Removing my 383 engine for class. Needs tips. (Update 03/18/2012 ALL DONE!)

[Supercharged Riot]

if you are removing the trans, you have to disconnect the shift lever from the trans. drop the drive shaft. there will be four bolts on the rear end to remove to take the drive shaft down.unbolt the trans from the cross member, take down the cross member, then unbolt the trans from the bell housing. there will be four bolts for the trans. slide the trans back. it will be a little heavy if your laying on your back, so a jack might help support it. then take the clutch fork out of the bell housing and the clutch, pressure plate and bell housing can go out with the motor, or you can remove them while your under the car now. its up to you.

I was actually going to ask about the drive shaft next.
Once I unbolt the 4 bolts (towards the rear of the car), can I easily pull the drive shaft from the A833 transmission (front part)?


So I unbolt these 4 bolts, the back half of the drive shaft drops and....


...I just pull the drive shaft from the tail end of the transmission? or is there something else holding this in? (I'll bet draining the transmission fluid would be a good idea at this point also. Isn't there some kind of rubber plug I can buy to seal off the tail end of the transmission to prevent transmission fluid from spilling out of the tail end?

[Troy]

If you have to move the car after pulling the engine you should probably remove the trans as well. The trans cross member at the rear will only hold up the tail - the front will be hanging out in space once the engine is disconnected. Same for the engine - if you remove the trans then the rear of the engine has no support. I wouldn't try to transport the car in either situation. Also, rolling the car will spin the rear axles, diff, drive shaft, and trans output shaft which could cause the trans to shift around. You could chain it to the torsion bars as mentioned but, whatever you do, make sure it's secure before hitting the road. Again, I think it would be safer - although more work - to pull the trans and stick it in the trunk.

Be careful with AAA as they aren't supposed to move disassembled cars (it is an "emergency service" after all). I got away with it a few times when I was younger but I think it's because the tow truck drivers looked the other way.

Troy

[Troy]

if you are removing the trans, you have to disconnect the shift lever from the trans. drop the drive shaft. there will be four bolts on the rear end to remove to take the drive shaft down.unbolt the trans from the cross member, take down the cross member, then unbolt the trans from the bell housing. there will be four bolts for the trans. slide the trans back. it will be a little heavy if your laying on your back, so a jack might help support it. then take the clutch fork out of the bell housing and the clutch, pressure plate and bell housing can go out with the motor, or you can remove them while your under the car now. its up to you.

I was actually going to ask about the drive shaft next.
Once I unbolt the 4 bolts (towards the rear of the car), can I easily pull the drive shaft from the A833 transmission (front part)?


So I unbolt these 4 bolts, the back half of the drive shaft drops and....


...I just pull the drive shaft from the tail end of the transmission? or is there something else holding this in? (I'll bet draining the transmission fluid would be a good idea at this point also. Isn't there some kind of rubber plug I can buy to seal off the tail end of the transmission to prevent transmission fluid from spilling out of the tail end?

Honestly, I'm not sure the 833 will leak out the tail. Mine ever have. At least not noticeably. An automatic will pour fluid out the back end.

Be careful with the universal joint (the thing at the end of the drive shaft with those 4 bolts). The bolts hold down some straps that wrap around the bearing caps. You'll probably have to apply some pressure to the caps to get them out of the rear end (just slide the drive shaft forward with even pressure). Be careful as the caps can come loose which, not only makes a mess (full of grease) but you can lose or shift the needle bearings inside. Once the shaft is disconnected from the rear end, drop it down a little and slide it backwards out of the transmission. After the shaft out it's a good idea to secure these caps or at least secure a plastic bag around the end of the assembly so no parts go missing.

Troy

[nvrbdn]

right you are troy. its a good idea to have masking tape and when the drive shaft is loose from the rear end, wrap a couple laps of tape around the u joint caps. and again as said, if you remove the drive shaft, shift lever, and clutch linkage from the bell house, the trans could come out with the motor at the school and trans, bell housing, clutch  and pressure plate can go in the trunk. that way the motor and trans can be supported on the way to the school.

[Supercharged Riot]

I got a couple questions.

1) should I remove the drive shaft before or after I tow the charger? I'm a lol worried the engine might not be stable with out the drive shaft installed
2) can I just swap in a 440 into my a833? Or is it more complicated than that?

[Rolling_Thunder]

Driveshaft has no bearing on engine stability.

You can swap a 440 in to your car without problem - bellhousing, transmission, etc will all work with a 440.

[nvrbdn]

i always remove the drive shaft if im towing a vehicle.

[Troy]

Well don't build the 383 and then swap in a 440! Yes, a 440 will go right in there - same motor mounts, bell housing, clutch, etc. However, the 440 came with a stronger version of the 833 than the 383. When you get it apart count the splines on the input shaft (a 383 came with 23 and the 440 came with 18).

You can remove the drive shaft before towing or not (but I don't). It shouldn't matter with the stick shift (unless it happens to fall into gear). More than likely they'll pick it up from the rear (especially if you ask) or, hopefully, they'll have a rollback.

Troy

[Rolling_Thunder]

Troy - i thought most 440s came with the 23 spline 4-speed - some came through with an 18 spline ? 

[resq302]

Troy - i thought most 440s came with the 23 spline 4-speed - some came through with an 18 spline ? 

Nope, ALL 440s came with the 18 spline trans.  Same with the hemi's.

[Cooter]

I have yet to break even a 23 spline 833 with a 440....Don't need the 18 spline. Especisally when a blown 440 ain't gonna hook in a 50 acre field.

[Troy]

Troy - i thought most 440s came with the 23 spline 4-speed - some came through with an 18 spline ? 

That's why "Hemi 4-speed" is a misnomer - it came behind 440s and Hemis. The 23 spline was for 383s and small blocks. The primary difference is the input shaft. If you're not hooking up it won't matter which one you use.

Troy

[Rolling_Thunder]

Ah - learn something new every day.   

I have never broken a 23 spline either. I don't think there is a strength consideration

[Troy]

There are people who swear an 8 3/4 rear can handle anything too. Mopar put 18 spline transmissions and Dana rear ends behind the 440 and Hemi for a reason (avoiding warranty repairs).

The reason I said to check is because this car may very well have an 18 spline already. Who knows what happened in the last 40 years?

Troy

[Supercharged Riot]

Thanks  for the answers guys. I'm just seeing what my options are. I just read that there isn't much fuel economy difference between 440's and 383's. And if 440' s are compatible enough. I might as well upgrade to a 440.

I wanna build an engine that has somewhere around 400 - 500hp

[Troy]

Thanks  for the answers guys. I'm just seeing what my options are. I just read that there isn't much fuel economy difference between 440's and 383's. And if 440' s are compatible enough. I might as well upgrade to a 440.

I wanna build an engine that has somewhere around 400 - 500hp

With headers, a decent intake, and a cam a stock 440 will easily be in that range. No need to build one! A later 440 with low compression may need pistons to bring it back up to early specs but a good rebuild will include them any way. The 383 can get there too - but the 440 will have more torque no matter what and it will cost about the same (other than the fact that you have a 383 and would need to purchase the 440). Horsepower keeps you moving after torque gets you moving.

Have you ever been in a car with 500 horsepower?

Troy

[Supercharged Riot]

Well I removed the bolts from the rear end of the drive shaft.
I marked the installed  position of my drive shaft already with a sharpe marker
The drive shaft has no room to move forward or backward, so I'm assuming I gotta use some soft hammer to loosen the drive shaft up.
Correct me if i'm wrong


Oh yeah that bottom piece cannot come out because no room.

[Supercharged Riot]

Nevermind.
Using a soft hammer worked after all 


Drive shaft disconnected from the rear end

[matrout76]

wrap electrical tape around the u-joint caps to keep them from falling off and losing the needle bearings.

[Supercharged Riot]

The engine us finally out fellas.
Thanks for all the advice.
All of it helped.
Now i gotta clean up organize my parts and start dismantling my engine this week.
I'll make an update on my build thread later and post more pics.

[Rolling_Thunder]

mmmmmm  build thread....       

[Supercharged Riot]

Here are the last pics
Not much during the removal because I was very busy getting work done.


Tow truck came late. And I was late for class....I was cranky when he finally showed up 2.5 hrs after I called.


Getting engine removed.


Engine out



I wasn't allowed to keep my car at school so it was a lot of pressure to get everything done by the end of class AND my tow guy came late.
I barely got the job done.
This is my car hanging out with me outside after class waiting for another tow guy to take Valerie and I home...

Thanks everyone!

[Troy]

Nice job! Sometimes it's good to have a deadline because you keep moving. Other times it's bad because you get in a hurry and break stuff (or forget to document where something came from).

Troy

[Ghoste]

Nice to see the pics and good to hear it all went well.  You'll have to keep us updated on the next phase too.

[Back N Black]

Nice fatties on the back! is the car tubbed?