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20.05.2006: Engine mount
Unbolt the passenger side engine mount (15 mm socket). Be careful as the engine might shift suddenly when you remove the last bolt.

Engine removal on a 1995 Saab 900 SE turbo.

This job was performed as a part of a car rebuild, so you see more parts taken off the car than it's usually required to pull just the engine. It also makes it easier to access everything and see where things are (which is good for a photoshoot).

Before the engine can be removed from the car, it has to be freed from all the wires and hoses connecting it to other components inside the engine compartment. This section covers most of those, although you need to use your common sense and mind any design differences applicable to your model. It might not cover trivial procedures like belts or hoses, it's assumed that if you're taking on the engine, you have sufficient mechanical knowledge about the car.

Once everything is disconnected, the engine is ready for removal. There are multiple options for engine extraction, which mostly depend on the equipment available to you:

  1. If you have a lift and a support table, you can raise the car, roll the table under the subframe, unbolt the subframe and side engine mounts, and lower the whole engine and transmission assembly resting on the subframe onto the table without taking it apart.
  2. If you have a lift and a crane, you can suspend the engine with the support beam, raise the car, unbolt and drop the subframe, and then use the crane to lower the engine and transmission to the floor.
  3. And finally, if you're doing it on jack stands, the only way is to remove the engine is through the top. You can attempt it without removing the transmission, but the space is rather tight, and unbolting the transmission is easy, so lifting the engine separately sounds like a better approach.
I was doing this job in my own garage at home, so I'll be describing the procedure #3. For subframe and gearbox removal refer to this guide.

Tools:

  • 22 mm wrench: oil cooler lines;
  • 19 mm socket: flywheel;
  • 19 mm wrench: brake booster hose;
  • 16 mm socket: A/C compressor;
  • 15 mm socket: passenger side engine mount;
  • 13 mm socket: oil drain plug;
  • 13 mm wrench: steering pump bolts, radiator drain plug;
  • 12 mm socket: pressure plate;
  • 10 mm socket: cruise control unit;
  • 8 mm socket: MAP sensor;
  • 7 mm socket: hose clamps;
  • Torx T25 screwdriver: BPC;
  • long ½" extension: belt tensioner release;
  • engine support beam;
  • shop crane;
  • car jacks and axle stands;
  • 8 mm (5/16") fuel line disconnect tool;
  • needle nose pliers (curved nose preferred).

 

 
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