actiondaniel

Sorry if there are already threads or videos on this, I'm not very great at internet searches and I've been looking for answers for a bit. Feel free to point me in the direction of what already exists and I'll go there.

Anyway, what I have is a '91 22re, bare engine block sitting in the engine compartment, still bolted to the tranny and the starter, everything else stripped. Cylinder compression is not good (dry/wet values 1. 50/65, 2. 130/140, 3. 110/130, 4. 85/95). Cylinders are smooth as glass, not a crosshatch visible, no ridge at the top but a slight stain on cylinders 2 & 3 on just a portion of the cylinder top.

So, you may be wondering why I didn't just pull the entire engine, which definitely seems like the easier way to do things. I am a city dweller, I do all my work either on the sidewalk outside my front door or in my basement. I have no garage, I carry all components down my rickety old Pittsburgh staircase to the basement to clean and work on things. So, my thinking is to rent a hoist, pull the block, throw it in a borrowed vehicle and take it straight to a machine shop, then do the reverse when they're done with it, either honed or rebored and honed along with the crankshaft serviced. I've seen a lot of threads and videos on pulling the entire thing, top and bottom end in one piece, or even with the tranny attached, but I've not seen or read about pulling just a bare block. So, here are my questions;

-What is the order of removal? I.e.; starter->crankshaft->engine block? I don't want to remove ANYTHING I don't need to. I have a habit of taking apart ˟˟˟˟ that gets me in deep water.

-To get the engine block out, will I need a hoist? Can I bare hand it? Where/how would I attach the hoist? Should I remove the hood? If you're familiar with the Pittsburgh, PA area, suggestions on where to rent a hoist?

-I want to keep the tranny as contained and un˟˟˟˟ed with as possible. Never been inside one, really don't want to now. Are there things I should look out or prepare for?

-What are the chances that I'm overthinking this and really I just need a honing and I can TOTALLY do that on my own having never ever done that before (ie, I'm grasping at straws to find an excuse to leave the engine block in)?

I understand there are a lot of unknowns, and all advice is from opinions and experiences. I appreciate your time and thoughts.

Melrose 4r

I was once a city dweller too(Mission district SF) and know how tough it can be on a gearhead.
you will definitely need a crane/hoist. 22re blocks are pretty heavy. You will need a jack and wood blocks to hold up the trans once you pull the engine. An appropriate amount of blocks will support it so you don’t have to leave the jack there(for someone to steal). A ratchet strap may also work. Remove the starter. Pull the block, crank and everything else at once. It will be good if you can speak with the chosen machine shop ahead of time; tell them what to expect. It’s the busy time of year. But you will need the shop to evaluate the bore v. Hone question. Once the pistons are out they can be measured and inspected and the cylinders measured for taper. Then you will know if it needs to be bored or just honed and reringed. While the engine is out you will also want to consider replacing clutch and pressure plate. And have the flywheel resurfaced by the shop. The truth is you just cannot tell the condition of internal parts until you get it apart, so be prepared and do it right. You can do a lot of the work yourself. Just go slowly and ask lots of questions and watch videos. Check the shop reputation ahead of time. Some are more expensive, some are slow, etc.

actiondaniel

Thanks for the tips. I'm an Oakland boy originally, definitely spent my time in the Mission.

So, would I just wrap the ratchet strap around the block? No worries about bending the crankshaft?

The shop says to just bring in the block, shaft and pistons/heads, they'll check it out and tell me what's up. They seem to have pretty good rapport here. And you are right about being busy. All the shops said get in line...

Melrose 4r

I guess you have the head off so i would use the head bolts and a chain to pull up on the block.
The ratchet strap would need to support the bellhousing after pulling the block. It’s good to have a hydraulic jack to support the trans while pulling the block. Don’t worry about the crankshaft, assuming you still have the oil pan in place. Also a 2X4 is helpful for leverage when separating the block from trans. Typically the top two bellhousing bolts are the biggest pain, but not if you already have the head removed.
Here’s a good video on pulling it