<VV> Mark vs Earlies

[Tony Underwood]

At 04:04 hours 04/20/2005, corvairs wrote:
>No way - eh. Lates are much MORE difficult to drop a powertrain from than 
>an early. Lon
>
>Tony Underwood wrote:
>
>>>
>>>On a late model, you don't even have to touch the axles, let alone 
>>>separate them from the diff (or anything else), in order to drop the 
>>>drivetrain enough to get the engine out. THAT is what makes the late 
>>>model clutch job simpler than on an early model.



That's `why I never take out the whole drivetrain when I do a clutch on 
EITHER earlies or lates.   (the above text was something I'd quoted from an 
earlier post)

I'm lazy.   No need to remove the transaxle with the engine, so I 
don't.   Not for either model.    Same for an FC... the engine comes out 
relatively easy, leave the transaxle in place.


In fact, the ONLY Corvair that's ever given me any trouble with removing 
the engine-only is the '60 models.    The biscuit style engine mount 
bracket that's welded to the rear boxframe member gets in the way of things 
and *might* require removing the generator mount housing to get the engine 
past the engine mount bracket.    Lates offer up enough room so that 
there's no problem either way.

Then again, with my engine picker I can twist and rotate and tilt the 
engine every which-ways to get it out, and the picker makes it SO much 
easier getting the engine back in place again afterwards.

For those who wonder, my engine picker is an old surplus hospital patient 
lift, has a 600 lb limit, breaks down into sections small enough to fit a 
Vair trunk, weighs about 40 lbs complete.    I even used it to pick a Mopar 
440 Magnum V8 engine up and out of a truck and place it on the engine 
stand...  it moaned and complained but it picked the 440 up and held it 
while I got it onto the engine stand.

As we speak, the lift/picker needs a seal replaced in the cylinder pump 
piston (leaks down)...  no big deal, it's the next thing on my agenda to 
take care of.     The picker even has movable "legs" which will spread 
apart with the twist of a handle to straddle an engine, pick the engine up, 
twist the handle back and reposition the legs under the engine for better 
support, roll the works around to where ever you need it, respectable sized 
"hospital gray" rubber wheels with roller bearings, nice piece of work.


These heavy duty patient lifts are really handy to have around, and they 
come apart easily for transport in a trunk, are light in weight, and good 
ones will pick up (as mentioned) ~600 lbs which is a bit more than what a 
Vair drivetrain weighs and considerably more than what a Vair engine 
weighs.    I can hook the picker up to the Vair engine, unbolt the 
hardware, support the transaxle to keep it from getting out of hand, then 
maneuver the engine around, juggling it past the obstructions and simply 
lower it down onto the picker legs, remove the straps and crank the boom 
back up and roll the works out from under the car (depending on how high 
the car was jacked up) or I can spread the picker legs apart and set the 
engine  down on the floor, slide it out or whatever.     The picker makes 
for an easy transport...  roll it over an engine in the corner, pick it up, 
crank the legs together and set the engine down on the legs and 
"grocery-buggy" the engine to where ever it needs to go.

I love this thing.


THAT is how I (by myself) can easily remove just the engine for a clutch 
job.     And that way IS better than having to remove the entire 
driveline.
   ...for a jackleg.


tony..