New Member from the Motorcity

FoMoCoNo1

New member
Hello fellow Lincoln Lovers. I would just like to start off my introduction by saying I am and always have been a Ford/Lincoln guy. I am from Detroit so your choice of a Big Three favorite is always up for scrutiny especially if it's not GM. I joined this website because I was able to get my hands on a 1996 Lincoln Mark VIII. Car has 105 k orig. Miles interior is 9 out of 10 body is 7.7 out of 10. My brother actually traded his 460 with trans and a 390 for this car knowing that it had a blown head gasket. His buddy and him decided that they would try to repair it themselves after pulling the hood, alternator, electrical, vaccum lines, fuel lines, draining fluids, pulling fan, belts, ect. My brother decided to buy himself a home and invest his time and money into his home, this ment that he was going to just scrap this beautiful car and be done with it.. I offered to take it off his hands and bring it back to life! The car came with the Gasket set a new power steering pressure line and a Chilton Service repair manual. I am a novice mechanic at best never swapped a motor or trans but have tools and the willingness to get the beauty back on the road where she belongs! After reading the Chilton repair manual and online research I realized just how big of a job this is to repair a blown head gasket. Called around to shops and quotes stayed between 3 and 5 grand. I decided the best route to take would to buy a motor and swap. Take the orig 105 k motor and work on that in my spare time while I drop in this 96 lincoln motor I have with 30k miles. Now I have realized that it doesnt make life that much easier trying to swap motors. True, the head gasket repair calls for 30 hrs labor and motor swap calls for 12 hrs but I have seen that you can not just simply take the motor out from the top, you have to take it out from the bottom by dropping the K frame. I really would feel more comfortable taking the motor out from the top and putting the new motor in from the top. Is this a bad idea? Help!!!
 

billcu

Head Moderator
Welcome to the Lincolns of Distinction!

The engine can be changed by taking it out from the top, most people find it easier to remove it from the bottom. I've done both, although to remove it from the bottom, it helps if it's not too rusty, I've had trouble with the crossmember nuts before on a winter beater.
 

tixer

Lincoln Evangelist
Welcome!

It sounds like you've got an interesting project, and nothing invested in it but your (future) time. It's a great place to start.
 

driller

El Presidente
Welcome to the Lincolns of Distinction! :)

I really would feel more comfortable taking the motor out from the top and putting the new motor in from the top. Is this a bad idea? Help!!!
Picture it more as lifting the car off the drivetrain when pulling it from the bottom.

Keep the engine/trans together and use the hoist to pivot the car on a set of jack stands like a teeter totter.

Without the weight of the drivetrain, the front end is amazingly light and a typical engine hoist will lift the front end high enough to roll the drivetrain out from underneath using a pair of furniture dollies.

But... if this is your first rodeo, you may be better off jobbing it out. A competent shop can pretty much do a complete swap before you could begin to have the old one out.
 

FoMoCoNo1

New member
Thank you for the warm welcome guys! Just today I have found a shop that will do the swap 1200 plus parts 600 down takes about a week. Hoping to have this baby purring in time for the spring! So far I am in to this car for about $750 if this shop stays in the 1200 dollar range I will have a beautiful lincoln with 30k for 2,000!!
 

tixer

Lincoln Evangelist
Sounds like a very fair price.

Do you know anything about the engine that's going in?
 

Mad1stGen

Booster
Ha. Motorcity. Is that Detroit ? ;) WELCOME !

Let me know if it doesn't work out with that shop. I've done a few of those engine swaps you talk about :wave:
 

FoMoCoNo1

New member
I do it came out of a 96 mark viii that was totaled with around 30k miles

- - - Updated

- - - Updated - - -

Mad1stGen how much to do a swap?
 

FoMoCoNo1

New member
Welcome to the Lincolns of Distinction!

The engine can be changed by taking it out from the top, most people find it easier to remove it from the bottom. I've done both, although to remove it from the bottom, it helps if it's not too rusty, I've had trouble with the crossmember nuts before on a winter beater.
Im afraid the only rust on the car is underneath...
 

tixer

Lincoln Evangelist
Jeremi (Mad1stGen) is the best, hands down.. He did the engine swap on my car too, and it's better than new. :D Quality work, for sure.
 

SCTBIRD1173

Mark my Bird!
Welcome to the club! :wave:

Best of luck with your new Mark and the engine swap ahead. I'm glad you decided to save a car that would've been lost otherwise!

Let me just say you're quite lucky to live close to Jeremi as he knows these cars very well and his work is top notch!
 

FoMoCoNo1

New member
Met with Mad1stgen. Great guy, for all the work that needs to be done to this its out of my budget afraid I cant do this car justice. Looking to part with it and the extra motor :/

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks guys for the advice
 

tixer

Lincoln Evangelist
I'm sorry to hear that, but glad you were able to meet up with Jeremi.

His numbers are always good, and impossible to beat elsewhere, particularly for the quality of work that he performs. If he says it's not worth it, it's not.. :)
 
Top