Engine re-install

The engine re-install was equally as long and difficult as the removal.   The same process of getting the rear of the car as high as possible to allow the engine to slide underneath the rear worked alright in the end.  

With the engine block inched into place and connected to the car via the front engine mount things started to get a bit tricky.  As there is no rear engine mount the block needed to be supported on some extra axle stands whilst we re-fitted the gearbox.  We had made life as easy as possible by purchasing a clutch guide tool to centre the clutch disc and some long M12 studs onto which we could hang the gearbox bell housing.   

With everything lined up the input shaft should slide straight in and you replace the studs with the various sized bolts.  However the gearbox just would not push on the last inch.  Balancing the gearbox on a jack and getting the right angle felt almost impossible.  The input shaft has 16 splines which need to be perfectly aligned, at the same time the vertical and horizontal angle needs to be perfect.  After several hours and almost at the end of the road we decided the gearbox was definitely lined up and we just needed to be stronger!  

In the end we used the gearbox bolts to pull the gearbox onto the engine the last cm and it seemed to work fine.  Someone has since suggested that a large ratchet strap is the ideal tool to provide enough force.  

With that delay dealt with, we returned the next day to complete the job.  The rear engine mounts were re-installed supporting the back of the engine properly now, and the catalytic converter, exhaust and chassis struts were bolted back on.

Underneath the car the fuel, water and hydraulic lines were reconnected, and on the top the electrical connections and wiring loom through into the boot.  

We ran out of time to attempt starting the car so need to return to it in a few weeks.