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!!!
Swapping motors.
- Thread starter FoMoCoNo1
- Start date
Jamesvinar
New member
I would actually rather just do the head gasket instead of a new motor. You can lower the motor out of the car in a couple hours of work. Then after that you can change the gaskets pretty easy, depending on how much damage has been done it may need a little more work. But anyway while the motor is out of the car you may as well replace alot of the seals and make it last much longer... maybe even rebuild the tranny and never worry about a thing on the car again
From what ive seen it is possible to do it from the top but alot harder
From what ive seen it is possible to do it from the top but alot harder
evilscientistmoose
New member
Strangely enough, I found it easier to pull the engine from the top.
That was, of course, after I dropped the crossmember to get all of the bolts out of the bottom of the engine. It's a ridiculous way to pull one, but I don't have to fight much of anything to get the engine out.
That was, of course, after I dropped the crossmember to get all of the bolts out of the bottom of the engine. It's a ridiculous way to pull one, but I don't have to fight much of anything to get the engine out.
clevordave
New member
Hey guys! Hoping someone can help me out with an issue that has come up replacing my engine. I have a 1996 Mark VIII that I am trying to drop in what I believe to be a motor out of a 1993 Mark VIII. I get everything lined up on the bell housing, studs in converter lined up in flex plate holes, but when I tighten up the bell housing bolts the engine locks up. Can't turn it over by hand. I am thinking the earlier engine may need a different flex plate or spacer to work on my 96 torque converter/transmission. Has anyone else run into this issue before. Is there something different between earlier engines and the 96 engine/trans? Thanks, Dave
clevordave
New member
Pretty much what I came up with also. Thanks for the help guys! Will pull the motor back out and recheck the converter is positioned properly. I do have the spacer plate in place so I keep coming back to something just not right with the converter.
Jamesvinar
New member
Make sure that the front main in the tranny is good, ive had it break from ramming the converter in there improperly. Had to pull the whole tranny again.
I kinda twisted and turned it in there, should sit about an inch in the bell housing, make sure its not in park either
I kinda twisted and turned it in there, should sit about an inch in the bell housing, make sure its not in park either