Harbor Freight 914 Drivetrain Jack

[jt914]

for some reason they decided to label it as a motorcycle lift and i'm sure it works great for that purpose but the guy who designed it had to have had a 914..

914

[seanery]

That sure looks like it would beat the furniture dolly method!

[jt914]

yep..i think that "engine removal made easy" article should be rewritten to start with.."go buy a motorcycle lift!!"

[Hogger]

We are all scouring the HF site for a price now. Lol.
Don't forget to check your favorite magazine for a 20% off coupon and a free flashlight.

[PFM]

JT914,

Think it would fit a 6 OK, man i like that wide wheels. What is the lift range? Did it come out from under on the jack or not? How high was the car?

Stay tuned.

PFM

[jt914]

yes the coupon, which normally excludes jacks, can be used because its not a jack it's a motorcycle lift

[fetus]

I bought there lift table to remove my 3.2 motor and trans. You remove the rear bar to slide it under the car. I have a bendpak scissor lift, so height wasn't a problem to remove everything.
Hydraulic Lift Table - 500 Lb. Capacity
I wonder if the motorcycle lift would of worked better though? The trans sat lower on the lift and everything rocked side to side. I will use some 2x4"s to level everything out when I put it back in. Pain in the ass, but still much better than the furniture dolly method.

Here's a link to the motorcycle jack, to save time trying to find it.
http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/lifts-stands/lightweight-aluminum-motorcycle-lift-94715.html

[Highland]

Which BendPak scissor lift do you have?
Does it provide complete clearance to drop the 914 engine and transmission?

Thanks.

[fetus]

I have the Bend pak MD6-xp
BendPak MD-6XP Mid Rise Lift, 6,000 Lb. Capacity, Portable

I just used it to pull my motor and trans. Plenty of room. The only down side is getting to the floor pans.

I have a roller bar stool that I sit on and work under the car with. Night and day better than laying on your back with a creeper or cardboard.

[Hogger]

Not sure if i want to spend the money on a lift. I'm thinking of just making a little plate to go on my floor jack. But not sure exactly where would be a good position to support the engine and tranny so it doesn't fall off.
Looking at the picture, it looks like the engine and tranny's CG must be forward of the bell housing? Does that sound right?

[fetus]

You have to place the floor jack under the motor close to the bell housing to balance it. I have done it before with a floor jack, but it's a ***** to balance it. If you can get some one to grab the motor from the side to balance it while you pull it out it would help. The engine tin likes to hang up on the rubber, so make sure push the rubber lip over the tin. In the past I also had to remove the rear valance to get extra clearance. Clearance is no problem with a scissor lift, but can be a pain with jack stands.

[jt914]

i put a piece of 2x4 under the bellhousing and as far as this lift is concerned there are no balance issues at all..it goes up and down like butter. it's hard to see exactly where the engine sits on the lift because i put a towel down which was really there to protect the lift in case i had to return it. the towel seemed like it made things a bit less solid but it wasn't going anywhere and gave the engine a nice cushion. i don't think i need the towel next time but it surely didn't hurt anything.

[fetus]

The 2x4 is a great idea to make up the difference in the trans. I am confusing the six with the four. The four has a wide flat bottom, since its a wet sump. The six is a dry sump and has a 1" protruding seam that the motor rocks back and forth on. I need to find a way to get the six to balance side to side on the lift table. I was planning on going to harbor freight today and measure the lift you bought. Since the six block is very narrow, I am worried this lift will lift the motor on the oil return tubes.

[jt914]

hey steve, this lift also has 2 extensions that sit on top of it and give it about another inch or two. if you look on the website at the link someone added above you'll see what i mean.

i didn't need them but they might be just what you need for a 6 to sit on this if the seam runs front to back? I don't know anything about the 6's and still just learning about these 4's

[TheCabinetmaker]

Harbour Frieght also has a neat pair of aluminium jack stands. very little wieght.