E-450 cant get the left engine mount out

[the_twig_187]

I'm doing a fuel injector on a 06 E-450 on the right bank (cylinder #3). I'm at the point where the left side engine mount lower half (the half closer to the frame not the half touching the block) has to be removed so the right side will drop to the middle allowing removal of the right side valve cover. I have removed all four 13mm bolts on the lower engine mount (left side) and I have removed the two 18mm nuts on the drivers side and on the passengers side. I put a block of wood under the crankshaft pulley and began to jack up the engine to remove the mount. Except, when I jacked the bottom of the crank pulley the entire chassis lifted with the engine. I went under to see if the engine was separating from the frame and it didn't move a single mm. I thought perhaps the engine was getting caught on the stud sticking down vertically from the top of the mounts. so I took a 8mm socket and removed both vertical studs on both side of the vehicle and then attempted to lift it again and same thing... the engine and chassis begin to lift as one and wont separate.

 

this is only the 2nd time I have done this and it has been a while since the last time. I 'am I missing something? what else could be holding the engine and chassis together so tightly that when jacking the engine from under the crank pulley or with a block of wood on the bottom of the oil pan, the engine and chassis lift together and wont separate? 

 

any help is greatly appreciated

 

Chris

[Matt Saunoras]

I always loosen the right side too, just the nuts. also I use a bottle jack and a short 4x4 under the bell housing. That bell housing will hold the entire engine up if needed. It sounds hairy but it works. The chassis will raise a little bit but you're unloading the weight of the engine off of it so that's fine.

[the_twig_187]

so from what I have described what would you suggest? repositioning my lifting point to under the bell housing and try to lift the engine again?

[Matt Saunoras]

I doubt the engine is actually stuck to the frame but it may help if you dont jack dead center on something like the crank pulley. You're going to have too keep on jacking. Just watch the valvecovers and turbo and that'll tell you how high to go. The chassis is going to raise, that's a lot of weight being taken off of it. It's just like when you lift a cab and for the first few inches it looks like you're lifting the whole truck.

[Keith Browning]

I doubt the engine is actually stuck to the frame but it may help if you dont jack dead center on something like the crank pulley.

Right.I place my jack under the part of the block that sticks out on the rear. FWIW I have noticed that not removing the opposite engine mount completely and just jacking up the side I am working on and putting a piece od 2X4 between the frame and engine mount provides enough room to get at the covers. Well, definitely if the turbo is out but I swear I got away with this with the turbo in once.

[Matt Saunoras]

Once the mount is out I lay the engine over until the power steering pump return line just starts to touch the crossmember.  Watch that and you'll know how far you can go down, it seems to touch before anything else.  If it leaks you went too far.

 

Believe me, I am no e-series guru.  It's the one thing I basically learned on my own (and only about 2 years ago), no one here has ever known how to work on them. After doing it for a while I wish we had more.  I did five of those E-450 6.0 transit buses in a row and none of them have been back for a thing. 

[the_twig_187]

Okay so I was on the right track all along... Just had to keep jacking up the engine and crack, it separated and now the engine is leaned and cover is off/ injectors replaced and all is good