4 Engine and transmission removal - general notes

The engine may be removed with or without the transmission unit as required. There are two methods of actually withdrawing the engine/transmission, the method employed depending on facilities for removal and on personal preference.

The easiest method for the DIY mechanic is probably to remove the rear body panel (as described in Chapter 11), which not only provides better access for disconnecting and reattaching the engine/transmission-associated components, but also allows for easy withdrawal and later refitting of the units.

The alternative method (and the one we employed) is to disconnect the respective engine/transmission-associated components and then to raise the rear of the body sufficiently high to allow the units to be withdrawn from underneath.

Whichever method is used, suitable axle stands will be needed to support the rear of the body. If available, a trolley jack will be a great asset and a pillar jack, preferably hydraulic, should also be at hand.

When the engine/transmission is ready for removal the trolley jack will be needed to support the unit. The driveshafts can be lett connected to the transmission but must be disconnected together with the suspension radius arm and shock absorber coil spring. Do not detach the radius arm from the driveshaft housing or the rear suspension alignment will be disturbed.

5 Engine and transmission - removal

1. Raise and support the car at the rear. Make secure by placing an axle stand each side just forward of the radius arm pivot point.
2. Disconnect the battery terminals. The battery is situated behind the rear seats and access to it is gained by removing the seat backs and lifting the rear storage compartment floor covering. Remove the battery cover and disconnect the terminals.
3. Drain the engine oil into a container having at least 1 gallon (4.6 litres) capacity. Refit the drain plug afterwards to ensure it does not get mislaid.
4. If the transaxle assembly is also being removed this should also be drained. The gearbox and axla housing capacity on all mode Is is 4.5 pints (2.5 litres).
5. Drain the cooling system (see Chapter 2) and remove the central undertray.
6. Disconnect the carburettor air cleaner and remove it (refer to Chapter 3 if necessary). Also disconnect the throttle linkage, the choke cable, the lead to the carburettor solenoid (if fitted) and the petrol pump feed pipe (photo). Plug the fuel pipe to prevent leakage or dirt ingress.
7. Remove the engine dirt protector plate from its position on the inside of the right-hand rear wing. There are two nuts on top and five bolts underneath.
8. Disconnect the starter motor leads.
9. Remove the oil pressure switch cable from its terminal (located in front of the oil filter).
10. On 120LS models detach the oil cooler outlet and inlet pipes from the engine and drain the oil into a container. The ends of the oil pipes are best wrapped in a polythene bag or piece of rag to prevent further spillage. If in good condition the pipe junction sealant washers may be used again but it is generally recommended that they be renewed.
11. Remove the distributor cap, rotor arm and HT leads from the spark plugs and coil. Place a piece of rag over the distributor to protect it.
12. Disconnect the two alternator leads - yellow from top, blue from engine side - and tuck the cables out of the way behind the coil.
13. Detach the water temperature wire from its location near the thermostat housing.
14. Disconnect the hoses from the thermostat housing and water pump. The original Skoda hose clips are somewhat awkward to undo and can get distorted. It is therefore suggested that these be changed for worm drive clips during reassembly.
15. Detach the heater hose from the interconnecting pipe to the thermostat (on the right-hand side).
16. Although not essentiai, it is advisable to remove the thermostat and housing complete at this stage to protect it from damage during engine removal. Therefore either remove the thermostat complete as given in Chapter 2, or disconnect it from the engine but leave the hoses attached.
17. Undo the bolts securing the nearside dirt shield to the underbody above the exhaust silencer, and remove it.
18. Remove the central inspection cover in the rear storage compart­ment to gain access to the clutch slave cylinder. This in turn is protected by a cover retained by a spring: cover and spring must be removed, together with the slave cylinder retaining bolts. Unhook the two clutch release fork springs. The slave cylinder can now be disconnected and tucked out of the way, being still connected to the hydraulic hose.
19. Disconnect the handbrake by removing the two cable adjusting nuts on the handbrake link. Access to this assembly is gained by removing the inspection cover at the rear end of the central drive tunnel, in front of the rear seats. The cables should then be pulled through the guide holes in the body and left to hang free under the car.
20. Disconnect the telescopic shock absorbers. Fold back the carpet from the wheel arch at the rear on each side and prise free the plastic cover for access to the upper shock absorber mounting. Hold the top of each shock absorber with a pair of grips to prevent the shaft from turning and then unscrew the retaining nut. Remove the nut, washer and bushed washer. If the wheels have been removed a jack should be positioned under each brake drum to support the suspension arm at the correct height.
21. Unscrew and remove the shock absorber lower retaining plate bolts. Lower and remove the shock absorbers. Do not detach or disturb the half axle-to-suspension arm retaining bolts.
22. From underneath remove the two cables from the reversing light switch, located on the forward end of the gearbox on the right-hand side (photo).
23. Disconnect the rear brake hydraulic pipes. To prevent spillage through the breather hole of the brake fluid reservoir, remove the filler cap, place a piece of polythene over the filler neck and refit the cap. Disconnect each of the two rear brake hydraulic connections from the respective backplates. These are 'banjo' typa connectors, and the copper sealing washers should always be renewed on refitting.
24. Select 1st or 3rd gear, then release the gear selector rod from underneath by undoing the locknut and loosening off the selector rod locking bolt (photo). Push the selector shaft forward to disconnect. Should the shaft fail to move, check that the locking bolt is slackened off sufficiently and move the gear selector lever to the rear to obtain more leverage.
25. Next remove the bolt through the speedo cable clamp. Withdraw it from its driveshaft and pull the cable clear,
26. Disconnect the suspension arm (each side) at its forward pivot point. Unscrew the retaining nut from the pivot bolt and then withdraw the pivot bolt with its special spacer/bush washer. Prise the arm free from its location.
27. Disconnect the yoke limiting strap on each side.
28. Position a trolley jack under the engine/transmission and raise to support (not lift) the unit.
29. If the driveshafts are to be removed prior to engine/transmission withdrawal, disconnect them at the transmission flange by removing the nuts, then refer to Chapter 8 and disconnect the shock absorbers at the top and bottom.
30. Lower the jacks supporting the suspension arms and driveshaft assemblies and remove them, the coil springs and shock absorbers.
31. Check that the trolley jack is securely located under the en­gine/transmission assemblies and just supporting their weight. Now disconnect the engine/transmission crossmember support bars from their locations to the body on each side (photos).
32. Check that all wiring, hoses and fittings are detached and folded back out of the way of the engine and transmission and then carefully withdraw the power pack from the rear of the car.
33. If the driveshafts are still attached, the body will have to be raised sufficiently to allow the coil springs to be removed prior to withdraw­ing the power pack. Alternatively, remove the wheels temporarily and fully lower the suspension arms to withdraw the springs.
34. Having removed the power pack it can be wheeled to a suitable spot for further dismantling, cleaning and inspection.