Will engine/trans/headers go in together?

1969 Mach 1, 5 spd: I'm replacing my 351 W and my question is can I install the engine, headers (long tube) and transmission all at once, and what do I have to do to make them go in as a single unit; or do I have to go engine, then trans or headers, etc?

Eagerly awaiting your input

Adlai

I tried that ONCE.


You gota get the front end to the car WAAAY up there. And not due to flexing springs either. For once you put weight upon them, then they fold right up.

It may show it in the official manual, but is not always possible. Only with little motors and little (short) transmissions.



Wm.

You must dig a HOLE under the car or like William said, bring the front of the car up about 3 feet...

The headers will not extend past the transmission. Motor and transmission will go in together. If the headers don't drop down past the bottom of the transmission and if they will clear the towers then why would you need a three foot hole?
It has been done by one member on this forum. He posted photos of the install a few months back.

It all depends on the headers you are using but usually the answer is no...When I install my 408 into my mustang I install it with the trans and the passenger side header installed..After it is down and in I install the drivers side..You can also install the headers while the engine is still hanging a few inches up off of the mounts so you have lots of room to install the bolts..I used that method on a 390 mustang with headers which were very difficult to install..

68 B-body Mopar 440 MUST have hedders on in order to put the engine in.
Then you gotta take then off to get the damnable starter in!

Glad You're working on a FORD :

Raise the rear of the car and it can be done. Again, the rear of the car. About 2 feet . Can't remember exactly how high.

I put my 302 and T5 in my 67 mustang together. With the headers, lay them in the engine bay as you are putting the motor in (don't bolt them to the engine!) then as the engine is almost in its mounts you can bolt them up. You do have to raise the front end a bit, but if you have a leveling bar on your engine hoist it makes it easier.

Agree that that most headers will not slide between the shock towers when pre-installed on the motor.

I remove/install the 351w motor/tranny as one unit in my similar, but smaller 65' engine bay. I raise the car so that the frame is maybe 1 1/2' off the ground-just enough for me to crawl under to attach the tranny mount once everything is in place. Too high and your hoist might not work to get the motor over the radiator support (assuming it is the common portable type.)

A lot depends on how you attach your motor to the hoist. I use a homemade motor lifting plate--a simple HD hook attached to a plate of metal and securely bolted to the intake manifold. I also use a short piece of chain in a small loop to attach the hoist to the lifting plate. It works great with my combination. There would be some weight differences on the rear of the motor due to a C4 vs toploader situation, but that scattershield/clutch setup that I used is very heavy too.





Look closely in the following pic and you will see that I used a piece of cardboard against the firewall to protect it. The transmission is pushing up against the firewall and I use that to my advantage. Some may feel squirmish about that but in my case the pressure isn't as much as you might expect as I can still push the tranny down with my hand. It is all in how you initially balance the motor. You can also see how much stuff that I pre-install on the motor when it was on the engine stand. The oil pan is within 1/8" of clearing the radiator support:





I tried one of those levelers once and the handle always seemed in the way. The thing is laying in the corner of the garage and hasn't been brought out since.

A final shot with the engine in place an the headers and such are being bolted on. You can see that there isn't much space between the motor and the shock towers.



The headers were snaked up from under the car, which is the only way that I can get them installed. The hoist is used to move the motor side to side to give additional clearance for each header. You will have even more room in your 69' bay to jockey your motor around.

The installation shown above is a one man operation and it does work well for me. I recommend that you have help though as a second pair of hands/eyes are more than helpful for the inexperienced.

I never tried on a Windsor car, but on an FE Mustang, tranny, headers and motor as a unit, all bolted together is BY FAR the easiest way.