Pulling my 263: A few questions.

[Jodezilla]

I have my 263 down to just the block with the head and distributor (water pump, fuel pump, coil, etc. all taken out/off). I was wondering, what are the best places to connect to the engine for pulling? Should I pull the head off and use the head bolts?

Also, where should I unbolt the engine from the transmission?

There seems to be four or so bolts that hold the engine to the bell-housing. There are also bolts that hold the two halves of the bell-housing together (I think thats what it is), should I unbolt from here? I've never pulled a straight 8 before so I though I'd learn as much as I could so I didnt make a mistake that may make it harder to get the engine back in.

thanks, Zilla

[suntreemcanic]

The place to separate the engine from the transmission is at the bell housing, about six bolts. Do you have a dynaflow or manuel trans? The head is extremely heavy, I would leave it in place. You can use the head bolts for lifting the engine but be aware, do not let you lifting chains contact your rocker arm shaft. Also be aware when removing your engine temp sensor the bolt holding the rocker shaft in place could be a tad to long and it will keep you from removing your temp sensor. Other wise it is a pretty straight forward operation. Be prepared, the engine is heavy. I just love how easy it is to remove the hood on early Buicks!

[Jodezilla]

Its a Dynaflow.

I ran out and took a couple of pics.....just to make sure we're talking about the same thing.

DSC00517.jpg

red arrow bolts, or green arrow bolts? Im thinking green arrow bolts
DSC00518.jpg

[raycow]

The Dynaflow comes off of the engine differently from any other automatic transmission you have ever worked on. If you plan to re-use the transmission, I strongly recommend that you pull it out in one piece with the engine. This is to minimize the risk of damage to some very hard-to-find parts which aren't being made any more. It will be much safer to separate the transmission from the engine after they are both out of the car.

If you feel that you absolutely must leave the transmission under the car, download and print out this file:
http://www.teambuick.com/reference/l.../files/4-e.pdf

Then follow the instructions exactly. Don't try to take any shortcuts. Even if you pull the transmission out with the engine, you will still need these instructions anyway when it is time to separate the two. However, I think it will be easier to catch all the oil if you drain the converter and pan while the engine and transmission are still in the car.

Btw, it's best to leave the green arrow bolts alone until the transmission has been removed from the engne. There are a couple more bolts holding that adaptor ring onto the block from the inside that you won't be able to get to until the flywheel is off of the crank.

Good luck with your project, and if you run into any unexpected problems, remember that it will be cheaper to ask here first before you go looking for a bigger hammer.


Ray