Swapping engines

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

I'm giving Pedro's technoFix DOF another look.

From Pedro's site, describing his product: "[O]ur oil supply to the DOF uses oil which has passed through the filter and then through the cooler, before it goes onto the IMS bearing. ... This oil feed is supplied by the factory, so there is no drilling or tapping on the engine, simply screwing on a (supplied) adapter."

https://pedrosgarage.com/site-4/dof-info.html

If it's true that cool, filtered oil lubricates the bearing then Pedro's technoFIX is equivalent to LN's Solution for less than half the cost. The price for the technoFIX is $800, which doesn't include the bearing, $50 for single row or $100 for the double. (At this point I don't know which one my new engine has. I'll need a bearing extractor and the doohickeys to lock the cam chains and release the tensioner before I can find out.)

I emailed Pedro and asked for a better description and/or photo of the aforementioned screw-on adapter for the oil feed. The other end of the oil line is connected to the flange, like LN's Solution.

It is your car and your money, but both statements are wrong, the oil feed for the DOF comes from the cylinder head, one of the hottest and dirtiest sources of oil in the engine, the Solution takes it from the oil filter area, which is just after the oil cooler and after the oil has just been filtered. It isn't even remotely close to what the Solution is

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

D'OH! European Parts Solution's price is $449 for the rear main seal and housing, which I ass-u-me-d would be in the ballpark. Should have checked other suppliers' prices, but the IMS was dominating my attention. I definitely would have before reaching for my debit card. Since the seal's so inexpensive I'd be crazy not to replace it while the engine is out of the car.

https://www.europeanpartssolution.com/rear-main-seal

First time I ever heard of this product. I have read that on some engines the RMS leak is a problem but I have only replaced the seal as preventive maintenance. The old seals were not really leaking only seeping a little.

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

It is your car and your money, but both statements are wrong, the oil feed for the DOF comes from the cylinder head, one of the hottest and dirtiest sources of oil in the engine, the Solution takes it from the oil filter area, which is just after the oil cooler and after the oil has just been filtered. It isn't even remotely close to what the Solution is

I agree, the cylinder head would be about the worst source of oil, definitely a dealbreaker. But I wonder where "screwing on a (supplied) adapter" comes into the picture? That could describe LN's Solution's method. Curious to know what Pedro has to say about this matter? I am, so I'll ask him. And hey — good looking out.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

I agree, the cylinder head would be about the worst source of oil, definitely a dealbreaker. But I wonder where "screwing on a (supplied) adapter" comes into the picture? That could describe LN's Solution's method. Curious to know what Pedro has to say about this matter? I am, so I'll ask him. And hey — good looking out.

If you look at the photo I sent above, the fitting on the left with the Oring seal on it is the one that screws into the cylinder head port. No one can use the spin on filter adaptor used in the Solution, like many other features, it is patented.

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

If you look at the photo I sent above, the fitting on the left with the Oring seal on it is the one that screws into the cylinder head port. No one can use the spin on filter adaptor used in the Solution, like many other features, it is patented.

I'm very curious to see how Pedro will justify those statements. I won't hold my breath. I've emailed him three times in the past two days with questions about the technoFIX and he has yet to respond. Maybe he only wants customers who don't ask questions.

[Gilles]

also a faulty oil/coolant heat exchanger also could create the similar symptoms, easier to fix than a head with a crack as you mentioned overheating.. :-(.

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by Gilles

also a faulty oil/coolant heat exchanger also could create the similar symptoms, easier to fix than a head with a crack as you mentioned overheating.. :-(.

The old engine will be going to a guy in Roseburg. I'll relay that to him.

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

The old engine will be going to a guy in Roseburg. I'll relay that to him.

LoneWolfGal, I sent you a PM

[LoneWolfGal]

Those of you who have hoisted an M96, where on the engine did you attach the hoist's chains via metal straps bolted to these attachment points?

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

Those of you who have hoisted an M96, where on the engine did you attach the hoist's chains via metal straps bolted to these attachment points?

I use heavy duty nylon rachat straps that I put around the crankshaft pulley in the front and around the transmission in the rear, if the transmission is still attached, or the engine stand adaptor if it is being installed on the engine stand.

[pilot4fn]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

Those of you who have hoisted an M96, where on the engine did you attach the hoist's chains via metal straps bolted to these attachment points?

Same style like elgyqc on previous message, but I routed the heavy duty (2000kg) ratchet strap apround both cyliner blocks being veeeeery careful not to allow the strap to compress anything besides the cylinder blocks.
Connected both ends of the strap at the center above the cranckcase. Worked real well and engine stayed level during the lift to engine stand. Same on oppsite direction as the engine built was ready.

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by elgyqc

I use heavy duty nylon rachat straps that I put around the crankshaft pulley in the front and around the transmission in the rear, if the transmission is still attached, or the engine stand adaptor if it is being installed on the engine stand.

I've bolted hoists' chains to the blocks of a couple of conventional engines and it worked great, very secure. I've seen photos of M96 engines suspended that way on eBay. I should have paid closer attention to where they were attached. BTW, I bought one of these.

[LoneWolfGal]

Well, dang it. I can't find an engine on eBay that's suspended via chains with steel straps bolted somewhere on the engine. The way it had been done looked pretty slick. On a straight six and a V8, I bolted the hoist's chains to the exhaust manifolds' bolt holes (with the manifolds removed). The M96 is a way different bird, so in the interest of expediency I might have to use the nylon strap method like you guys did. I have a couple beefy straps with ratchets that should easily do the job.

[Danimal]

It looks like TuneRS also sells the Pedro DOF. They say it is something they developed. Maybe Pedro is also affiliated with them. Idk

Anyway, they show the exact same picture for their kit. But they have some install videos that might answer some of your questions.

I too would like to install the solution, but it’s half the cost of a replacement engine 😳

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by Danimal

I too would like to install the solution, but it’s half the cost of a replacement engine 😳

That's exactly what I said. As an insurance buy, it's a horrible ROI. It's not like these engines would be otherwise bulletproof, anyway. If it's not the IMS, it's d-chunks or something else. When I had my transmission out for service, I decided to just put in a new bearing and call it a day, like Burner ended up doing. But it turns out the engine in mine was replaced with an M97 so I couldn't even do that.

[Newsguy]

Originally Posted by elgyqc

I use heavy duty nylon rachat straps that I put around the crankshaft pulley in the front and around the transmission in the rear, if the transmission is still attached, or the engine stand adaptor if it is being installed on the engine stand.

Two questions:
1. You didn't use the hoist point by the throttle body?
2. Did you find an engine stand adapter for the M96, and if so, for under $700?

[LoneWolfGal]

Ah... this is what I was talking about. I'll probably give it a try.

[Gilles]

LoneWolfGal, I have a cherry picker, and also the lift table that you already have and would like to share what worked out for me with the car on jack stands.

Since you will have a limited clearance between the floor and the chassis, if you put the engine/gearbox on the table lift, unfortunately it will not clear the frame.. and this process worked out for me.

Once the car is on four jack stands (high and level) then you can 'slide' the engine/gearbox from the back using a furniture dolly, or two large card boxes in top of each other so one would slide on top of the other one

After you get the powertrain underneath the car, you can lift it with the cherry picker so you can put the lift table underneath the engine, then you remove the engine, but to have more clearance I built a simple home made lift using Home Depot parts (less than $20..) and this thing would allow you to hang the engine/gearbox from the top and by turning the nut you can fine tune it (up-down) so you can easily bolt the gearbox and engine mounts.

The cherry picker is only used to raise the engine/gearbox after they are under the car and also to move the assembly around the garage

[LoneWolfGal]

Thanks for the info, Gilles. Much appreciated. I also picked up an engine support bar (see below), so I should be all set. (The support bar will supposedly "Make repair and clean easier." I'm still trying to decipher that, but I'm all for easy cleanup.) Kinda wish I had a second engine dolly, but I can make do with one, since I have the cherry picker to move the engines around the garage, as you pointed out.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=https://www.amazon.com/VEVOR-Support-Capacity-Transverse-Garages/dp/B096FY98BS/

[Gilles]

my engine support bar was a lot cheaper.. LOL

Regarding the furniture dolly, these cost between $10-$20 at Harbor freight, perhaps Walmart as well