Engine/Transmission/Transfer Case Swap or Not?

[Corrupt]

So i'll try to keep this short, otherwise you may have get yourself a drink and get comfy for this one...

Issue 1

For years my Galant has been making strange rotational wear noises, changed everything in the front end up to the gearbox (including but not limited to brakes, wheel bearings, CVs and a transfer case rebuild), ultimately all bearings in the gearbox need to be replaced. Getting some diff backlash too but i can live with that.

Quotes - $4500 to $5000+ to remove the gearbox, replace bearings and reinstall. One workshop even wanted to send the gearbox over east to rebuild as "no workshops in Perth would be interested or capable".

I'm sorry but, if you say you can rebuild something, but take one look and the car and go "not interested", maybe you should call yourself a replacer not a rebuilder. I swear all you pay for now is labour and equipment. /rant.

Issue 2

Just recently, the Galant started running like a pig, i'm talking Group-B rally car tune, backfiring, black smoke etc. to the point where the whole car was jolting back and forward (read undriveable) and reeked of fuel.

Suspected limp mode and running rich on fuel, i changed the plugs and all of that stopped!... for 24 hours. Turns out i'm getting oil in 1 of the 6 cylinders. Could be a valve stem seal, could be the head gasket, either way, head removal = big job.

Quotes - $3000+ to "investigate and resolve"...

Unrelated but Related

Unrelated, i have recently within the last 18 months been diagnosed with Stage 4 Bowel Cancer, not great, but on the mend and being managed.
Related, my energy to do physical work on the Galant has significantly reduced, slowly building the energy back up, the interest is not gone. Also if i've got my infuser bottle on and my port connected, it just gets in the way of doing anything really.

Anyway...

Back to the issues at hand, i recently got my hands on basically a wreck Legnum cheap only for the gearbox initially. Cost was same/same-ish, whole car = gearbox repair-ish, so seemed like a no-brainer. Body is unrepairable (suspected cracked chassis rail plus panel damage, big $$$ for repairs, almost 5 figures), but mechanically it's A1, drove it home, risky, but didn't miss a beat, other than being a little crabwalk-y and some parts "falling off". No mechanical noises to worry me at all.

I'm now thinking given the engine issue, do i swap the entire engine/gearbox/transfer case from the Legnum to the Galant in 1 hit plus any other parts i fancy and part out/sell off the leftovers? The Legnum has done 100,000+ kms less than the Galant too, should be a healthier engine and i don't have to worry about dissecting out the gearbox like i was planning to. This leads to...

Issue 3

I have:
Simple hand tools
4 axle stands
A small hydraulic jack
A SCA engine crane
Access to pairs of hands (help)
Maybe some "specialised" tools i can borrow

I don't have:
Access to a hoist/workshop equipment
Space
Funds
With my current state of health, the energy of a 20 something year old (let alone the energy of a 36 year old)

So not ideally set up for a full engine swap at home.

Quotes for a shop to swap - the value of the Galant+ to carry out, so that's out.

Conclusion

TL ; DR, do i swap out the engine/gearbox/transfer case entirely, eliminating all the issues or, if only for health reasons, face reality, package the lot up and sell?

Selling (the Galant) would be a last resort, as i'd rather not in the state its currently in and unless your Galant/Legnum is in A1 condition, there is 0 interest here in W.A., young guys would spend the extra and buy an Evo, or less and buy a Magna.

I'm driving the in-laws backup car at the moment, so i'm not stranded and i can take as long as i want, but not forever.

I haven't done a swap of this magnitude before either. From what i have read the go is to remove the engine/gearbox/transfer case assembly from the bottom of the car and skull-drag it out, but honestly, vertical space and lifting the car will determine this (~2200 - 2300 floor to ceiling, basically a garage with no space out front). Removing the bonnet and lifting the engine up would be ideal but not sure if its possible in one lift, if at all. Also any ancillaries that have to be disconnected (gearbox linkages, A/C lines etc.).

And before it gets mentioned; No, i'm not interested in some "zombie" 4G63 swap, i already have the gear for an exact like-for-like swap, also that extra $$$ i'd rather spend on what i have, and No, i'm not looking at selling right now.

I guess the real purpose of this post is if there are any tips/tricks from personal experiences, that would be super helpful.

If i've left anything out i'd be happy to fill in the blanks.

 

[BCX]

Hey mate,

Sorry to hear about your cancer. That really sucks.

I've got more to add to this post, but my initial thoughts are:

• Gearbox rebuild (assuming manual box here) - the box itself is no different to a Evo box (or magna fwd box). I find it hard to believe that someone couldn't rebuild it local... But Neat Gearboxes here in SA knows these boxes well, and given I'm in SA, could help out in some capacity of you want. TME Motorsport in NSW gets some of their box work done by Neat.

• Getting drivetrain out - underneath makes sense time/effort wise but nothing stopping you from breaking the work up into smaller chunks. Transfer case comes off, then gearbox off like you were doing a clutch. Then motor out. All on different weekends for example. Reverse of this to put back in. 100% longer way of doing this work but might be more achievable? I mean gearbox needs to seperate from engine if you want get it rebuilt or new clutch?

• Taking transfer case off at minimum, and remove engine mounts, maybe the balancer off, and sump off, you might be able to maneuver the engine and gearbox out like it's a fwd transaxle. It would be tight, might need tongue at right angle as well.

• Heads off isn't as hard as I thought it would be when I torched a valve, time consuming but do-able without any special tools except for timing belt tensioner tool and a good torque wrench.

• Do you have mates that can help? I've done most stuff myself. Garage floor using trolley jacks and stands, don't own a engine lifter or have access to hoist. Stuff like rear subframe drop to replace rear diff, fuel tank out to renew hoses, replace heads, CVs repack/new boots, weld/modify exhaust, etc etc but when I did my clutch, it's just impossible without hoist as one person... and without a second or third set of hands etc... so that when mates and pizza come in.

Got more to add, but thought I'd get the ball rolling on the convo.

Cheers,
Bill

 

[mezje]

By far the easiest way is drop the whole drive assembly out the bottom and lift the car. I can do it in 3-4 hours now. Even quicker if you disconnect the AC.

 

[Corrupt]

Hey mate,

Sorry to hear about your cancer. That really sucks.

Thanks, its decided to turn into a Liver thing now, very VERY long story short the whole thing was detected as a Brain Tumour first (100% removed and not a worry... for now), so I'm guessing when it spread from the Bowel to the Brain the Liver took some glancing hits.

It sucks yes, but so far it has been a pretty positive process.

• Gearbox rebuild (assuming manual box here) - the box itself is no different to a Evo box (or magna fwd box). I find it hard to believe that someone couldn't rebuild it local... But Neat Gearboxes here in SA knows these boxes well, and given I'm in SA, could help out in some capacity of you want. TME Motorsport in NSW gets some of their box work done by Neat.

Yeah M/T.

Agreed, you'd think someone here would have been willing, most just said "barlies", the others said "how deep are you pockets?", turns out now, not very.

I may check Neat Gearboxes out in the future IF I do go the rebuild route, but if I went rebuild I'd probably wanna spend some cash, so for right now, a swap with what I have (a ~160,000kms old gearbox) would be far cheaper.

• Do you have mates that can help? I've done most stuff myself. Garage floor using trolley jacks and stands, don't own a engine lifter or have access to hoist. Stuff like rear subframe drop to replace rear diff, fuel tank out to renew hoses, replace heads, CVs repack/new boots, weld/modify exhaust, etc etc but when I did my clutch, it's just impossible without hoist as one person... and without a second or third set of hands etc... so that when mates and pizza come in

I do have mates/brother/brother in-law that can help, most are somewhat auto-inclined, my brother, not so much but what's the saying "I'm not that smart but I can lift heavy things...". If my health was better I would tackle this on my own, but more hands should make light work.

By far the easiest way is drop the whole drive assembly out the bottom and lift the car.

I looked at the pictures and oh my god I didn't even think of using the engine crane to lift the front of the car! Looks to be, what, 700 - 800mm? Exhaust system off too, another good tip.

Moving the E/T/TC lump with a furniture trolley is a good idea too, also looks nowhere near as long as a 302 Windsor with a C4 behind it.

Even quicker if you disconnect the AC.

Now, how much of a prick is this? Are the lines "isolatable" or do I need to vent the system and then once the job is done get it re-gassed? It's one of the few things in the Galant I don't have to look at and I really want to avoid creating another issue.

It's probably going to be a long, drawn out project, mainly so I don't rush it a mess things up. Space will be king here, so will have to do a major clean-out I think just so I can store and extra E/MT/TC.

Thankfully I also have the Legnum to practice on first haha.

Thanks for the tips so far, will definitely be referring to the pictures too.

 

[Wakaba]

By far the easiest way is drop the whole drive assembly out the bottom and lift the car. I can do it in 3-4 hours now. Even quicker if you disconnect the AC.

View attachment 66731

View attachment 66732

View attachment 66733

Brilliant. Going to uses this to swap the power unit on the wife’s mini. 998cc -> high compression 1380cc

 

[mezje]

Thanks, its decided to turn into a Liver thing now, very VERY long story short the whole thing was detected as a Brain Tumour first (100% removed and not a worry... for now), so I'm guessing when it spread from the Bowel to the Brain the Liver took some glancing hits.

It sucks yes, but so far it has been a pretty positive process.


Yeah M/T.

Agreed, you'd think someone here would have been willing, most just said "barlies", the others said "how deep are you pockets?", turns out now, not very.

I may check Neat Gearboxes out in the future IF I do go the rebuild route, but if I went rebuild I'd probably wanna spend some cash, so for right now, a swap with what I have (a ~160,000kms old gearbox) would be far cheaper.


I do have mates/brother/brother in-law that can help, most are somewhat auto-inclined, my brother, not so much but what's the saying "I'm not that smart but I can lift heavy things...". If my health was better I would tackle this on my own, but more hands should make light work.


I looked at the pictures and oh my god I didn't even think of using the engine crane to lift the front of the car! Looks to be, what, 700 - 800mm? Exhaust system off too, another good tip.

Moving the E/T/TC lump with a furniture trolley is a good idea too, also looks nowhere near as long as a 302 Windsor with a C4 behind it.


Now, how much of a prick is this? Are the lines "isolatable" or do I need to vent the system and then once the job is done get it re-gassed? It's one of the few things in the Galant I don't have to look at and I really want to avoid creating another issue.

It's probably going to be a long, drawn out project, mainly so I don't rush it a mess things up. Space will be king here, so will have to do a major clean-out I think just so I can store and extra E/MT/TC.

Thankfully I also have the Legnum to practice on first haha.

Thanks for the tips so far, will definitely be referring to the pictures too.

I don't know the exact height but my garage roof line is fairly low.

The AC lines have a bit of play, and you can leave the compressor etc connected and just shove it out the way. Just adds time when refitting as to not crush anything,

 

[6A13TT TYPE S]

Commenting so i remember to add my 2c when im not on my phone

 

[6A13TT TYPE S]

The one thing you'll need to get the transfer case off is a slide hammer to pull the "jack shaft" / "inner axle shaft" out that clips into the front diff and goes to the passenger side inner CV cup.

There are other methods of getting that shaft out but for the sake of a cheap and nasty slide hammer itll make.your life a heap easier. Especially as that shaft needs to come out to remove the transfer case
And the transfer case needs to be removed to remove the gearbox.

As above you can leave the AC in tact if you cant be arsed degassing and regassing it.
The key to doing this is you take the radiator out which has to.happen anyways, then remove the PS pump which can be a bit fiddly and messy. But once the PS pump is out of the way you can shuffle the AC pump on its soft lines up above the motor next to the PS reservoir which i find is really helpful at stopping the motor snagging on the AC pump and associated lines when you drop the motor out the bottom

Kinda goes without saying but be careful when removing the heater hoses as the barbs in the firewall to.the heater core are made of plastic and are prone to breaking as the plastic gets old and brittle. You can leave the heater hoses attached to the firewall if you dont wanna risk damaging the plastic barbs but if you do it that way make sure you tie the hoses out of the way so they dont get tangled in when your dropping the motor and get an unexpected yank. As if you break one of these its either dash out to change the heater core or you have to degas the AC and remove the evaporator so you can slip the heater core out from behind the gloverbox with the dash in.

Shifter cables, have some fussy little R clips and odd sheet metal clips with small foldable tabs. Patience, a small jewlers screwdriver and a good pen light will help here. And be careful not to loose the clips.

In the light of BCX saying attack it in bits an peices
If you do take the engine out and need the car to roll again. Remember the axles and axle nut is what holds the wheel bearing together. If you need to push the car around with no engine in make sure you zap the axles into the hub and get a bit of wire around the axle to the strut brace so the axle can rotate with the wheel without flapping around.

The clutch is a pull type clutch so the release bearing is clipped into the clutch and you need to release this to remove the gearbox from.the engine. There are plenty of videos of how to do this on youtube as evos run the same setup. I find this is much easier to do while the engine and box is still in the car as you use the hole in the bottom of the gearbox to jam a screwdriver in. I just hate having my head/person underneath a whole engine and trans suspended by a chinesium hydraulics in the form of an engine crane.

The most difficult part i find every time is the fucking battery cable on the back of the alternator. There isnt much space to fit my meathooks of hands but a ratcheting 12mm spanner helps alot here.

Im sure there is other tips im forgetting but this should help you get started at least