I've lifted my motor dozens of times with a plate on my aluminum intake! And I even have heavy rods and a block girdle. No problem. -Bob C.
Quote-CameoInvicta: What do you mean by a strap? Just a lifting strap looped around the heads and manifolds/headers like in the pic. Just use a good heavy strap designed for lifting. These weren't my straps, but they shouldn't have knots in them like this. Bob C.- I guess you've just got bigger cahones than me.:bglasses: I'm just not that brave. It's just that those carb bolt holes are so small to begin with to attach the plate to, and then knowing the yield strength of aluminum (in tensile) compared to cast iron... Walts method looks good, except side-loading a bolt like that is supposed to be taboo as well. I like the idea of the use of the outer intake bolts with the correct picking eyes a tilter. This is probably the most "correct". But without calculating the loads, I'm just guessing. Sometimes in our own garages we just work with what we've got and give yourself the smallest margin for error on your lifting and rigging. In the professional world, there is a big difference in what is an acceptable or "legal pick". God forbid if someone were to get hurt due to a dropped load! I mostly just don't want to scratch my Nailhead.:bla: Erik
Same here and I leave the intake on. I do like to pull the distributor just to keep from messing anything up by getting it in a bind with the chain.
I've always had success going diagonally from corner to corner, either using the intake bolts or the exhaust manifold bolts. Never tried the carb plate thing though, but I've seen it done. Slings on the manifolds would work well too, just make sure they're reasonably clean and not frayed. The last motor I pulled was a nailhead, and we used chains to the loops on the water jacket and the rear, and a sling on the transmission. It came out cleanly without slipping or slamming into anything. A nail is a pretty easy and compact package to work with, - I'm probably going to have to yank the straight 8 out of my '46 soon, - that'll be a challenge, it weighs 1000 lbs and is over 3 feet long. A nail weighs about 675 fully dressed, and then add about 200 for the transmission. It would be a good idea to remove all the ancilliary stuff like the distributor and the carb; - if the chain binds or slips for whatever reason you could wreck these parts.
Using a carb plate makes tilting the engine easier when it comes to getting yourself that extra inch sometimes.
I don't know if the 401 is different, but my 425 has a cast-in lifting hook at the left rear of the block. My engine is a '66 and does have the loop in the water manifold. We used a chain and hooks. We attached it to the lifting hooks and away we went. It was a snap.
I just ran one link of chain to the air cleaner stud on top of the carburetor- but i made sure to tighten that wingnut down extra snug! p water neck bolts into head front and back worked well for me- you could even run your original idea of an X at those points, but I would think the lengths would have to be just about dead nuts even-- prob end up with one doin most of the work
That looks like a stout engine hoist! Also see that there must be birds in the shop.... Or you have a vertical white pinstripe on your fender.
Hey, Chum, the carb stud is threaded into pot metal,,,, dont ever use that to lift an engine,,,, you will have it sitting in your lap....
Hey Doc, If it's an AFB it's Aluminum! David, There are birds in the shop occasionally, but that stripe occurred in my driveway prior to taking the truck to the shop. The engine hoist is an antique - but a good antique. It is normally used for aircraft engines. If you think it costs big bux to "do" a big V8, you should see the bills on an aircraft piston 4 or 6 cyl. The exhaust valves alone for my Lycoming O-360 A1A are about $250 each. There are four of them, and they are a manditory "throwaway" at overhaul time. You definately would not want to drop an aircraft engine. I have great faith in that old engine crane!
I've seen the price of cylinder heads and what not in trade-a-plane. That's why I sort of choked when you talked about a "cheap" to run twin. Myself, I don't aspire for more than a vintage Piper short wing! Maybe a low hour tri pacer.... About now a guy should be able to pick one up for about $25,000 with low hours SMOH. Throw in flight lessons (in your own plane) and you are flying for about $30,000 in a theoretical four passenger plane!
