[euro911sc]

Those solutions work, but the problem has always been how you transfer to the jack for install in to the car or move it around after its out... I have found it is always best to have the ability to put a jack under the engine at any time. So all my technique is centered around keeping the area under the case clear so I can use it to put the jack there. My garage is tight so I am always moving it around if not working on it directly.

I basically made an 18" wood fixture from a 2x6 that matches the bottom of the case profile and avoids the sump plate. It is 2 layers and looks like a 'U' with the open space where the sump is. That goes on my jack. I have marked the right balance point for engine and for engine + trans so I can line up my jack and be sure that the load will be balanced.

When I pull the engine + trans I move them out and place a milk crate under the trans center and 6 2x12x16" boards under each header. The engine is lowered and rests on the wood and crate. This allows me to easily detach the trans from the engine. Then I can re-center the jack on my wood fixture and raise the engine high enough to get it on and off the stand. Just go slow and its a piece of cake. I just put the whole drive line back in on Monday with no help.

My set up cost was mostly the fee for the 2x12's which I have a bunch of. They fit under jack stands very well or under the plastic ramps I use under the front of the car so the car is not at an extreme angle when I'm pulling the engine out from under it. I don't remove the bumper or valence... waste of time. the boards store excellently in a stack on wire shelving I have when not in use.

The KEY (after being patient and slow moving) to safe drive line maneuvering is a floor jack that is easy to control the down speed on and experience with that jack. If you get one that just lets go randomly or too fast you risk spilling what you have on it... I don't let anyone control the release of my jack but me because I KNOW my jack and how/when it releases.

Enjoy!

-Michael