Working with what you got: Engine removal

Hey, I thought I can get some expeianced opinions on this one so here it goes:

I'm trying to remove an engine from an old 4-door '68 skylark parts car in my garage. Problem is I don't have a cherry picker. I was thinking about jacking up the front end as high as possible, putting it on stands, then removing the engine using both jacks to support it when it comes down.

On the other hand, would it be easier to remove the engine from the car then jack it up and slide it out from underneath?

I've already removed as much as I could from the engine to make it just a bit lighter. Am I crazy for trying to undertake a task of this size solo? I do know that if something goes wrong, there could be a large heavy hunk of cast iron on my foot, hand, head, etc. or worse yet.... I might ruin a part I was trying to save. :eek2:

Any tips or advice?

-Manny

 

Is there a rental place by you where you could rent a cherry picker for a day to pull it, then put the engine on a stand or old tires.

 

Manny.....are you near Chicago....??

COME AND BORROW MY CHERRY PICKER BEFORE YA KILL YOURSELF...!!!

SOLO...??? who will call 911 ....

 

Crazy not stupid...

Ok, ok, I tried and it just wasn't going to work. Ended up "painting myself into a corner" so to speak. ou:

Thanks for the suggestion Rob but that wasn't an option since the local rental place was closed. Thanks for your concern Frank but I'm in northern CA so I wouldn't want you to go too far out of your way. p

It was raining, I was bored, and I didn't want to wait. I'll exercise caution and patience better next time. :TU:

 

A cherry picker is actually pretty cheap. You absolutely CAN do it yourself, but you do need the right tools...

Try Harbor Freight if you can stand Chinese stuff.

 

search this great forum for some Buick people in your area...you would be surprised how many would come out for your call.......just have some :beer on hand....


good luck....

 

Rent a cherry picker. Since the holiday is over, it should be easy.

 

Rent or borrow a cherry picker. :TU:

Lots of us here have pulled engines solo. Makes life so much easier.

I just swapped out the engine/trans in my 64 this past summer by myself. Been over 20 years since I did that. Take your time, check, and double check all connections are undone, check, double check, and triple check the chain is secure on the engine.

It's not all that difficult to do.

 

i picked up a decent cherry picker at autozone for 109.95 works great, 2 ton is plenty im getting ready to use it to yank my engine out, hopefully tomorrow or the next day (anyone know how long to expect?)

 

redneck cherry picker

Just thought I would give you a really dangerous option: cut two small holes in your garage ceiling around the rafter beam...run a chain around the beam...then attach a come-along and to the chain and the engine. If all goes well you can pull your engine and you won't tear down the roof... damage your car...damage your engine...and hurt yourself :grin: :grin:

 

Taking your time and making sure everything is disconnected being careful not to hit the firewall while you're raising it out(remove radiator also)should take around a couple of hours or so.Good luck!!!

 

I never bought a cherry picker because I didn't want to have to store it. I always used the chain and tackle method from the ceiling beams for many years at my parents house. Nowaday's I have an electric lift so I use that instead. I raise the lift arms above the fenders, swing them together, drape the chain over them, and press the button.

 

My cherry picker is one of those cheap "fold up" styles. Doesn't take up much space when not in use.

Years ago... before the days of having my own cherry picker, a friend and I removed the 455 from my 67 by hand. I had the engine stripped (even removed the heads) and we simply lifted it up over the core support by hand. Well... actually, we had a chain on the engine and used a pipe slid through the chain so we could lift without bending over the fenders.
You wouldn't catch me trying it now-a-days though... I'd probably throw my back out. p

 

I've done it this way!!! :Brow: Really!! I'm not kidding! Fortunately my parents garage was not sheetrocked though making it a bit easier. Tree branches work pretty good too!

If you pull the heads first you'll save a lot of weight.

 

Rick, i bought one of those load levelers that you have in the picture, how do you have it connected (looks like the four corner manifold holes)

 

is it a folding one, do you have the part #, was looking at getting one from them but they were 199.99, thanks..

 

pulling the old engine

I have done it by hand by removing the intake, heads,exhaust manifolds,any thing else down to the bare short block. It makes it a lot easier if can then hook on to something in the ceiling and pick it up with a come along, or get about 4 guys with strong arms and weak minds to just strong arm it out of there. Hard way to do things. Much easier to rent an engine lift. Safer too.

 

yes the 109.99 hoist is great, its the foldable model (T32001) made by Torin big red jacks