finally starting my 300tdi swap! anywho i've followed all the rave steps to get just the engine out and i can't get the engine to separate from the gearbox. where it says break engine or gearbox joint, it wont separate at all. i have a jack on the gearbox and a 2 ton lift with a leveler. any tips on that?

then i thought, if i take my arb bumper off i could get close enough to lift both out at the same time. i searched but i couldnt see how any of the others did it. so what's the best way to lift them both out at the same time?

 

Sounds like you don't have all the bolts removed.
You have to do some serious tipping to remove them both as a unit.

 

thats kinda what i was thinking because i only pulled 5 bolts out, but i can feel 9 holes and cant feel or see anymore bolts. there were only 4 bolts holding the inspection plate on so i was kinda just thinking someone didnt put it back together very well.

i was thinking about putting the lift on the curb and push the truck close to the curb so i can get a few more inches to play with.

 

I just pulled both out together because, like you they didn't separate. There was one bolt I couldn't free(didn't know it was there until pulling both out). I used a engine hoist on the front of the motor, let the tranny fall down low and jacked it up and out.

It was scary, but worked. If I could do it over I would search for all of the 9/16 bolts and separate the tranny first.

I can give you a count if the bolts that separate them both tomorrow if need be, let me know.

 

I believe there are 15-17 bolts

 

15-17? rave says there is 8 on the bellhousing?

i think i am going to just try to take them both out. i need them both out anyways. so can i use the load leveler on the intake manifold bolts to pull them both out?

 

anyone think i can use the load leveler on intake manifold bolts to pull the engine and transmission out??

 

I used heavy duty ratcheting tie downs attached to a cherry picker.