Model A Ford – Engine Removal Walkthrough

This video walks you through the complete sequence of steps to remove the Model A engine from the car. Click "Show More" for an index that will let you jump straight to any point in the procedure.

I do make some mistakes in the video. I'm not an expert at engine removal, I haven't done it many times. However, there are at present no complete walkthroughs available from any more professional sources, so y'all will have to live with this one for now. I tried to mark or comment on every mistake that I detected.

You'll need a shop crane, a load leveler, and some eye bolts that screw into the spark plug holes. You may also need a frame spreader.

05:30 Drain coolant
08:45 Drain transmission
10:07 Remove floor mat/carpet
11:00 Remove shifter plate & battery cover
11:30 Remove pedal plate, accelerator pedal button
12:13 Remove floor boards
13:26 Disconnect ground strap
13:42 Disconnect brake rod and, on a 28/29, the brake light linkage, from the brake pedal.
14:10 Disconnect emergency brake rod from e-brake lever
14:53 Remove throttle control assembly
16:17 Remove shift tower
16:57 Remove half of 6 bolts from U-joint ball housing
17:30 Remove bumper
18:20 Disconnect headlight wiring and horn wires
19:11 Remove headlight bar
21:15 Remove radiator support rods
21:40 Remove hood
22:47 Disconnect all wiring at cutout; pull radiator wiring out and lay aside
23:59 Remove water outlet head nuts
24:05 Remove the clamp holding the wire conduit to the top of the water inlet port and the water inlet itself
24:23 Remove radiator-to-frame bolt assembly
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Next steps 30/31 ONLY!!:
27:25 Remove radiator splash apron
28:13 Remove radiator cap and shell
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29:10 Remove the entire radiator, hoses, and inlet/outlet pipes as a single assembly
29:44 Remove vacuum and fuel lines between the carb and the firewall
Disconnect and remove choke, carburetor control, throttle control, and spark advance rods
30:46 Remove starter push rod, wire to terminal box, and battery cable at the starter
31:10 28/29 ONLY: Remove conduit
31:55 Remove spark plugs and plug connectors
32:08 Remove head nut 8 and pull off the armored cable & clamp.
32:29 Remove the distributor.
33:16 Use a zip-tie to secure the tailpipe to something
Unclamp the manifold from the exhaust pipe.
34:00 Remove starter and generator
35:00 Remove bolts holding engine pans to oil pan
36:30 Drain oil
36:35 Remove castle nut under front motor mount
36:44 Remove bolts holding engine pans to frame
38:00 Disconnect the radius rod
39:12 Remove other 3 screws from U-joint ball housing
39:47 Raise a floor jack under transmission drain plug
40:30 Remove rear motor mount bolts
42:52 Attach eye bolts at #1 and #4 plugs
Connect leveler to shop crane and eye bolts
Take up slack so the weight of the engine is entirely on the shop crane
45:12 Unbolt front motor mount from timing cover
Lower and remove floor jack under transmission drain plug
Optional: Insert frame spreader
Using the leveler, lift front of engine enough to remove front motor mount
Put a blanket or rag over the front crossmember
46:40 Roll the shop crane backward to bring the drivetrain up and forward, with the front of the engine angled significantly up so that the transmission and clutch/brake pedals clear the bottom of the firewall. The inner U-joint housing may fall out, that's OK. This is a good time to rubber-band a rag around the exposed U-joint so it doesn't drip oil.
48:16 Watch carefully to ensure the clutch pedal clears the steering column. You may need to gently swing the engine counterclockwise as it comes up to get around it.
51:49 Bring the engine entirely clear of the car and then return to a level position
52:26 Attach to engine stand, or set on a sturdy table, and begin inspection/repairs