to clear it while its laying on that table.
 

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underscore

Well-known member
You disconnect things the exact same way as pulling a motor out the top, except when you go to actually remove it you lower it onto something, unhook, and then raise the car.
 

GTSfreak

New member
underscore":249rgzmc said:
You disconnect things the exact same way as pulling a motor out the top, except when you go to actually remove it you lower it onto something, unhook, and then raise the car.


Whats the preferred method for lifting the car up when the engine is in it ? i feel like using the engines hooks to lift not only the engine but also the entire front end of the car with it would possibly bend or damage them ?
 

GTSfreak

New member
FC Zach":r09m1kum said:
A floor jack.


my floor jack wouldnt be capable of raising the car that high. i did see somewhere on here where someone took off the bumper and used the hoist to pull the car up by the front bumper bar. but other than that i don't see how the floor jack would jack the car up high enough.
 
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