Last time I had the cradle out I removed the whole motor and trans. This time I'm only removing the trans. I plan on taking the engine cradle out tonight after work and then swapping the trans tomorrow night. My question is: is it alright to leave the engine just supported by the passenger side motor mount and upper driver side mount?

 

The engine only has one mount and no its not safe to do that. I built a suport fixture from 4x4s that sits where the fenders bolt down.

 

Build something or get an engine support that holds it from the top ala harbor freight. As mentioned above, when you remove the subframe and transmission there's only one mount left.

 

I used the habit freight one and it worked great once I get it setup correctly. Even attached a hd ratchet tie down to it to ratchet up the trans high enough for me to get under it and then stab it in without holding it in my chest forever.

 

Thats not a bad idea. I just use a floor jack and wrestle it on.

 

Harbor freight, stupid phone spell check.
Cranking it up with the ratchet strap so you can get under it to lift it, and stab it in works well. I tried the jack but just couldn't get it at the right angle to match the splines into the crank without lifting it up by hand. Glad they only weigh 100lbs. A jack works well with my turbo 400 in the nova because it's got a flat trans pan. An f35 doesn't.

 

im not leaving the engine hang there by one mount. I took the cradle out last night and the tranny is still it. The upper tranny mount is still in the car. I have the motor supported by a jack underneath.



As for those supports that sit on the fender. I don't trust them enough without the collapsing the fender edges. I plan on keeping the motor support underneath the oil pan with a motorcycle jack and I using a trans jack to remove the trans.

 

I haven't heard of anyone's fender edges collapsing (doesn't mean it hasn't happened...).

It's always risky to support the engine via oil pan, but since the pan is cast and you'll have another mount connected you'll prob get away with it. Your call though.

 

I use block of wood the size of the oil pan to support it under there. I would never put all that stress on just one spot on the oil pan

 

I was assuming the wood. It's never a good idea (even with wood) on a stamped pan, but ours is a little beefier being cast. Admittedly I did it on my miata engine while changing mounts but the engine is microscopic so it held fine.

 

well the motor is an LDK so its got the huge oil pan

 

Welcome to the club!

 

yeah I bought the sedan with 0psi on cylinder one. put a LDK the next weekend and drove it for 1,500 miles then the tranny went. so now its getting 4.05 with LSD