Mazda 3: Vertical clearance for engine swap

Question

How high off the ground do you generally have to get a vehicle in order to swap an engine? Its a mazda 3 if the car makes any difference.

Answer 1

For that car, not a whole lot. There is one motor mount and possibly the exhaust that needs to be done underneath. Everything else can be done from the top.

Answer 2

Putting it on a lift would be ideal. But jack stands should be enough.

Answer 3

I cheaped out and got a 1 ton crane because I tend to work on tiny cars (corollas, miatas, civics etc.) but find that usually once I'm done disconnecting everything and ready to lift the engine out I actually lower the car a bit on the jackstands to give the crane more clearance the yank out the engine, leaving just enough access under in case I forgot to disconnect anything.

But if you talking about dropping the engine out of the BOTTOM, then that's another matter and I don't think that's possible without a lift on most cars.

Answer 4

Why not just unbolt everything in the front and just roll it out? Most modern FWD cars just bolt together, so there’s no need to lift the engine out or drop it out the bottom.