I'm putting an engine in my 03. I just need to know if the engine will be pulled out and put in trough the top or the bottom. Will I need a cherry picker?

 

You can do it either way I pull mine out through the top.

 

Depends what tools you have available.
If you have a hoist, from the bottom or top(doesn't really matter)
If you don't have a hoist, from the top with a cherry picker is pretty much your only option unless you rig something.

 

From the top works just fine. No need to mess with the subframe that way (doing so will almost definitely cause the need for a wheel alignment). If your car has an auto trans the job will be easier, as there is no input shaft sticking way out. If it's a manual you may want to consider pulling and reinstalling the engine and transmission as a unit to avoid the hassle of aligning and mating them with the engine awkwardly swinging around. The manual trans only weighs about 80lbs extra.

Not a hard job if an automatic- only one mount attaches to the engine, and it's the top one by the belts. The rest go to the transmission. Oh and it's much easier to pull the wire harness out WITH the engine than try to disconnect everything in the car. Another tip from past experience-- it's pretty much necessary to remove the crank pulley as it will keep hitting the passenger inner fender on the way out.

Good luck!

 

ok so im pretty much in the same situation i have a 2004 es with a 2.0 SOHC and am swapping it for a 2005 2.0 SOHC just because i need a new timing belt ect... for maintenance but i have the 2005 one as a spare in my shed so i could cut down miles in the proses. Now what im wondering because i need to pull it out the top with a cherry picker is the driver side transmission mount going to get in the way, do i have to slant in while im pulling it out? also anything else i should know? THANKS !!! lol

 

i think the easiest way to do it as i have done it in my 1. driveway ( 3 times ) amd 2. on a lift (3 times)

pull motor out the top but first (while the car is high on jack stands) drop the motor and trans down and pull the trans off the motor and then pick the motor back up once the car is lowered again

 

I found it easier by dropping it to the bottom first, but I have only done it once and when I was trying to get it out from the top I had clearance issues.