Subframe-to-frame bolt attachment without stripping...

It is very easy to get the subframe holes to line up when the proper tools (drive unit carriage) are used. I have had several hundred subframes out without incident. Perhaps the east coast Canada region has some corrosion issues I am not familiar with. The subframe must line up properly, do not try to pull the subframe into position with bolts. Be carefull about using a tap on these they are a insert type of threads and the taps have a tendency to seize and break off in the frame of the car. Use good quality Molikote upon assembly.

 

Once it's lined up reasonably well, I insert a drift punch in one of the holes to line it up. It's fairly easy to move it around a little with good leverage.

 

Something like this.
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That is ... cheating. For us home mechanics, the best we can come up with is two floor jacks, and maybe one ATV jack. Some fortunate ones have a 4 post lift.

 

I'm thinking more DIY 355 owners should look into this:

http://www.maxjaxusa.com/

A couple other communities discussing it:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-corvette-general-discussion/2657976-max-jax-car-lift.html

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/928-forum/597412-max-jax-car-lift-a-users-review-and-group-buy-opportunity-for-p-cars-will-close.html

 

It is the same whenever you are bolting something together with a bunch of fasteners holding a single part.

On initially getting it attached pick an easy one to get to on each side. Use a long tapered punch to pry it around until you can start that easy to get to bolt. Only screw it about half way in. That is enough to support the weight. Go do the same on the other side. Just one. Next go to the hardest to get to. The fewer bolts in place the easier to move it around to line things up so no sense going from the easiest to the hardest. Anyway work from the hard ones to get to, to the easy ones and leave them loose until they are all well started in the threads.

 

Know exactly what you mean Troy. Being tooled up like a professional shop is one thing. I belong to the poor group which will stay with the two jack method. I did not measure the diameter of the holes in the chassis frame plates but there is (of course) a bit of play around the bolt (which measures 11.5mm across the threads). In my experience, because of this, there might be a few bolts which seat easily and the others refuse to engage their threads. It's difficult to know what force to use on the spanner to tell whether it's engaged or about to strip (even after cleaning all the threads and using new bolts).
When I do my next major I will try using shallow tapered collets around the bolts which can be started easily. Hopefully, this will centralize the frame. If I had the means I would fabricate a couple of proper alignment tools - proper threaded plugs with alignment tapers...........If Hill Engineering or anyone else made these I would be first in line!

 

There is no way to move the subframe forward onto guides. The frame slides vertically into position. One has to be patient as Brian says, one at a time, leave loose until all are started by hand. If it doesn't go, don't force it.

 

Tim, Is that a Stag engine next to the sandblaster?

 

I was able to refit my frame without any cross-threading by being extremely patient (over an hour). The frame obviously slides vertically into position but there is some "play" which accounts for the fact with, say, two bolts located at each side the others don't necessarily screw in easily. This is why I thought that some sort of mandrel would help.
However, it's by listening to those that have done the same job many times that we beginners learn..............

 

Tim i live in paducah ky. i own a 94 348 when i purchase the car in may of this year i also bought a 2 post lift,i realy like the stand you have your engine siting on could a person get drawning of of the stand ,btw i like your shop very clean and well organize, regards John

 

Pity there were no pics of the realignment job because I am sure that many of us enjoyed your pics of the "Engine Removal Party" on a Saturday night in chilly Nova Scotia "only" two years ago - your mates in lumber jackets and all!!

 

I used Plugzit's drift punch method and Rifledriver's technique doing one bolt at a time on each side, threaded finger tight, hardest to easiest. I did the four rear bolts first, then moved up the 12 at the front.

What really helped was I put scissor jacks on each side of the car and would place the drift punch in a hole. Then I would raise or lower the scissor jack a mm or so at a time until the punch lined up, then thread the bolt in by hand until finger tight. I would repeat the process on the opposite side. Once they were all in I tightened them up. No stripping, all went in easy as anything.

 

Yes but cheating is soooo much easier
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These added details help me. Can I presume that the four rear bolts were left loose before you tackled the 12 at the front? Thanks.

 

I use a twin post lift and lift the car off the subassermbly which sits on a custom designed craddle of beams. I do my work and lower the car down in the exact spot and have very little if any alignment to do. But one way to align for the holes is to get things close and pull the frame together with a couple of bolts to nearly perfect then back them off and finger insert the other bolts. If you clean the thread holes on the chassis side when the subass is out then you should need nothing more than fingers to get enough threads on all the bolts to prevent stripping.

 

Jaguar V12

If it was a Stag engine I wouldn't leave it out where people could see it.

 

It's pretty simple if you're a fabricator. I didn't do a fancy drawing but it's quite similar to Troy's although instead of four bottle jacks I used 1 inch acme-threaded rods and nuts to adjust the height. It's pretty handy having adjustment because when you unbolt the engine from the car the balance changes and the car might not exactly line up again when you put it back without a little tweaking.

I designed it to give me sufficient clearance to roll the assembled engine out from under the car when the lift is all the way up and give enough space to get at the bottom of the engine when it's on the stand as well. The same jig should work (with minor changes) with any of the engines that come out the bottom.

I know you can do it with floor jacks and furniture dollies or catch it on four jackstands (like the clowns around here do), but I like doing it right and don't want to be stuck crouching under the elevated car to work on the engine.

 

Even some of we clowns with floor jacks and furniture dollies also like to "do the job right". Without the lifts and fabricated cradles it's still possible - longer, less "professional", less comfortable and so on. In my case, I have the advantage of a pit.
The OP simply asked if there were any tips to aid inserting the bolts without cross threading. The replies have come up with a some good tips for those of us who will only do this every four years or so, some with modest means, but with the motivation and the passion to do it themselves, albeit in non-ideal conditions.