Has anyone done it? Have a step-by-step? I don't have a hoist, but I do have a large jack and means to get the front end up high off the ground.

It's a b16 in a '91 gs

 

How high off the ground?

 

probably 2 feet

 

that's how i used to do it, i prefer it actually on the newer cars, 92+ civics, and 94+ integras. with the subframe of the 90-93 integra i'm not sure if it'll be easy or not. if you removed the front subframe it should be really easy

 

Get an engine crane, [cherry picker], you can find a 1ton for under $200, or just rent one to pull and install the engine.

Take my word for it, it is a lot easier and safer to lift the engine out then to drop it even if you have a hoist, and a jack that can only lift the car 2ft is not going to work anyway. 94

 

The way I used to do it is drop the whole suspension and subframe put the wheels back on and role that b!tch out from under all together.

 

I never said it was the jack that will be lifting the car up.

I have a transmission jack which can support and drop and engine from underneath, and means to get the front end as high as I'll need. 2 feet was an estimate. Was just looking for advice on how, and if it was practical. I'm on a budget and would prefer not to pay hundreds of dollars for something I'll use ~5 times.

 

So exactly how are you going to get the car high enough, [and safely support it] to get a tranny jack under the engine and then lower it enough to pull the engine and jack from under the car.

You asked if it was practical, I suggest it is not, even with a hoist, you would still need to remove the "sub frame", [front, center and rear beams, radius rod, front LCAs, sway bar and a number of other things, it is a lot easier to pull engine and tranny out the top..
Just my $0.02, you can take the advice or not, it's your car time and effort. 94

 

150 bucks at harbor freight for a 1 ton engine picker!!! It is much easier pulling the engine up and out rather than hoping to get the car high enough to pull a engine sitting on a tranny jack out

 

The harbor freight picker is *just barely* strong enough to get 'er done. I used one to drop the engine/trans in mine this past winter and it would very slowly descend - I'm guessing it was at the limits of lifting capacity once I got it extended far enough out to reach over the front of the car... FYI

Works - but annoying. If you have someone to keep jacking while the other guides it works, but could be a real issue for just one person.

 

best way is a hoist hands down! u never told us about the motor thoe. if ur takeing it to
put a new one in, just dismantle the engine and it makes things alot easyer

disconnect battery
drain fluid's water,oil
remove radiator
remove exhaust manifold
disconnect engine loom/harness and place to the side(might want to use a cowl cover to stop scratches etc to your side gaurd)
get under your car and remove the bracket that goes from the block to the intake manifold, and also remove the oem oil catch can
remove the valve cover and camshafts then undo the head bolts
now you can start undoing c.vs intermidiate shaft and all the other fun little stuff
first take your gearbox off.(i usualy keep the shift linkage on rather then tryna hamer out the lock pin with limited room)
so gear box is off an now the block is sittin str8 coz you put something under it to keep stress of the mounts right
since there is still coolent in the water jackets becarefull that none gets in the cylinder walls etc
this part is up to you now. i ended up just jacking up the car undoing the mounts an just droped the block(had my car stolen and conrod threw the wall!!) i had enough off fuxkn round by this time.

but i would recomend useing two siscor jack's on both side's with a flat piece of wood on top, get a buddy to hold her still while you jack it down and slide it out..

oh btw i had the front crossmember off and the front bumber

 

it's actually easier with the engine hoist. but you can do it with floor jacks and some 2x4 wood blocks. I did it both ways and engine hoist route is the easier one. I didn't have to remove my front subframe but I did have to remove the radius rods when I dropped it from below. either way works just depends on what you want to do.

 

You have to do this on a lot of vehicles as its the only way to remove them. I am speaking mainly about the northstar out of Cadillacs like the Seville, Deville Etc. Had to do them a lot when I worked at a Chevrolet dealer. Every time I see one I remember how much I hate it and how much it makes me love my Integra.

However as with my car I have had the engine out about three times now and the way I found I like the best was to drop the trans and remove the motor with a cherry picker. That way you don't have to tilt the engine and will have a lesser chance of scrathing/denting the engine bay.

But everyone ahs their own way thats just what I prefer.

 

Yea that is how I did it on caddies and crown vic's/grand marqui's. Mainly big cars with v8's. That is not the way I would drop a 4 cylinder though. I do it the way you described, or sometimes I leave the trans in and just pull the block. I was just explaining how I did it when dropping from under. But yeah your way is easiest for a honda, or any other transversly mounted 4cyl.