Hi Jim, I had to do an engine change on my mk1 recently and it's quite a job! You didn't say which engine yours has but mine is a Fordson Major. You'll first need to remove the radiator, followed by the hydraulic pump on the crankshaft pulley. With these (and all the other usual ancillarys) completely out of the way, there's just enough room to seperate the block from the bellhousing and crane out the engine (at a slight angle), avoiding the front crossmember. We only had a tractor with front loader to do this with and it was pretty dicey! Get a proper gantry with block and tackle set up and you should be ok. However with this method, once the engine has been lifted high enough, you'll need to push the digger back in order to lower the it to the ground. Of course the diggers front bucket will be on the ground with no means of being lifted, so... You see the problem! If you know anyone with a good telehandler and a couple of hours to spare you could do it that way, but don't take risks. Good luck.
Laurence, September 2008
