With or without the tranny attached?

[wobbie]

Im trying to decide if it would be easier to put my m50 in with the tranny attached to the engine or off it then put the tranny on. I dont have a post lift so i can lift the car fully up and stand under which would make putting the tranny in alot easier. Any suggestions would be helpful.

[6gen91]

All together is ideal.

[slammin.e28]

All together is ideal.

x2.

Unless you like laying under a car trying the get the input shaft aligned, then fiddling around with bolting it up.

[10Toes]

The headers are easier to put on while the engine is out also.

[monkeytaco]

If you don't have an engine hoist, its quite easy to drop the front sub-frame/suspension all together and assemble everything, including engine/transmission and exhaust headers and put the whole thing in from the bottom. I've done that with several cars (non-e30) and the e30 is much easier. (That's how they did it at the factory)

I have a hoist so it all went in from the top all together, but I still ended up having to pull the transmission and swap my clutch. Once I got the car up high enough, getting the input shaft aligned was easy, it was only a pain to attach the transmission bolt on the very top, and that took about 15 minutes. All the other bolts were easy/quick (get long extensions).

[jahnaboi]

Put it as together as you possibly can. Headers bolted and transmission bolted. Would save headaches down the line.

If you don't want to damage anything, take off the a/c compressor/tensioner and take off your crank pulley/harmonic balancer and your power steering to clear the radiator support without scratching it/touching it.

[MattM]

yup, do it all out of the car, tranny, headers, etc..

all-though leaving the intake mani off does make life easier hooking up heater core and all that shit...

also, dont put the shifter on, its easy enough to do after, and would probably be damaged or cause damage if it was on

[99em1]

x2.

Unless you like laying under a car trying the get the input shaft aligned, then fiddling around with bolting it up.

Who doesn't? Sounds like a nice little saturday. Then maybe some Bed Bath & Beyond. If there's time.

[e30s50dan]

^^^ plus you can change the tranny fluid and clean it up nice :)

[wobbie]

yea i have an engine hoist