[MaineLotus]

In preparation for an engine rebuild, I removed my ’05 Elise engine last Sunday. Removal was surprisingly easy, no major problems. It is time consuming – around 8 hours in total. I moved very slow, labeling and documenting everything. This is not intended to be a complete detailed guide, rather a general overview. Also, I am not an expert – this is my first engine removal.

*First, a couple safety precautions - sufficiently block the front wheels, set the parking brake and disconnect the battery. We don’t want any fires when the fuel line is disconnected.

*Remove the rear clam. Mine is hinged and has quick releases – it’s off in < 2 min.

*Drain the engine oil.

*I’m not re-using the stock header – I cut the breather tube with a hack saw to make header removal easy.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Remove header heat shield and unbolt the header flanges and lower header bracket. Remove the header.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Begin labeling coolant lines. I’m not an expert – accordingly I labeled EVERYTHING and took over 50 pictures of the process. I used plastic sandwich bags to store components, bolts, etc. All bolts were labeled for ease of identification.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Label all bolts – there are subtle differences in lengths and it’s nice to know where they go during reassembly.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Label all harness connections – a Sharpie works well.

*Begin disconnecting vacuum and coolant lines. Some don’t need to be disconnected – I left the throttle body on the engine which allows some lines to stay connected. Disconnect the rubber boot from the throttle body.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Disconnect the harness. There are several connections on the left side and top (fuel, spark) of the engine. One of the connections is on the backside of the engine and not readily accessible until the engine is lifted from the car. I think this is the knock sensor.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Don’t force the connectors – push on the release tab and gently pull it apart. There is an O ring on all the connections that cause some friction during disconnect.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Disconnect the throttle – similar to a bicycle brake.

*Disconnect the fuel line – slide the orange safety catch and push the release indents. Have a Dixie cup handy, fuel will drain from the lines but should not be pressurized.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Remove the fuel rail. Fuel will drain from the line, rail and injectors.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Disconnect oil lines from the oil sandwich plate. Oil will drain from lines. I zip tied them in place to prevent dripping.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Remove the drive belt.
*Disconnect the AC compressor from the engine (three fixing bolts, I think). IMPORTANT – do not remove the AC hose from the compressor! There is enough flexibility in the rubber hose to move the compressor away from the engine and zip tie out of the way.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Disconnect the RH axle to engine mount (3 bolts). Note the tape over the exhaust ports – a good idea to prevent anything from entering the engine.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Fasten the engine to the engine hoist (or whatever you have rigged up). FYI, the engine weighs around 375lbs dry – plan accordingly. Tension the hoist slightly so that weight is relieved from the engine mounts.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Disconnect the lower engine mount – one bolt.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Remove the Transmission to Engine bolts – there are 8 bolts in total. The two bolts closest to the cockpit also serve as fixing bolts for the starter. The starter will fall off (watch your head) when you remove the two bolts. Starter fixing bolts are accessible from underneath the car.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Time for a beer break…

 

[MaineLotus]

*Check the tension on the engine hoist – you don’t want uncontrolled movement of the engine when it’s disconnected. Unbolt the upper engine mount arm.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Remove the chassis to engine mount bracket. If I recall, there are eight bolts and some are only accessible from underneath the car. The bracket MUST be removed to allow enough side to side movement, otherwise the flywheel and clutch assembly will not clear the transmission housing.

 

[MaineLotus]

*Gently pry the transmission housing from the engine. There are a couple of pins preventing a vertical separation from the transmission. CAREFULLY hoist the engine. You cannot move too slowly at this point – the engine should come out easily. If it doesn’t, look for the cause.

Oh, almost forgot. Disconnect the engine knock sensor – it’s the last connection that severs the engine from the harness!
Here’s what’s left in the engine bay and the 2zz on a stand:

 

[Toad]

Very nice..thanks for info. Added to uberpost yet?