I am replacing the automatic transmission on a 1998 SL2. I was going to pull the engine and transmission out through the top of the engine compartment. Someone suggested removing the lower front frame by removing 4 huge bolts. Then lift the car (we have a hydraulic lift) and let the engine and transmission rest on a stand. Is this the best way, is there an easier way?

 

Both are possible. And with the right tools both ways are easy. I can have the engine/tranny out through the top in under an hour.

But then agian at the junkyard I can have the engine/tranny out through the bottom in 15 minutes. But I hack it out at the junkyard.

 

We did this once before to replace the engine, we pulled the engine and tranny together through the top. But to do so we had to pull almost everything out of the engine compartment, which took considerable time. And even then we had to tilt the enginetranny about 30 degrees to get it out. It was hell.

Mike, it sounds like you''ve done this quite a few times to have gotten so good at it, do you have any other tips, like if dropping it from the bottom, what do we need to remove and what could we leave in place. (Some things are obvious of course.)

By the way, I replaced the ''98 SL2 engine with a ''99 SL2 engine. It sputtered a bit when starting up, but after a few minutes it was running pretty smooth, I left the ''98 engine computer in place. I haven''t driven it anywhere because we accidentally destroyed the transmission, but the engine seems to run well, accept there is a low oil warning. We did not lube the engine oil pump with vaseline which is what somebody recommended, could that be the problem, is the pump having trouble priming itself?

 

And engine hoist with a load levelr helps a lot. You lift, tilt, lift, tilt, then once the tranny clears the frame rail, you level it out and roll it back. I''ve done it so many times, I dont have to think about it. Just grab the tools and go. Removing the throttle body, crank pulley and removing the engine with the harness still attached is a big time saver.

When I drop them from the bottom, its at the junkyard and I cut everything thats in the way with a sawzall.

The only reason you''d need to pack the oil pump with vaseline is if you had the engine open and ALL the oil drained out. Like when doing a rebuild or oil pump replacement.

I''d recommend that before firing the engine up for the first time, leave the camcover off and pour oil all over the cams and down the timing chain. Then unplug the coil packs and have someone crank the engine with the pedal to the floor (this shuts off the injectors). Watch the lifters as they pump uo with oil and ooze it out the sides. Once all of them do this, put the cover on, plug in the coil packs and fire up the engine.