easy way to install a 4valve motor and auto trans with headers????

[dmustang408]

Ok I recently bought the 03 mach from devous1. the motor and trans are out of the car right now. I plan on reinstalling them soon but I am going to install long tube headers also. my other mustangs have been all fox body's and a 95 gt with a built motor. I had taken motors out of these cars lots of times and have always installed the motor with the trans hooked up. The is the first 4valve car that I have had to put a motor in. My question is what is the easiest way to reinstall the motor and trans with long tube headers. I know I cussed like crazy fitting the long tube headers on my 95. Is it easier to install the motor and long tubes 1st and reinstall the auto trans from under the car? Can I hook up the motor, auto trans and bolt the headers on and remove the hood and try angle it into the engine bay and lower the motor and roll the car forward and keep doing this. Can you even lower this motor and trans down in the car bolted together from the top? I just want to hear from you guys how you take these motors and trans out together or trans and motor separately.



I do not not have a lift at my garage. just concrete floor and low ceiling height. It will be just me installing this not to my friends to help.

[RedLiner]

If you can gain access to a lift, or a way to lift the front end of your car up.. Taking it out through the bottom is the easiest way. With the help of two buddies we had my motor, with longtubes and the trans still connected out of the car in under 2 hours.

[dmustang408]

so remove the kmember and have the a-arms attached set the motor on it and lower the body on it. Is it possible to leave the front wheels attached to the a-arms and kmember and set the motor and trans on it and roll it under the car and use 2 jacks and to raise it up enough to the body. Just have the body sitting on jack stands in the front.
I am asking if this can be done with out a lift?

[RedLiner]

It can be done without a lift, it's just a little more time consuming. I've helped install a motor by going through the bottom and working on a garage floor, we used an engine hoist around the front bumper support to lift the car up and had a jack under each a-arm to put the motor/trans into place, then lowered the car down onto the engine.. We had to slowly lower it since the body isn't moving straight down and had to keep checking clearances with everything. Only took about an hour of small adjustments and had the k-member bolted back up.

[dmustang408]

this sounds like a great way of doing this. thanks for the great tips. I will probably do this.

[jeff33702]

That's how I did it. I removed a motor recently and did a video - just do the opposite of this, :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGIOD6UZ6jU

I used some 3/4" plywood on little furniture casters from harbor freight.