splitting engine & gearbox

[Steveh7]

I'm working my through dismantling my k seven as I need the engine and gearbox rebuilt. I have pretty much now removed everything so just now need to build my new engine crane and remove the engine and gearbox.

After removing the Apollo tank I removed the drain plug (magnetic) and it was full of metal so at least I know the engine is toast...I didn't imagine it!

Question is I know people have removed the engine and gearbox as one but some people split them and remove separately. Looking at the engine bay splitting the removing them separately looks simpler to me or am I missing something....is there a consensus on what is easiest?

[revilla]

Impression I've got from the ones I've done or been involved with - it's easier to get them out separately but easier to put back as one. They come apart in situ quite easily. Once you've got the engine weight supported on a crane and the gearbox weight supported by either a big ratchet strap or a jack or some blocks of wood or something, remove the bell housing bolts (not forgetting the two small ones underneath) and just shove the engine forwards to pull the clutch off the gearbox shaft. Every time I've tried to put an engine back in on its own I've had problems getting it to engage the gearbox shaft, I'm guessing because the clutch hasn't been quite perfect centered. Always got there in the end but I suspect would have been much easier out of the car.

[John Vine]

Probably no consensus, but I take them out and put them back as a unit.  A load leveller makes this easier.  A plug in the end of the gearbox tail will reduce the amount of oil that ends up on the garage floor.

JV

[paul richards]

If you need to take both out, then take them out together. The only downside is that gearbox will spill oil all over the place unless you can plug the tail shaft or get a plastic bag around it. Be careful you dont damage the reverse light switch. Better to remove it beforehand via hole in transmission tunnel and replace when gearbox back in, 

If you dont need gearbox out then just rermove engine it saves having to remove transmission tunnel cover, adjust handbrake, remove gear lever etc.

[CharlesElliott]

If you need both out, take out and put back as one. 

[ECR]

if you split the engine and gearbox to remove, once you have removed all the bell housing bolts, get into the car and depress the clutch pedal. This will push the engine forward and split the engine and g'box joint.

I always split engine and gearbox on my VX. Time taken eyeballing the levels of the gearbox/engine will make re engagement a lot easier. Measure the drop from a convenient chassis member before removal and use a jack to reproduce this during installation. I use a wooden lever on the front lower chassis members to GENTLY lever the engine back onto the gearbox during re fitting.