I am currently removing the engine from my 53 wrx, everything has been removed to do this. Including the 6 gearbox to engine bolts and the two nuts removed.

I have supported the box with a jack and raised the engine so it is free of its cradle on the cross member.

I'm looking for some tips of actually getting the two apart though as I don't want to damage anything, so far I have tried to ease it apart with a thin putty knife but don't want to hit too hard.

Have I missed something, as far as I can see there is nothing connecting the box to the engine...

Thanks
Neil.

 

There is a pin connecting the box to the block. Look on the side of the gearbox

 

Is this the allen head bolt near where the starter motor would be? I have removed that and then stuck a screw into the revealed hole and pulled out a mssive pin if thats the pin u mean?

 

Remove the drain plug, wind in a m6 bolt and pull, the pin will come out. I also used a crowbar/chisel and hammered that between the engine and the box, putty knife got me no where......I then borrowed from my local subaru dealership a 6ft crowbar they use and I prised it apart but no easy task!!!......lots of swearing required

 

Cheers for that, yea I have that pin out I'm just aimlessly wrenching on the engine with a big breaker bar but the box just moves with it rather than separating grrrr.

Where did u hammer the crowbar and chisel? I wanted the get the crowbar in on the action but cant find anywhere to put it doesn't seem to be any gaps.

Also I'm not going to damage anything further back like the prop or any brackets around there with the wrenching of the engine at the front.

 

The subaru technician at the dealership handed me his big flat head screw driver and said he smacked it at the joint on the underside (where no one sees the chips out of the casing) until it went in and then he got the crow bar in. This gave me an idea of the force required.

What I did was go to my local tool market and bought a really thin (£4 thin) chisel/crowbar and hammered it into the top corners of the box engine joint. This went straight in with no damage and gave me enough purchase to open the joint up to get the proper crowbar in.

Be under no illusion, this requires ALOT of force! I did it as above with no damage to box, engine or drivetrain. Hope that helps mate!

 

As above, they can be a real pain in the ****. I spent 4 hours separating one once.

I resorted to hammering in a utility bar (http://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-...ar-1-x-7/78365) to get a bit of a gap going.

Once I had a gap, I stuck a screwdriver in the gap to prevent it from closing up, then I hammered the utility bar in on the other side etc.

Eventually i had a gap big enough to stick a proper crowbar in and bend it apart.

Box and engine were fine. The issue was that the two studs had corroded to the bell housing and engine block.

 

i used some pry bars and brute force. i had to raise the engine up and down at intervals also to get the sweet spot. marked the face a little but not too bad. was done in 10 mins.

 

I was told by Kev at Scooby clinic to jack the box up leaving the jack holding it and then to lower the engine on the hoist and then re-lift the hoist came apart straight away without smacking a wedge in.

Watch out for the lump swinging forwards though mate be ready for it.

 

I usually Jack the gearbox up, then with a small brazing torch warm up the dowl pin area's then underneath with a thickish piece of wood so as not to mark anything give the box a wobble and out she comes

 

Thanks for all the info guys, I was back out there today with a clear head. Couldn't fit my blow torch down there and there wasn't really much room for me to get under the car with the legs of the crane in there.

Used some sort of thin plastering spatula in the garage and whacked that in there which gave me the gap for a screwdriver in there. Then it was game over for the box once I had room for the crowbar in there haha, no damage to box or face so all is well.

I tried the jacking box and lowering crane method but sadly that didn't work for me, but luckily brute force did.

I'm looking forward to putting it back together soon now hahaha

 

Pleased you got it sorted fella