How to Remove a Car Engine and Transmission

Here's how to remove a car's engine and transmission for service.

The vehicle demonstrated here is an Infiniti G35 RWD sedan.

The first thing is to start by removing the front clip, including the bumper, headlights.

Then I removed the fenders, rebar, radiator support.

Remove the air intake, then disconnect the fuel line and EVAP lines.

Inside the passenger side dash, disconnect the ECU from the main wiring harness.

Then remove the battery and fish the engine wiring harness through the firewall back to the engine. This way its only 4 plugs to disconnect, rather than each individual component on the engine.

Remove all ground wires.

Remove power steering lines from the reservoir and pump. Drain all fluids.

So far most of the top end work is done.

Time to get underneath and disconnect the transmission mount and exhaust headers.

Removing the rear part of the exhaust hanging here.

Unbolt the driveshaft.

Unbolt transmission cross brace.

I dropped the engine down instead of using a crane. These are the bolts to disconnect, 4 subframe bolts and 2 engine mount bolts.

Here's a look at the engine mount bolt from underneath - this will help separate the engine sub-frame from the block when the engine assembly is removed.

I disconnected the front control arm and its related components to free it from the front subframe.

I dropped the engine, transmission, subframe with steering rack all down as one unit onto my floor jack.

Also had to disconnect the steering linkage.

The engine and transmission finally pulled out - what a mission and mess! I hurt by back on this step.

Removing the flex plate bolts.

Removing the bell housing bolts.

Separate the engine from the transmission.

The engine crane failed us, so we had to tip over the engine to get it upright on its stand.

And this is what's left of the body.

The VQ35DE 3.5L Nissan/Infiniti engine.