So my piston rings are fried on my DEL SOL and I need to pull the engine. I have never done an engine swap neither have any of my friends. I need to know if you can pull the engine without pulling the transmission and what i all need to disconnect. I have done some basic work on cars like replacing alternators, brakes, and other simple stuff but this would be my first big project. I need to know if this is a good idea to try because i really want to learn but am a bit scared to screw it up. if anyone has a list of step by step guide that would be great. i don't want to hire a shop to do it because I want to learn ho to do this stuff myself so I don't keep getting raped by mechanics like the rest of my family. thanx for any help

 

Remove the transmission at the same time. There's no real reason to do it any other way.
http://hondaswap.com/swap-articles/e...l-guide-29124/

 

You can just re-ring the motor without dropping the block, just have to pull the head, oil pan, and plop each piston out

 

You can do it, just take your time and be patient. Study up on procedures beforehand, make sure you have all the tools you're going to need, follow the shop manual instructions exactly and don't hesitate to consult people more knowledgable than yourself if you get stuck (whether it's here or people you know). Make sure you have a full metric socket set (deep and normal), several different extension bars, metric combo wrench set, a breaker bar, a torque wrench, ball joint seperator, a good selection of pliers (regular, locking, big, small, needle nose, angled, etc.), long and short phillips screwdrivers, flathead screwdrivers, a pry bar and probably a ton of other tools I can't think of off the top of my head. Make sure if you run into a situation where you need a special tool (or at least one you don't already have) that you have a way to get to the hardware store. There's no better way to learn than to do things yourself.

That being said, removing the engine is pretty time consuming but not all that difficult. You basically just remove everything around the engine, get the hoist on it, undo the mounts and then pull the whole thing out. The hardest part is remembering where all the stuff you took off/out goes. Label everything, and organize, Organize, ORGANIZE! Also, keep in mind, as Sde said, you *can* rering the pistons without pulling the entire engine out. It's just a pain in the *** and is 10x more frustrating than doing with the engine pulled out.

P.S., that video HondaPartsHero linked to is actually pretty informative. I consult ETCG videos from time to time when I'm stumped. Between that and a good shop manual, you should be set.

 

You can also remove the engine without an engine hoist. Check in the FAQ (tech questions) thread and there are some links to articles regarding removing the engine without a hoist. When I did my swap on my Del Sol, I did it without a hoist and it was my first time as well.

You can re-ring in the car like fragmare said, or:

You drain all the fluids, take off all accessories that are attached to the engine, remove shift linkages and axles, and disconnect the harness at the corners of the firewall. Then place some wood underneath the engine, enough so there is less then a 1-inch gap. Then start undoing the engine mounts, starting will the front torque mounts, and rear t-bracket. Then, in small increments, loosen the bolts between the block and the engine mount at the fenders. This is when the engine and transmission will come loose. Completely loosen the bolts until the engine/transmission are free and resting on the boards on the ground. Now, get a Large jack and jack stands, and jack the front of the car up as high as possible, place you jack stands underneath for safety, and slide the engine and transmission out as one piece. Installation is just the opposite, but you will need someone to help you lift the engine up a little bit to meet the mounts..

It took me five days (yes, five) to do my swap. This was also my first time, and no one helped me except for my girlfriend who stepped on the brakes so I could loosen the axle nuts and she watch the temperature gauge when I bled the cooling system with the new engine. It is definitely fun and educational, but you may hate working on your car after doing this. I know I did, haha. Good Luck!

 

Get a chilton's book on it too if your not doing alot of mods they'll help a lot to they ate a bit pricy but worth it still there's a lot of diagrams there that help!!