Thursday, May 16, 2013
How to Remove the Crankshaft in a V8 Engine
1. Remove the engine. The steps required to remove the engine vary greatly depending on the engine type and the vehicle, but there are some commonalities. Disconnect the battery and drain the engine oil and coolant. Disconnect the engines wiring and any vacuum hoses and linkage that attach to the engine. Pay particular attention to the intake manifold when removing vacuum lines. Disconnect the transmission from the engine. Disconnect the motor mounts from the vehicles frame and lift the engine out of the engine compartment with an engine hoist. Position the engine onto an engine stand.
2. Remove the oil pan bolts with a wrench and lift the oil pan off of the engine to access the oil pump, the crankshaft and the connecting rods.
3. Remove the oil pumps securing bolts with a wrench and lift the pump away from the engine.
4. Remove the connecting rod caps. V-8 engines are equipped with eight caps, one cap for each rod. At the bottom of each rod is a cap used to secure the rod to the crankshaft. Each cap is secure with two nuts. Remove the nuts with a wrench and lift the caps off of the crankshaft. Label the caps so you can replace them on the same rods.
5. Remove the flywheels securing bolts with a wrench. The flywheel is attached to the back of the crankshaft and secured with a number of bolts. Remove the bolts and lift the flywheel off the crankshaft.
6. Remove the vibration damper. The damper is attached to the tip of the front of the crankshaft with a single bolt. Remove the bolt with a wrench and pull the damper off the crankshaft. Remove a stubborn damper with a damper removal tool. Bolt the tool to the center of the damper and tighten the bolt in the center of the tool to draw the damper off the crankshaft.
7. Remove and label the crankshaft bearing caps. The caps secure the crankshaft to the engine block. V8 engines feature either two or four securing bolts for each cap. Remove the bolts with a wrench and lift the caps off of the crankshaft.
8. Lift the crankshaft out of the engine.
