Engine removal without taking transmission? - Honda Prelude Forum

f22man87 · 03-10-2010, 10:12 PM

I'm trying to get some help to figure out if it is still *easily* possible to remove the engine from my prelude without having to take the trans with it? Most of the writeup I've seen just show everyone using the trans mounts and the bracket in the front of the block to hoist the engine out with, but is there another safe mounting point for the hoist on the engine? I was thinking of wrapping a chain around the intake manifold and using it, but I am afraid of breaking either it or something else.

I've got a 92 SI h23 and have tried to break the stupid spindle nuts, but they just do not want to come off the axles. I used a 5ft cheater bar and ended up breaking a 1/2" breaker bar in the process...impact won't break it...pb blast is sitting on it for yet another night. So i'm trying to see if I can just get the engine off its mounts and pull it off the input shaft or w/e on the trans with enough clearance because I can see there isn't much room in the engine bay already.

Any help with that would be great as I'm pretty much at a standstill on changing the clutch and all the other fun work ahead

mooncaller · 03-11-2010, 11:38 AM

I would suggest reading the Helm's manual... and using a hoist.

But yeah, that trans needs to be dropped or taken out with the engine, and you need to get the axles out.

petern101 · 03-11-2010, 01:16 PM

You have to remove the transmission if you want to remove the engine.

If you can't break the axle nuts, use a bigger bar. I used my craftsman aluminum jack handle to break it.

TruNinja619 · 03-11-2010, 09:29 PM

If you can't break the axle nut, get a blow torch and heat up the axle nut for a minute or so to break off some of the rust. Then have a go at it w/ an impact gun.

And No, you cannot take out the engine w/ the transmission still on the car.

Da_lude · 03-11-2010, 11:23 PM

Just keep going at those axle nuts with that 5ft cheater bar, eventually one of two things will happen...you will break the nut loose and get it off or you will break the socket and just have to buy/rent another one. Took me a good 30mins to break my axle nut loose on my 86 lude.

mooncaller · 03-12-2010, 11:30 AM

I don't get it... a good screw driver, long shaft and really strong, and being under the car, and you can pop the axles out of the trans, then swing them out of the way so long as you have undone the lower ball joint...

Again, look at Helms. I did not touch the axle nut when I dropped my trans.

petern101 · 03-12-2010, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mooncaller

I don't get it... a good screw driver, long shaft and really strong, and being under the car, and you can pop the axles out of the trans, then swing them out of the way so long as you have undone the lower ball joint...

Again, look at Helms. I did not touch the axle nut when I dropped my trans.

That might be true to take out the transmission but the OP is asking to take out the ENGINE w/o removing the transmission....

pjschmitt · 03-12-2010, 10:01 PM

Well when you put the engine back in, it will be so difficult to put the transmission back on it will make no sense. I have never even tried to do this with any honda swaps. It is infinitely easier to pull the whole thing unless you are only pulling the transmission.

You will be wasting your time trying to do this and become seriously frustrated. There are a few tricks to get axle nuts off. One of them is to go rent a impact gun with like 1200 lbs rather than what most of us have with 200lbs. You can rent it at the local shop that has equipment like generators and compressors and power washers.

Spray some good quality penetrating oil all over it and let it soak a bit. Then turn the steering wheel to one side or the other and let the wheel lock in place. Use the socket 1/2" minimum on a good 1/2" breaker bar. Then get a big thick screwdriver and insert it into the grooves in the disk to stop the wheel from turning. Position the breaker barso it is slightly up and slide any long pipe over it to extend it out to about 3 - 5 feet. Now, get a friend and either both of you lean on it with a bouncing motion or one of you stand on it with a bouncing motion. These bolts are righty tighty and lefty loosy.

If that doesn't get it, spray it again with penetrating oil, go get that impact and try it again with the impact. A heavy duty one will spin it off easily.

You can remove the ball joint cotter pin and bolt and the control arm pin and bolt and pop the avxle out of the transmission too. Just drain the oil first from the trans. Same thing for the driver side, you can leave the intermediate shaft in place when pulling the whole thing.

Reinstalling this will be simpler and done better with it out of the car. You can also take the hub and axle to a shop to have the axle nut removed. It is only the brake line which can be pinched off with a socket extension and some clamping pliers, the upper ball joint pin and nut. And it is free to remove.

Renting a hd compressor and impact will be much more simple. Hope this helped, I do this stuff every day. Sorry for the long ass write up.

G_Loc · 03-13-2010, 05:20 PM

Stupid question, but you've got the front wheels on the ground right?

I've had good luck using a breaker bar and a rubber mallet. Just keep pressure on the breaker bar and hit the end with the mallet. Eventually the impacts will loosen the nut. Jumping up and down on the end of a cheater bar has worked too

mooncaller · 03-14-2010, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petern101

That might be true to take out the transmission but the OP is asking to take out the ENGINE w/o removing the transmission....

Now, quite possibly I am wrong, but my opinion is pretty well based upon my experience. When I pulled the trans, simply the geometry of taking it out makes it seem high unlikely that you'd be able to pull the block without pulling the trans. I mean... maybe if you disconnect the speed sensor, the shift cables, and then angled up and pulled it out over the driver side, But I don't know if you'll be able to get the angle needed without pulling the trans too.

I know what the OP asked, I'm just saying it doesn't look doable.

petern101 · 03-14-2010, 06:29 PM

^which is what I said already.

You came in after and stated you took the transmission w/o taking off the axle nuts. The OP wants to take the engine out without touching the transmission (or so it seems) but the simple answer to this question is to get the right tools to get off the axle nuts.

You cannot remove the engine w/o removing the transmisson.

nordic97mist · 03-14-2010, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petern101

^which is what I said already.

You came in after and stated you took the transmission w/o taking off the axle nuts. The OP wants to take the engine out without touching the transmission (or so it seems) but the simple answer to this question is to get the right tools to get off the axle nuts.

You cannot remove the engine w/o removing the transmisson.

Im guessing this is 4gen only? Or does it apply for 5gen to? Im just wondering b/c i could pull my engine out with the tranny still on

G_Loc · 03-14-2010, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nordic97mist

Im guessing this is 4gen only? Or does it apply for 5gen to? Im just wondering b/c i could pull my engine out with the tranny still on

I think he meant you can't pull the engine and just leave the transmission in the engine bay.

nordic97mist · 03-14-2010, 08:42 PM

Ohh. Damn i would think that would be common sense

f22man87 · 03-14-2010, 09:32 PM

Thanks for all the help!

Well after about 3 days of trying to get the axle nuts off they finally came off and the axles as well (drivers side was rusted on both the hub and the half-shaft sides. It took 2 days of PB blaster, impact gun, torching, cheater pipe, 2 broken 18" breaker bars, and finally a 25" breaker bar to break the axle nut off...

I was finally able to pull the engine with the transmission out, now just fixing the problems and putting it back together, which should go much smoother than pulling everything out.

TheJGB-2KTypeSH · 03-14-2010, 11:44 PM

The easiest way I have found to break the axle nut loose.

Loosen lug nuts.
jack up car
remove wheel
remove center cap from wheel
reinstall wheel
lower back down
break it loose with a 36MM 1/2" drive socket on a breaker bar

petern101 · 03-15-2010, 10:30 AM

You know come to think of it.

I left my rims on. I had rota c8's so if you took the caps off, you could get a 36 mm socket through and break the nut from there.

jinusean · 03-15-2010, 02:17 PM

Wow, you broke two 18" breaker bars? Mines is about a meter long and it breaks loose everything. Even my H22 crank bolt, just took two people.

mooncaller · 03-16-2010, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petern101

^which is what I said already.

Which, is what I said before you, as first response to this post. But that's just splitting hairs really.

I really hope my axle nuts prove to be far less of a pain in the rear when I go to do the 5-lug conversion. Then again... I'm pretty sure I'll end up doing this with an impact gun just because it will be much faster and easier that way.

ion_four · 03-18-2010, 06:29 PM

What should one do if one has removed the transmission and then wants to remove the engine too? I'm in this situation right now. Clutch job turned serious

I'm also apparently missing the front hoist point (thanks previous owner! lol)