easiest engine install method EVER! ( if you got a lift )

[haycait911]

been thinking about this for a while. finally tried it. I've got a Bendpak two post with custom 911 lifting brackets.

see post #62, page 4, here...........

Automotive Lift: your thoughts?

I modified an old roller cart I had. tall-ish with heavy duty casters. put a good plywood deck on it. lifted the engine/trans assembly with one arm of the hoist and a chain tackle. lowered it onto the cart. lifted the back of the car to clear the engine on the cart. rolled the cart underneath the car. and lowered the car onto the engine. lowered until the trans mount bar touched, bolted it on loosely, then lowered the car some more until the rear mounts were in place. so easy it wasn't even funny. less than ten minutes from lifting the car to bolting the rear mounts. hardest part was getting the trans mount bolts started. the idea of the cart was that I could use a floor jack to lift it if/where needed. but turned out to be un-necessary.

[timmy2]

Nice with the bendpack only lifting the rear to get the angle you need to insert the shifter rod.

I basically did the same thing with Wayne's tilting jack adapter and my mid rise lift. Rolled it in and lowered the car until it was right where it belonged and bolted it up.
I had my engine and tranny on a tall rolling cart at waist level to work on. Use a cherry picker and slings to take it on and off the jack.
Too easy...

[T77911S]

best thing i ever used was a transmission jack. you can tilt the motor in any direction with the twist of a knob. the tranny jack can also get the rear higher than my floor jack.
i still have to set the motor on something else to roll it out. the tranny jack is too tall. and i am trying to come up with something better to go between the motor and jack.

.....for those of us without a lift

[boyt911sc]

Before I had a hydraulic lift, I've been using this contraption for years. While it is more convenient than my hydraulic lift doing an engine drop, having the car sit flat on four jacking points on a hydraulic lift is no doubt safer and stable.





Note: There was a pin on the lifting bar (no visible) to prevent the hook from sliding out. And you could lift the front of the car easily by hand. This gizmo has been retired in favor of a modern equipment called hydraulic lift.

Tony

[notmytarga]

I raise mine in a similar way with the front wheels on the ground and using a 2x4 at the back edge of the floor pan to spread the load from a floor jack as I lift the chassis off the engine (on an ATV lift) to clear the bumper. A caveat - I stripped the threads for my transmission mount by not aligning better before trying to thread them. Drop the chassis down over the trans/engine so that front and rear mounts are in place. Timecerting that mount hole is on the summer engine drop list. Along with an easy valve adjust, speedo cable fix, oil leak chasing etc.

[Ira]

That's how we do it at the shop I work at. We use a lift and a floor jack that receives the custom four wheeled cart. My fastest solo removal was a '73 MFI 911T, 45 minutes. Gotta love the early 911's.

[merbesfield]

Someone should do a video!

[rvanderpyl]

Pretty sure my lift specifically mentions not lifting with only one set of arms, I assume because all of the load ends up on one side. On the other hand a 911 with no motor in it has a pretty light rear end.

[Dpmulvan]

Must be really nice to have a lift!

[ischmitz]

I do the same with two floor jacks and two jack adapters. Works like a charm and I like that I never have to lift the engine so it is safe. The engine/tranny sits nicely on a dolly. In my case the 993 HE are what is making contact with the dolly. If the shift shaft doesn't line up with the tunnel a 3rd small jack can be used under the transmission cross bar to tilt the package. Then just shove it in and gently lower both floor jacks.

When I first did the dolly method I lifted the rear of the car with a load bar with chain and tackle attached to the center cross-member of my garage. See here:




Then in my new place the garage ceiling wasn't strong enough so I just use two hydraulic floor jacks and jack adapter plates. Same idea and works just as well. I would never do it any other way:

[T77911S]

i made this to bolt the engine to a tranny jack. i just put my 930 engine back in by myself and even though the engine rocked on the jack due to the play in the jack pad, it was not coming off.

the angle of the car with a flat engine looks like it would make it difficult. with the tranny jack i can tilt the engine to the angle of the car.

[Dr DIY]

Originally Posted by merbesfield

Someone should do a video!

I consider this to be asking for trouble. I much prefer to tilt the engine as it is installed and use 2 jacks to do this. You will find video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNdMp_W-cmY . Had the engine out twice last year and always did the job alone. I am not a pro mechanic so I make no effort to do the job quickly but instead take my time and double check each step before proceeding. Removing an engine is not a big job for a DIY person if you just go step by step and think a little.

Always make safety first.