Bounder: Need new engine

[Sprdtyf350]

Getting the engine out of a Class A takes some creative thinking. But it is not impossible, and I would never consider pulling the front cap.. My Southwind is older than your RV and I have a drivers door but here is some of what I did when the previous owner drove it with no water.. Your doghouse may be 2 piece like mine also. A cover and then another larger piece. It was pretty easy getting to everything once all of the doghouse was removed.

[Sprdtyf350]

Once it was out of the hole I took it apart inside the RV. Made it easier to carry the pieces out. I put it back together inside the RV and used my cherry picker through the door. If I didn't have a drivers door I would have removed all the furniture, put down a plywood base for the cherry picker to sit on, and then lowered it that way.



Don't drive with no water...

[WILDEBILL308]

Chief, how did you lift it? Did you set up a engin hoist inside?
Bill

[bob_5297]

Originally Posted by Sprdtyf350

Once it was out of the hole I took it apart inside the RV. Made it easier to carry the pieces out. I put it back together inside the RV and used my cherry picker through the door. If I didn't have a drivers door I would have removed all the furniture, put down a plywood base for the cherry picker to sit on, and then lowered it that way.

Don't drive with no water...

Awesome! I was thinking about this but not sure the dog box will come apart like that. I will check into it

[Sprdtyf350]

Originally Posted by WILDEBILL308

Chief, how did you lift it? Did you set up a engin hoist inside?
Bill

I have a drivers door. So I removed the front wheel, put that corner on jack stands, and that gave me access through the door. I only used the hoist to take it out of the hole, and drop it back in once assembled. I used boards and wooden blocks to make the motor sit and then took it all apart. It was kind of funny since it was like rebuilding an engine in the living room. All the parts went out the side entrance so I could rebuild them. I used a dolly to move the empty block around, and backed the tailgate of my truck up to the side door, laid boards down between the RV and tailgate so I could get it into the truck. If I did not have a drivers door I would have brought the hoist inside and lifted it that way.

Gotta be creative.... I normally have no help working on things so You just have to sit and think about it for awhile..

[pkmesser]

Way back, I had an 83 Pace Arrow, with the 454. It had a drivers door, pulled the doghouse, pulled heads off engine, lifted the block out with a cherry picker, rolled it back through the door, put it in pickup, and to reman shop. Reversed order for install. Not too difficult. Having drivers door, and bigger doghouse made it possible. (lifted heads out through doghouse with cherry picker also.)

[Sprdtyf350]

Would have been my plan also but my driveway is only one lane so I couldn't roll the hoist without it getting into grass. Would have made life easier for sure.

[Excell]

The engine removal post is awesome ,after seeing that ,I would do it that way .and put in a new engine .

[WILDEBILL308]

I have seen a hoist that was made for working on jacked up 4X4s that would be perfect for reaching through the door. I once got around the problem of not enough driveway width by putting down a sheet of plywood to roll the hoist on.
Bill

[jlfbatonrg]

I have seen this done where the shop pulled the front windshield, then removed and installed the engine through that opening.

[Rludtke]

Pretty cool. The Bounder doesn't have a drivers door, but it does have a one level floor, which helps. It also has a rather large dog house, which if removed, would create a pretty big opening. The only risk is getting the thin fiberglass doghouse bonded to the plywood to separate without cracking, breaking, or peeling apart.
If all of the interior and carpet is removed, you would have a lot of room to work with. This would not be hard, in fact I just complete the replacement of all of the flooring in my Bounder, and of course removed the interior to do it. The bare plywood subfloor is strong enough to accomidate an engine hoist providing one could be disassembled enough to fit through the door.
This in fact could be the strategy: Remove the interior forward of the galley, remove the dog house, remove the exhaust and intake manifolds and heads, then dissasemble the engine hoist to bring it into the coach and reassemble. Lift the block up through the floor. Tear apart the engine hoist and take it out the door. Slide the block back to the side door, and then lift it out the door opening using the engine hoist. If you avoid not removing the pan, you could keep the interior much cleaner. It would also help to not tip the block over, which resting on the curved pan might do, allowing oil to leak. Some timbers could be cut to rest the block on, and possibly bolt the block too to make it more stable and to protect the pan from damage before it is slid down the motor home.
The engine could be degreased before dissasembly to try and reduce damage to the interior. Ace hardware sell a degreaser by the gallon in a purple bottle, I have mixed it 50% with boiling water in my garden sprayer, and sprayed it on liberally all around the area, using a foaming spray nozzle setting. Follow up with a hose rinse, and you would be surprised how much gunk and grime will have been removed. Boiling hot water is the key I think.

[bob_5297]

Getting started with my helper on her spot

[Sprdtyf350]

Lots of room... Good luck!!

[Rludtke]

I wonder if the engine will fit throught the side door, you might want to check. I also wonder if you can lift the engine through the floor with the heads on. My concern is that the heads may make the engine too wide. A quick measurement will tell for sure.
Something to consider if the heads make the engine too wide, would be to purchase an overhauled short block (Short block means it is an engine less heads, less intake manifold, and less water pump and other accesories). Then remove your heads before you separate the engine. Send the heads out to an overhaul shop, and get them re built. Continue reoving the engine.
When the new short block arrives, put it in first, and then install the overhauled heads, then mount your original intake manifold and install either the old accesories, or new, depending on your desire. It would be a shame to buy a long-block or complete engine and then have to tear apart the intake manifold and heads in order to get it through the side door. If you have to install these items seperately, save some money and hassel by ordering/overhauling them seperately.