[Rock2001]

I'm removing my engine and it generally has gone well. But now I'm actually at the step to try to hoist the engine and transmission out. I can't seem to get an approach on the engine with the hoist that works. Initially I tried to go from the side, but I had to lift it so high that the arm's reach became way too short. I tried to go from the rear, but while the arm reaches to about the center, the engine seems to be so front heavy that it feels like I almost need the arm's lift point to right over the front of the engine, and that it won't reach.

How do you guys do this? Do you have the lift eyes or do you just run straps around the bottom? I'm just running straps. Do you use an engine leveler or some other bar? What direction is the best to approach from?

Thanks
Rock

 

[jtrealty]

You need to go from the back so you can roll back as you lift. The lift cable has to be short or you will run out of lift height. An engine leveler is nice but not required. If the motor is too heavy for your lift take the transaxle out first. As your lift arm gets longer you reduce the lifting capacity. Remove the strut on the left side to get the hatch to open further. You can attach chains to bolts that you screw into the motor if you don't use lifting eyes. Straps going around the motor are not recommended.
David Teitelbaum

 

[Rock2001]

My hoist will lift the weight of both. But lets say I took the transmission out first. Are you saying you can reach and lift the engine out by itself, from the rear? My hoist has about a 44" reach from the ram, and that places the hook at the rear of the engine. I'd need another foot or so in order to be able to pull the engine by itself. Do I have a shorty hoist? I figured with the transmission out the end, the center of mass of the unit would be about at the engine rear and I'd be OK, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Thanks
Rock

 

[jtrealty]

My hoist will lift the weight of both. But lets say I took the transmission out first. Are you saying you can reach and lift the engine out by itself, from the rear? My hoist has about a 44" reach from the ram, and that places the hook at the rear of the engine. I'd need another foot or so in order to be able to pull the engine by itself. Do I have a shorty hoist? I figured with the transmission out the end, the center of mass of the unit would be about at the engine rear and I'd be OK, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Thanks
Rock

On many hoists the lifting arm telescopes so you can extend it but as you extend it you lose lifting capacity. It is better to remove the engine and the transmission as one lump, it keeps the center of mass more towards the rear of the car if you have the lifting capacity. If your lift is not adequate you can rent them inexpensively. 44" seems short to me. Are you rolling the wheels of the lift under the car?
David Teitelbaum

 

[duneomatic]

Rock
I have pulled the engine by itself and with the transaxle. It is much easier to pull the engine and transaxle as a unit in my opinion. The way I did it was make a support to pull the “power unit” as seen in the photo. This way is very stable and controllable. The hoist I use is a harbor freight unit. Nothing special. This is a 2 person job. 1 spotting and 1 lifting.

 

[maxvelocity]

He got the little one. Probably 1 ton lift or less @ 44". He need a 2 ton lift so at the 1.5 to 1 ton setting the reach is around 85-92".

 

[Rock2001]

85" from the ram to the chain?!? Damn! I don't think mine is abnormally small, but maybe I'm wrong. It's a 2 ton hoist, with 1/2 ton at full extension. I assume the power unit still weighs a fair bit less than that.

Ah, you have some sort of long beam that you hook onto in your pic. That'll help the reach since the center hook is farther back. Where did you get that? Also your strap is further forward than I was hooking which will keep it from pitching forward. I was afraid of running the strap close to the alternator up there, since I had hard time seeing exactly how I was threading it.

I did manage to get it out, but I had to get the hoist from the side. I shortened up the drop chain and shortened the straps so I could start with a lower arm, and that was enough to get it high enough to start rolling the crane rearwards and clearing the body.

Thanks guys.
Rock

 

[Beerman]

Did this on my brother's V8 esprit some years ago. If you don't have a 2-post car lift (as we didn't at the time) the only way is from the back so you can roll it back and not have to try to clear the buttresses (ie. if you were doing it from the side). You need a large engine hoist with an extendable arm going at least five feet from the pivot point - make sure the wheels of the legs extend well out past this so it doesn't topple over when you have the full weight of the engine/transaxle and need to start moving it free.

If you don't have enough throw on the end of the lifting arm, one trick is to jack the rear of the car up on blocks (shorten the lifting chain) and then both raise the engine/transaxle AND lower the car back to the ground. We had to do that to clear the rear.

Go slowly, be careful, have a helper (or two) and take it step by step and you'll be fine.