Engine & Transmission Removal No.1

A wise man told me that before I finished the build I would take the engine out and reinstall it several times.....so 2 weeks after it was installed, here is the first removal. This was bought about for a few reasons. Firstly, I had to replace the starter motor with a Mazda unit to match the lightened flywheel. This new starter motor had some alloy shoulders that prevented it being mounted on its posts and engaging correctly with the bell housing. Secondly, I needed to measure where the hole in the transmission tunnel would be for the electrical loom going into the fuse box. Lastly I wanted to add the gearbox oil and check the seals. This removal only took a little over an hour and a quarter, but I imagine it will be a lot longer with full electrical, a fuel system and a cooling system all connected.

Here is the bell housing where the starter motor mounts. It needed to be notched and filed down on the two corners where it mates with the engine block. In removing the gearbox I also found that one of the CSC bolts had sheared off (over torqued to many times while fitting), so I replaced all three of these to be safe. Half an hour of filing and refitting the starter motor and I had the notches I needed. From here it was simply a case of refitting the gearbox to the motor (easier done with two people) and re-torquing all of the bolts on the bell housing. 

While I had the gearbox on the bench, I filled it with oil (Castrol Syntrax 75W90 fully-synthetic). This is far easier than doing in the car and I dread having to get the filler plug out from within the passenger footwell in the future.

I had also marked up a 50mm hole in the side of the transmission tunnel before the engine came out, so I used a hole saw to cut this out from within the fuse box. This will have a sealed grommet fitted one the ECU is mounted and the cables are routed. I also got to fix up a few bits of bodywork in the engine bay that needed to be modified, trimmed and riveted after the first engine fitting.

So after all those mods and tweaks, the engine and transmission went back in (in an hour and a quarter). I now know what sequence to put the mounts on to get the best fit, and which cross braces and brackets to remove. Only problems remaining are that the main bolt for the flexible gearbox mount is not lining up, I have small oil leak from the seal at the back of the gearbox output shaft when the car is inclined. I will deal with those and fit the starter motor tomorrow.