How to drop your motor

UPDATE: This Blog is no longer active as of 10/22/06.

I found that a forum was much more useful in allowing viewers to ask questions, as well as post their own advice and images. On September 30, 2006, I launched www.Civic-EG.com [a forum dedicated to the 92-95 civic]

There's lots of how-to articles with pictures, members' rides, an interactive online wheel viewer for Civics and Del Sol, Classifieds section, Local area shows & events, and More! All future updates to my car can be seen at www.Civic-EG.com

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original article:

I'm no certified mechanic, but this was way easier than I expected.

There's a couple of reasons you would want to do this, rather than pull it out.

1. You don't need a hoist.

2. You don't risk banging up the inside of your engine bay.

3. You can do this by your self.


Take lots of pics of the engine bay. This will help you later on to see what hoses go where and where all the harnesses are.


Remove the bumper, splash shield, inner fender liners.


Remove the header, intake & radiator




Pull the axles (and have a pan ready).




Unhook all harnesses, coolant lines, fuel lines, power steering, shift cable (automatic).







After you have double checked that nothing is still hooked to the motor, unbolt all 4 bolts on the rear motor mount (reach 3 from the bottom, the one closest to the motor can be reached from the top. After you remove the 4 bolts, wrestle with the mount so that it is pulled up away from the block. (I wrestled it for a while and couldn't get it all the way out.


Next remove the 2 small front mounts.




Here's where you have to start guessing...

Measure the height of your motor and be sure your jack can lift your car high enough to slide the motor from under the side. You might need to add some wood blocks, but not too many or the car won't go low enough to set the engine down.

I made a little cart out of some scrap 2x4's and (4) $4 casters. It worked out perfect that the cart was high enough to roll over the end of the jack.

Now put the jack with 2x4's for additional height under the radiator support & lift a little, then pull out the jack stands.

With the cart under the motor, let the car all the way down slowly.


When the motor is resting on the cart, unbolt the left and right top motor mounts.

Now jack the car up slowly, a few pumps at a time, then look around the back of the motor to be sure everything is clearing. You will have to pull that rear mount up around the throttle body.

It is a close fit but you don't need to remove the power steering pump.


Now jack the car up slowly, a few pumps at a time, then look around the back of the motor to be sure everything is clearing. You will have to pull that rear mount up around the throttle body.

As you continue to lift the car you will need to slide the motor/cart forward since the intake manifold sticks out over the back of the motor.

The rear mount, you will have to wedge it up like this and watch as the motor drops that it does not get hung up on the throttle body.

Keep lifting and when it gets high enough put the jack stands back under.

Make some room...

You can take the motor out either side. I didnt feel like looseing the rusty bolts holding the front tranny mount, so I went out the drivers side.