2.3 quad 4 removal?

[pontiackid66]

im new to the pontiac cars and i have searched this forum with no luck and viague discriptions. my question is how do i drop the my 2.3 quad 4 out of the bottom of my 1994 pontiac? are there precise instructions? and what do i rest the engine on once i have dropped it? im only trying to replace my crankshaft and all i have left to do is drop the engine, every last thing is disconnected. any advice will be greatly appreceated thanks.

[MagicRat]

Welcome to AF.
It's been a long time since I worked on a Quad 4, but if all the connector rods and main bearings are good, I think you do not need to drop the engine to replace the crank.

I presume you have an automatic transmission, right?
You should be able to raise the front of the car, remove the oil pan and unbolt the crankshaft from the torque converter. Then remove the oil pump, and unbolt all the rod caps. Then remove the main bearing caps and the crankshaft should drop down. You then can remove the harmonic balancer.

Have a good look at the wear patterns on the old bearings to make sure none of the rods are twisted or bent.

For the new crank, obviously get all-new bearings that are matched to the crank journal diameter. Also check the bearing saddles to make sure they have not been damaged by spun bearings etc.

Finally, get a service manual for the car. A good manual (like the factory manual; they are better than Haynes or Chilton) would outline crank removal and tell you the engine does not need to be removed.

[skibum1111]

Any time I dropped a quad, I took the transmission with it. Pretty easy, disconnect the top strut mounts, tie rod ends, brake calipers (don't forget to disconnect the brake line from the strut), exhaust, wiring, fuel lines and coolant lines. Then lower the car, support the motor and transmission and unbolt the two subframes in the front that the suspension is tied to, remove the motor mounts, and lift the car up off the motor and trans. Probably take about 8 hours or so, just lift the car slowly and check for anything hanging up.