Installing engine and transmission together

[sick620]

I have put in and pulled enough Datsun motors that I know it’s a real pain in the ass to get the engine and tranny to mate in the truck/car … 

 

every time I’ve ever done it I have to call a friend and it still takes us a while to get the two connected…

 

I’ve never tried installing a motor and tranny that are connected together, but since I’m working on it alone this time I think that may be easier? 
 

any considerations for doing the install this way? I have one of those load leveler things on my cherry picker… 

[Ooph!]

Depending on the legs on the cherry picker I've had to lift the car on jacks and take the front wheels off to get it in close enough.

Might also help to have a little more room to stab the end of the trans down and in so the front clears the radiator support and not scratch up the firewall.

[sick620]

Ok cool yeah.  I figured I’d At least  need to get it a little bit off the ground to let the legs of cherry picker to slide under.. 

[MikeRL411]

13 hours ago, sick620 said:

I have put in and pulled enough Datsun motors that I know it’s a real pain in the ass to get the engine and tranny to mate in the truck/car … 

 

every time I’ve ever done it I have to call a friend and it still takes us a while to get the two connected…

 

I’ve never tried installing a motor and tranny that are connected together, but since I’m working on it alone this time I think that may be easier? 
 

any considerations for doing the install this way? I have one of those load leveler things on my cherry picker… 

 

Nissan usually recommends removing the engine and transmission as a unit.  Usually requires removal of the head and carb using an adjustable lift bar on the hoist so that proper engine/transmission assembly is at the proper angle to remove or install in the vehicle.

[sick620]

I ended up just getting it in the old way with transmission already in truck and just mating engine to it … took me an hour or two but finally popped on most of the way and used a couple bolts to suck it together the rest of way… 

[Duncan]

Interesting.  I've done engine/trans removal several times with 1200's and 510's by myself, and have never considered doing them separately.  I did have to jack up the front of the 510 to stab it in place, but it wasn't unusually difficult.  The head and carb does NOT have to come off to do this...

 

I remember on the 1200's with the single Hitachi carb, I spent more time attaching the throttle cable than I did installing the drive train. 🙂

 

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Yeah, I've never heard of having to remove the cylinder head. Sometimes removal of the steering links helps with oil pan clearance.

[KELMO]

21 hours ago, Duncan said:

Interesting.  I've done engine/trans removal several times with 1200's and 510's by myself, and have never considered doing them separately.  I did have to jack up the front of the 510 to stab it in place, but it wasn't unusually difficult.  The head and carb does NOT have to come off to do this...

 

I remember on the 1200's with the single Hitachi carb, I spent more time attaching the throttle cable than I did installing the drive train. 🙂

 

 

 

Ooohhhh, I forgot about what a bitch kitty the throttle cable is on 1200's.

 

My cousin has been coming up and helping out a bit and he made the suggestion that if we could get the car high enough off of the ground, we could mate the block and trans together and just roll it under. I am thinking about this and ways to not kill ourselves in the process.

 

I need a lift in the shop.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I do that when I can. Using the two post lift and my large welding table, I roll the table underneath the car/truck and drop the entire drivetrain right onto the table, then roll it out from underneath and get to work. It can be a lot easier. But, correct me if I'm wrong, don't the Datsun trucks have a trans crossmember that is not removable? That would make it impossible, or at least impractical.