[johnny5ive]

I've been working on pulling the 3.5 out of my 2001 Trooper and I'm already wishing I hadn't bought it. I can not get to the bolts around the top side of the bell housing... I can't even SEE them much less get a tool on them or get leverage to work a ratchet or wrench. If you've ever removed one of these things I need to pick your brain.... badly... Where are the motor mounts? They're in there somewhere, right? I'm sure they are I JUST CAN"T SEE THEM!!!!! I want to hunt down the guy who engineered this thing and strangle him to death.... Maybe he's neighbors with the guy who designed the 2.6 fuel injection and I can just kill them both at the same time...

 

[Metal88]

why you think i moved my cold air valve and ignitor away from the intake area...less things to be frustrated when it comes down to fixing things in the 2.6 intake area
thats the only thing i hate about japanese cars and new cars everything is thrown into a little bay no bigger than the trunk

 

[vanduker]

A couple of options.

Remove the crossmember and lower the back of the transmission. This makes them more visible and accessible from below. Can us a couple of 12" extensions and a u joint.

Alternatively if you have the intake off you can reach them from above. I had the intake manifold off and they were easy to reach that way, even easier if you raise the tail of the transmission.

 

[CatFuzz]

Put the front of the truck on jack stands, remove the wheels. The motor mounts are easily accessible thru the wheel openings after pulling back the rubber curtain. Remove the motor mounts completely, then lower the engine and let it sit on the front diff. Then, pull the intake manifold, upper and lower together, to gain better access to the upper bell housing bolts. Remove the starter and use an impact, thru the wheel opening, to zap the torque convertor bolts off (assuming automatic trans here).

 

[sassee]

Johnny, see my pm

 

[johnny5ive]

Ok, thanks for all the input. I'm feeling a bit refreshed.... I'll head back out and battle with it some more today. When I pulled the oil drain plug I got about a half gallon of coolant, then oil, and the motor is locked up tight, so there won't be any "Zipping torque convertor bolts off" I'm going to try to lift the engine enough to remove the oil pan and see if I can remove the rod caps and (hopefully) free the motor up enough to turn it. If not then the torque convertor is coming out with the motor... If not, then you'll see it in the classifieds section under the thread "parting out 2001 Trooper"

 

[Selahdoor]

Ok, thanks for all the input. I'm feeling a bit refreshed.... I'll head back out and battle with it some more today. When I pulled the oil drain plug I got about a half gallon of coolant, then oil, and the motor is locked up tight, so there won't be any "Zipping torque convertor bolts off" I'm going to try to lift the engine enough to remove the oil pan and see if I can remove the rod caps and (hopefully) free the motor up enough to turn it. If not then the torque convertor is coming out with the motor... If not, then you'll see it in the classifieds section under the thread "parting out 2001 Trooper"

Break the motor loose.

I just did this, yet again, recently.

Remove all spark plugs.

Fill a pump style oil can with 50/50 WD40 and ATF.

Put abour half the can of fluid into each cylinder.

Let it sit at least overnight.

Remove enough from the front of the engine, to have plenty of work room.

Squirt 3 or 4 more squirts of the fluid in each cylinder.

Slowly start moving the crank back and forth. Only as much as you can do, without much force.

Keep this up. This sometimes takes a while.

I gave up on the 91. Then went back out the next day and tried again. Once I had enough room to work in, and a way to solidly grab the balancer, without using the retaining bolt... It took about 25 minutes before it finally let loose.

Then was stiff, for a few revolutions. Then could be spun with the starter.

The starter bendix subsequently gave up the ghost, (but spun the engine freely, for quite a bit, before doing so.), and I decided I am just going to use the truck for parts.

 

[johnny5ive]

Well, I know that works on motors that have seized from sitting, but I believe my problem is in the bottom end, and the wd40/atf doesn't really work on those...

 

[reson8]

Ok, thanks for all the input. I'm feeling a bit refreshed.... I'll head back out and battle with it some more today. When I pulled the oil drain plug I got about a half gallon of coolant, then oil, and the motor is locked up tight, so there won't be any "Zipping torque convertor bolts off" I'm going to try to lift the engine enough to remove the oil pan and see if I can remove the rod caps and (hopefully) free the motor up enough to turn it. If not then the torque convertor is coming out with the motor... If not, then you'll see it in the classifieds section under the thread "parting out 2001 Trooper"

Man....if you go that route I need dibs on the tranny. Assuming its a 430.

 

[Selahdoor]

Well, I know that works on motors that have seized from sitting, but I believe my problem is in the bottom end, and the wd40/atf doesn't really work on those...

Every motor that I have broken loose like this has seized because the owner ran it completely our of water, or almost completely out of oil.

Never because the motor was just sitting.

If the motor was run out of oil, put some in, and run the oil pump manually for a bit. Then do the bit with the wd40/atf in the cylinders and breaking it loose.

 

[johnny5ive]

I'm working on a 3.5 here not a 2.6 and I drained about half a gallon of water out of the oil pan. Since 3.5's are notorious for bottom end problems I don't think my problem is in the cylinders, I belive I've got bottom end bearing problems.

 

[IsuzuGeek]

You should ask on the VX forum too, a lot of people have pulled the 3.5 outta VXes now.

The Impulse was bad too. I pretty much had to strip the motor down to the block and head before I could get at the tranny bolts at the top/back of the motor. And the motor mounts too, totally inaccessible without taking the entire engine bay apart.

I just hope I can get the Impulse back together!!! :lol:

Bart

 

[Selahdoor]

I'm working on a 3.5 here not a 2.6 and I drained about half a gallon of water out of the oil pan. Since 3.5's are notorious for bottom end problems I don't think my problem is in the cylinders, I belive I've got bottom end bearing problems.

Dump in a gallon of used/cheap oil, and run the oil pump manually for a bit.

Then squirt some atf in the cylinders, with the plugs out. And try breaking it loose.

Really, what have you got to lose ?

Dang. If I keep this up, I'm going to end up talking MYSELF into giving that 91 troop more of a chance. LOL
:wink:

Well, if it EVER dries out here, I just may give it another chance. (I did get the motor broken loose. Now I have to replace the starter. Don't want to crawl in the 40 degree, 6 inch deep mud, to do so.)

 

[FNFAL308]

Coolant does bad things to bearings in the btm end..
Also "IF" one or all of the main bearings seized it won't matter how much stuff you pour into the cylinders..

 

[Selahdoor]

Coolant does bad things to bearings in the btm end..
Also "IF" one or all of the main bearings seized it won't matter how much stuff you pour into the cylinders..

I never said that pouring anything into the cylinders would 'fix' the bottom end. (I may be stupid, but I am not a -complete- idiot. :wink: LOL) That's why I suggested to pour in a gallon of oil, and run the oil pump manually, first.

That will get oil to everything in the bottom end, before you try to break it loose.

And then you still have to be just as careful in breaking it loose. Don't force it too much or you may break something beyond repair.

If it can be broken loose, and the only problem was the mains, or the rod bearings, etc... Then the pan can be pulled, and those replaced.



Edited, to be more like I intended the first time I posted it. LOL

 

[FNFAL308]

Coolant does bad things to bearings in the btm end..
Also "IF" one or all of the main bearings seized it won't matter how much stuff you pour into the cylinders..

I never said that pouring anything into the cylinders would 'fix' the bottom end. (I may be stupid, but I am not a -complete- idiot. :wink: LOL) That's why I suggested to pour in a gallon of oil, and run the oil pump manually, first.



Edited, to be more like I intended the first time I posted it. LOL

I wasn't implying any such thing and If'n my choice of words suggested that it was certainly not my intention. ccasion5:

 

[mallen]

I'm working on a 3.5 here not a 2.6 and I drained about half a gallon of water out of the oil pan. Since 3.5's are notorious for bottom end problems I don't think my problem is in the cylinders, I belive I've got bottom end bearing problems.

Dump in a gallon of used/cheap oil, and run the oil pump manually for a bit.

Then squirt some atf in the cylinders, with the plugs out. And try breaking it loose.

Really, what have you got to lose ?

Dang. If I keep this up, I'm going to end up talking MYSELF into giving that 91 troop more of a chance. LOL
:wink:

Well, if it EVER dries out here, I just may give it another chance. (I did get the motor broken loose. Now I have to replace the starter. Don't want to crawl in the 40 degree, 6 inch deep mud, to do so.)

My first question would be do you plan on replacing or rebuilding the motor. If your going to rebuild it thats one thing. If you have a replacement,then you can slash and burn. Tear the oil pan off,tear the head off,spray it with degreaser to get all the gasoline and oil off so you dont set it on fire,throw on a pair of welding gloves and a face sheild and take an angle grinder with a cutting blade to it.

 

[vanduker]

Running the oil pump means turning the crank - this isn't a SBC or v6 Buick where you can run the oil pump independently.

The oil pump is run directly off the crank.

 

[Selahdoor]

I wasn't implying any such thing and If'n my choice of words suggested that it was certainly not my intention. ccasion5:

I realized that.



Sometimes easy to misread what someone posts. I know people misread mine all the time. Then I am backtracking, trying to explain that I didn't mean what they thought I meant. LOL

An easy "fer instance", is my statement that I am not a complete idiot...

I didn't mean I thought that was what you were saying. What I said was meant as a deferential, self-effacing joke.

 

[Selahdoor]

Running the oil pump means turning the crank - this isn't a SBC or v6 Buick where you can run the oil pump independently.

The oil pump is run directly off the crank.

Ah.

I didn't know that.