Engine Removal on 67 Coronet

[Huicho417]

Hello Mopar team.

I plan on taking out the stock 318 engine on my 67 Coronet 440 to clean the water jacket and replace expansion plugs. While I have the engine out I also want to clean it and paint it the original turquoise blue. I would appreciate any feedback or recommendations on the process. Is there anything special I have to do to the transmission before I separate it from the engine? From what i can see it is relatively straightforward and there should be plenty of room. I have already removed the exhaust manifolds. From what I can see it would be to get the electrical out of the way, unbolt transmission and remove coolant lines. As well as unbolt the engine mounts. Thanks in advance.

 

[YY1]

Aren't 67 small blocks red?

 

[R413]

Does it run and drive now? Take it to the hi pressure car wash and clean it well, Use Castrol super clean, it eats grease. Doing this will save you so much labor you have no idea. Clean the engine compartment also. Then take it back a week later and do it again, it will get cleaner.

Drive the front on blocks and get underneath also.

Your 1967 318 engine should have been factory red. Canadian cars sometimes got different engine color paint, but Canadian 1968 318’s were still a poly.

Do special to the trans? Yes, remove starter and tin shield and unbolt the torque converter from the flex plate. Don’t let it hang, support the front. Bolts in front of trans and something laying across the torsion bars works very well.

 

[MoparDanMan]

Does it run and drive now? Take it to the hi pressure car wash and clean it well, Use Castrol super clean, it eats grease. Doing this will save you so much labor you have no idea. Clean the engine compartment also. Then take it back a week later and do it again, it will get cleaner.

Drive the front on blocks and get underneath also.

Your 1967 318 engine should have been factory red. Canadian cars sometimes got different engine color paint, but Canadian 1968 318’s were still a poly.

Do special to the trans? Yes, remove starter and tin shield and unbolt the torque converter from the flex plate. Don’t let it hang, support the front. Bolts in front of trans and something laying across the torsion bars works very well.

He said he has the manifolds off already.

 

[YY1]

In case you don't know- you have freeze plugs on the back of the block covered by the transmission.

 

[Don Frelier]

It's always a question of "how far to go".
If you are going to the trouble to pull it and it's 50+ years old, you should consider a complete rebuild.
Otherwise if you paint it and gaskets and seals leak you've lost your nice clean paint job.
They are generally worn at this point.
A few other things to consider:
Replace the engine mounts
Replace the front seal on the transmission
Replace the transmission mount (isolator)
If/when you pull the engine probably wise to remove the distributor prior to pulling.
When you re-install again put in the distributor afterwards.
Good luck with it.

 

[MoparDanMan]

Hello Mopar team.

I plan on taking out the stock 318 engine on my 67 Coronet 440 to clean the water jacket and replace expansion plugs. While I have the engine out I also want to clean it and paint it the original turquoise blue. I would appreciate any feedback or recommendations on the process. Is there anything special I have to do to the transmission before I separate it from the engine? From what i can see it is relatively straightforward and there should be plenty of room. I have already removed the exhaust manifolds. From what I can see it would be to get the electrical out of the way, unbolt transmission and remove coolant lines. As well as unbolt the engine mounts. Thanks in advance.

I think you have about covered it. You didn't mention draining the transmission. You will either need to drain the transmission or get another transmission yoke. I like to use Easy Off oven cleaner on engines that are on an engine stand. Spray it on and use a nylon brush, then hose it off. The technique is yours, just make sure to tape off the exhaust ports.

 

[Don Frelier]

Why would you drain the transmission?

 

[MoparDanMan]

Why would you drain the transmission?

If you're pulling it with the engine and you don't you'll have a major cleanup on isle 1

 

[Don Frelier]

Sounded like he was just separating it in the car.

 

[MoparDanMan]

Ya he didn't really say. If I was going through the trouble of pulling the engine I would pull the transmission and clean and reseal it. I've pulled them both ways and I've found it easier to do it as a unit.

 

[Imperial One]

Ya he didn't really say. If I was going through the trouble of pulling the engine I would pull the transmission and clean and reseal it. I've pulled them both ways and I've found it easier to do it as a unit.

I agree: pull the engine and transmission together.

We used to just let the tranny fluid run all over the floor then clean it up later. A mechanic friend said what he did was to just take a punch and knock a hole in the transmission pan and then drain the fluid that way. He would then weld a drain plug in the transmission pan. We also used the yoke to hold back transmission fluid, but we found the extra length was a bit of a pain in the *** when pulling the engine and transmission together.

 

[440 4 speed]

Does it run and drive now? Take it to the hi pressure car wash and clean it well, Use Castrol super clean, it eats grease. Doing this will save you so much labor you have no idea. Clean the engine compartment also. Then take it back a week later and do it again, it will get cleaner.

Drive the front on blocks and get underneath also.

Your 1967 318 engine should have been factory red. Canadian cars sometimes got different engine color paint, but Canadian 1968 318’s were still a poly.

Do special to the trans? Yes, remove starter and tin shield and unbolt the torque converter from the flex plate. Don’t let it hang, support the front. Bolts in front of trans and something laying across the torsion bars works very well.

The last year of the Canadian poly engines was 1967.

 

[Huicho417]

Aren't 67 small blocks red?

From the research I have done, this engine is turquoise blue. It still has some pain on the engine itself.

 

[Don Frelier]

Pictures?

 

[Huicho417]

Thanks for all the reply's everyone, really appreciate it! My thought was to only take out the engine since the car is running good and i have already replaced all the transmission linkage. I also installed a new radiator with new transmission cooler lines. I did not mention that I previously removed the valve covers, heads and intake manifold to clean and replace all gaskets. A leaking plug on the head is what caused all this previous work. A new water and fuel pump have been installed with new gaskets as well. With the exception of the timing chain cover all gaskets are new.

As for the question of "how far you go", I purchased this car to build memories with my children and really want to have everything new by the time the first cruise is done. I really do not mind taking my time to do it correctly. Which is why I would like to leave the transmission removal for later, just to concentrate on that one piece.

The engine mounts are also new, i replaced them when i restored the k member and all steering and suspension components.

 

[YY1]

Are we sure that's the engine that came in the car when new?

I've owned two 67's and both were red.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Take sometime to clean connectors on bulkhead male and the female. The female ones are harder, there are sprays then dielectric grease to protect connections.

 

[Don Frelier]

It's been a while since I've had a smallblock but it looks like the engine is from early - mid 70's.
I don't think it's original, for me it wouldn't be a huge deal anyway.
That color is small block mopar blue, not turqouise. At least that's what I think.
Looks like you are doing a real nice job on it!
If that's what it looked like when you removed the intake then that has been off in somewhat recent history.

 

[YY1]

...except a 67 318 would be 9.2:1 and a 70's engine would be 8:1 (if that).