Andy J
Well-Known Member
Well... when i got home from work, i lifted, and dropped the short block in. I find that the easiest way to do it on an suv or an f150 is to lower the block down into the engine compartment with the engine mounts not attached. If you set them on their perches, the skirt on the bottom of the block where the oil pan bolts to will snag on the mount. On the v8 mustangs i have dropped an engine into the ford engineers were very thoughtful and provided some tapered slits for the motor mount studs to slide into, and as you lower the block it aligns itself, but no such luck on this SUV lol. What i found worked is to lower the block in and when its about 8 inches from being all the way down, install the mounts onto their perches on the frame, start the bolts just hand tight and lower the engine onto them. I bolt the block adapter plate to the mounts when i install them and if needed use a small short center punch to help align the bolt holes. While there is still tension on the chain thats hanging the engine from the lift, i will install 2 transmission to engine block bolts hand tight to help line everything up then i lower the block a bit more and slowly tighten the trans to block bolts. Before i tighten the trans to block too much, i get under the truck and line up the studs on the torque converter with the holes in the flex plate by removing the rubber plug on the bottom the bell housing and gently turning the torque converter with a flat blade screw driver until one of the studs pokes thru. Once i can see one stud poking thru, i will install more of the trans to block bolts and tighten them slowly going back and forth between drivers and passenger side. Once the gap between the trans and the block is closed, i then start to thread in the bolts that hold the motor mount plates to the block. After they are all started, i release tension on the cherry picker set the block down the rest of the way which is usually about a half inch. Once its down, snug all the trans to block bolts and the motor mount plate to block, and motor mount to body bolts or threaded studs.
I can not stress this enough.....DO NOT TIGHTEN THE TRANS TO BLOCK BOLTS ALL THE WAY AND CLOSE THE BLOCK TO TRANS GAP WITHOUT ALIGNING THE TORQUE CONVERTER STUDS TO THE HOLES IN THE FLEX PLATE!!!!!!!! If you do, you will shove the torque converter too far into the front pump on the trans and cause damage. This is why i close the gap very slowly.
After the engine was in, i installed the torque converter stud nuts using a 1/4 inch ratchet and a 14mm. I find it fits much better in the space to tighten the bolts vs a 3/8 inch drive. I always tighten them in a cross pattern like when you tighten lug nuts on a wheel. I thread in the harmonic balancer bolt and leave a ratcheting 18mm wrench on it and slowly rotate the engine by hand while under the truck to gain access to all the converter studs.
I also installed the a/c compressor and the starter. The upper most bolt will need to be inserted into its hole in the compressor before you hold the compressor up against the block and begin tightening the other bolts as the upper most bolt will not clear the frame.
I used a ratching end 13mm wrench for the upper most bolt. Its very tight in there.
More to come once i get the heads back this week.
I can not stress this enough.....DO NOT TIGHTEN THE TRANS TO BLOCK BOLTS ALL THE WAY AND CLOSE THE BLOCK TO TRANS GAP WITHOUT ALIGNING THE TORQUE CONVERTER STUDS TO THE HOLES IN THE FLEX PLATE!!!!!!!! If you do, you will shove the torque converter too far into the front pump on the trans and cause damage. This is why i close the gap very slowly.
After the engine was in, i installed the torque converter stud nuts using a 1/4 inch ratchet and a 14mm. I find it fits much better in the space to tighten the bolts vs a 3/8 inch drive. I always tighten them in a cross pattern like when you tighten lug nuts on a wheel. I thread in the harmonic balancer bolt and leave a ratcheting 18mm wrench on it and slowly rotate the engine by hand while under the truck to gain access to all the converter studs.
I also installed the a/c compressor and the starter. The upper most bolt will need to be inserted into its hole in the compressor before you hold the compressor up against the block and begin tightening the other bolts as the upper most bolt will not clear the frame.
I used a ratching end 13mm wrench for the upper most bolt. Its very tight in there.
More to come once i get the heads back this week.
Last edited: