Problems getting motor out.

I am new to this forum but not new to 4WD forums. I have found some valuable info on here, but I now find my self in a jam and have afew questions.

I have a 89 cherokee, 4.0L, Auto trans, in stock form. Engine is bad.
I found another engine and am in the process of swapping out. My problem lies in trying to get the top 3 bellhousing bolts out, and when I get the new one in, get them back in. These are not normal bolts. I cannot see them, only fell them. A 3/8 wrench is too big, and they fell like a star bolt. (the opposite of a torx).

The engine that is going in came out of a 87 cherokee that was wrecked. The wiring has all been left intact and should be a straight forward swap.
I do not want to pull the trans if at all possible.

Thanks in advance for the help and suggestions.

Cody

I will be swapping my motor out of my 90 hopefully this weekend. If you dont have an answer by then, I will update you with what I found.

Good luck

yep they are star bolts I used a 12 point socket and along extension to get mine out.....a regular hex head wont work and you'll be kicking yourself in the ass if you strip them...

Most people around here will tell you to replace them with regular hex heads,but if you have the right socket they are good.

lowering the tranny a little helps a lot too.

If you are pulling the tranny with the motor I would advise taking the radiator,hood and the front clip off.... Make life easier on yourself...unless you have one of those fancy load levelers and a hi lift crane.

They are actually E-12 bolts and should be removed with an external torx socket or wrench. Some have used a 12pt socket, but the chance of strippage is much higher. Yes, strippage is a technical term.

OK I will pick a E 12 socket. Now how do I get to them?

Cody

You could remove the trans mount (supported of course), then drop it slightly to gain access or you might remove the engine mounts and anything else that gets in the way and drop the engine/trans down slightly.

If I remember correctly, it helps to be limber as well with a tilt headed rachet!! I have forgotten most of that experience....from 12 years ago!

codysown said:

OK I will pick a E 12 socket. Now how do I get to them?

Cody

Click to expand...

Sears sells them, they have a set made by Lisle tools.

Sig220 said:

You could remove the trans mount (supported of course), then drop it slightly to gain access or you might remove the engine mounts and anything else that gets in the way and drop the engine/trans down slightly.

If I remember correctly, it helps to be limber as well with a tilt headed rachet!! I have forgotten most of that experience....from 12 years ago!

Click to expand...

Yes, dropping the crossmember and letting the trans/tcase sag is just about the only way you can get to them, it helps tremendously. People make it sound like a HUGE PITA, I've never had problems except when I rounded off the reverse torx heads one time. That was when I was trying a 12pt socket...big no no. Just use around 3 feet of socket extensions, IIRC you'll be about mid transmission with the ratchet handle(or that's where I usually end up).

I just got mine out last night. What a PITA. I dropped the trans a bit and took the motor mounts off of the block so the motor could be dropped down a bit. I also already had the front clip off so once the bolts came out the rest was cake.
If you want to see why I am replacing my motor see the vid of me Hydrolocking it in England its under RIP GermanXJ. I will try to post some pics of the internal dammage tonight after I get it all dissasembled.
Good luck.

Please don't round off those bolts using the wrong tool. I rounded one off with the right tool. E12 is correct, make sure you have a good grip on them, I didn't take them serious, they will strip out easily. Spent the better part of the day cutting the head off of one with a dremel tool, it was a slowwww process, didn't have any other alternative. It's all good now, just waiting for my flywheel to be turned. I'll be putting hex head bolts in.

OK Got the old one out an the new one in. now I jsut have to get everything put back and plugged back into their specific places.
Thanks for the help and advice, I was in dire straights when I started the post.

T Cody

I've yet to look at the E12 bolts on the trans. But I also will be doing a engine swap. My only problem is I have a long arm lift kit. So dropping the trans cross member is somthing I want to avoid if at all possible. Can you get to them with out doing this? I prob should just cral my lazy azz under there and take a look for my self LOL

We got my motor swaped out this weekend. I run a 1" T-casr drop and Bigazxj didnt have aq problem getting the trannie bolts at all. In fact we got it out and in in under 2 hours. Now I just gotta finish hooking everything up and start her up.
Good luck to the rest of ya.

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