[tp_smith]

A two ton lift is what you need. Your wife will appreciate your new tool. It is good for pulling out old trees and bushes in the yard. I use my truck for the front yard.

 

[Michael Eusebi]

LOL I did fence posts as well.

 

[srode]

A two ton lift is what you need. Your wife will appreciate your new tool. It is good for pulling out old trees and bushes in the yard. I use my truck for the front yard.

View attachment 289561

Man, the term shade tree mechanic comes to mind

 

[Bob Tiley]

Yes you need a 2 ton hoist to pull a V8 engine and transmission. Those HF 1-ton units are for 4 cylinder engines.

 

[tp_smith]

LOL I did fence posts as well.

Great minds think alike.

If the post is rotted off at the ground. Insert some lag screws in the post to have something to grab onto during the extraction.

 

[adjudimo]

All good advice.

And if you slice a finger open, forget a Band-Aid. Grab a paper towel/rag and the electrical tape and just wrap it up. Last a lot longer and easily replaced.

 

[scblucam]

Have always pulled both as a unit mostly by myself except for the hood. You need the two ton. never used a leveler, just chains but leveler would have been easier that ratcheting the chain over the hook. Never crushed any body parts, mine or the car. But that was long ago, This many years later might look at it differently. pain is easier to get and harder to recover from.

 

[WCSD]

Get the Harbor freight 2 ton. I have only pulled the engine with out the transmission once and to many times with always small block muncie combo. I have an extra yoke to stick in the back of the transmission you can put a plastic bag around for added security. As mentioned above hood off, rad out, accessories off. Carb plate works good have done it with chains as well, prefer carb plate.

I'm thinking that's the route to go. Either buy it and sell the 1-ton or I rent a 2 ton as needed and keep the 1-ton for moving engines around separately. Leaning toward buying the 2 ton just for the convenience of having it handy.

Harbor Freight 2 ton reaches fine. Princess Auto too short Canadian. I have always pulled together as mentioned. It is 6 of one half dozen of the other. If you do not remove transmission make sure it is supported.

Thank you

A two ton lift is what you need. Your wife will appreciate your new tool. It is good for pulling out old trees and bushes in the yard. I use my truck for the front yard.

She was pissed when I told her I needed another one. LOL. Let's just say I have a lot of things and it irritates her to no end.

LOL I did fence posts as well.

Nice!

Yes you need a 2 ton hoist to pull a V8 engine and transmission. Those HF 1-ton units are for 4 cylinder engines.

Thanks. I wish I had looked more into it before buying the first one. At least I used it a couple times and can sell it and get some money back.

All good advice.

And if you slice a finger open, forget a Band-Aid. Grab a paper towel/rag and the electrical tape and just wrap it up. Last a lot longer and easily replaced.

I work in construction and we call that a carpenter's bandage. Different trades call them similar names. Always doing tailgate triage out on jobs.

Have always pulled both as a unit mostly by myself except for the hood. You need the two ton. never used a leveler, just chains but leveler would have been easier that ratcheting the chain over the hook. Never crushed any body parts, mine or the car. But that was long ago, This many years later might look at it differently. pain is easier to get and harder to recover from.

Thank you, good advice.

 

[Motohead]

I third the larger hoist, but it's not that difficult to pull and replace separately. Drop engine clutch and bell. Get some thread rod, cut them to about 3" and use them in the trans to bell holes as guides when you slided the transmission on. Slide trans on. Pull and replace with bolt one by one.

 

[SY1]

And save the factory ground braids you remove from valve cover to firewall (2). You need to use them again, especially if you have HEI distributor. Previous owner cautioned me he had replaced his Summit HEI coil twice in 4K miles since installing engine. I burned up another 1 and the trigger coil in 400 miles of driving. Summit confirmed have to retain these ground braids, unless using solid motor mounts.

 

[srode]

Have always pulled both as a unit mostly by myself except for the hood. You need the two ton. never used a leveler, just chains but leveler would have been easier that ratcheting the chain over the hook. Never crushed any body parts, mine or the car. But that was long ago, This many years later might look at it differently. pain is easier to get and harder to recover from.

Yep, back in the day I did mine with the transmission together too, AND I removed the hood by myself too - never scratched the paint either. Pretty easy with a manual steering + no AC SBC. Took me about 45 minutes to do get it out.

 

[Bruce1968]

I pulled mine with the smaller HF hoist and well, and yeah, I had to remove all stuff from the front of the car. That was a pain. IMO, it would worth the money to get the bigger hoist. You can sell the one you have on Craigslist for a decent price. I did.

 

[andersontom828]

Everything has given you some really good advice I'd just like to add take pictures before you do anything. It makes putting back together much easier

 

[Ronnie64-1637]

I've never pulled an engine before and need some advice before I jump right into it. I'll describe the situation first and then have some questions at the end. Any input is appreciated. Back about the mid 80's the original 302 was pulled and the heads and other parts were taken off and installed on a 327, which is in the car now. I want to take the 327 out, take off all the original 302 parts, and send them and the 302 to the machine shop. The m21 needs some work so now is a good time to pull it as well. I bought a 1 ton folding engine hoist from harbor freight assuming it would work, as well as a engine leveler, and tried to do a "dry run" to make sure it set into place. I had to jack the front of the car up slightly to fit the hoist underneath, but the hoist is too far forward of the center of the engine, just over a foot away, and can't go in any further because it is right up against the bumper. Also the hood is in the way.

1. It appears I need to remove the hood to pull the engine. Is that correct?

2. I need to push the engine hoist closer toward the engine another 16 inches (roughly) and it appears I could gain about that much if I removed the bumper, grille, header panel, etc up until the radiator support. Is that something that is normally done or would that be a big mistake to do? Or did I buy too small of a engine hoist and need a larger one? If so, would the 2 ton from harbor freight work? I might be able to buy a longer piece of square tube and modify the hoist arm to reach deeper into the engine bay, but that seems sketchy.

3. Should I leave the transmission bolted to the engine when I pull it? Someone told me it's a lot easier to install an engine and transmission (especially manual) together, is this true?

I have other questions but they're more about the reinstall process so I'll ask those separately. If anyone has any general advice for pulling an engine I'd be appreciative since it's my first time and the guys helping me don't have a lot of experience either.

Thank you.

Not that I’m an expert but I’ve been working on cars for over 60 years! To answer your question, yes you need at least a 2 ton engine hoist with the longer extension arms , yes, remove your hood first to make things much easier , remove the driveshaft and yes leave your transmission attached to give weight in the rear. You want the engine to come up and out at about a 45 degree angle. Do so very carefully and have a couple of friends helping you to watch for clearances. Hope this helps you! No need to remove anything but the hood !

 

[1971ls6]

I always pull mine from the passenger side. The last time we even left the trans in place and the radiator, just pulled of the accessories

 

[patman2]

The leveler is cheap and very handy. Yes, you can do without it, but...it's easier with.

Have some cardboard and old towels/blankets around, comes in handy when the engine wants to grind against something on its way past.

No matter how much you prep...you WILL leak coolant/oil/trans fluid/whatever all over the place at the most inopportune time. Plan on it and have old towels and plastic bins to minimize the spewage.

Take LOTS of pictures of everything before you start disconnecting wires, hoses, brackets, etc. Bag and label stuff as you take it off. Sure you know where it just came from, but will you remember later? Cheap insurance.

Seems silly, but...make sure you have somewhere to go with the hoist + engine after you get it out. If you're parked 4' from your workbench, you have no room to maneuver it.

Think about other maintenance you want to do that would be easier with the engine out. Heater core? Painting the engine compartment? New hard lines? New wiring?

 

[1969ss540]

Just about everything has been covered.

I like to use zip lock bags and a sharpie to label any nuts and bolts I remove. This way they don't get lost and you know where they go.

Masking tape on wires and plug wires to label them could save you a little time on install.

If the motor is going right back in and wont be turned over once its out you could mark the distributor and rotor position so you can drop it right back in and have the timing very close. When you lift the distributor the rotor will rotate a little. That is where it will need to be to drop back in so mark it there.

I also like to drain fluids and remove all parts / disconnect cables the day before so when your helper comes over you are fresh and you can get down to business.

Duct tape any open holes. You don't want to drop a nut down the intake or anything crawling in and open holes.

Keep the chains short. If you make them too long you might not be able to lift the motor and trans high enough to clear the front (either way you will need to lift the tranny tail to tip it). You might even need to put the motor on a angle to give yourself a little extra room as you lift it out or put it back in.

Have the hoist hooked up and pull the long motor mount bolts before you jack the tranny pull the crossmember. This way the bolts aren't being pinched from the angle not being right.

You might get some coolant leaking out of the motor too, just something to consider.

I believe you mentioned rolling the car out after lifting the motor due to space constraints. I assume you have those jack stands under the car because that style hoist sits high so it wouldn't fit under the car. There are 2 options I have used.
1.The hoist I rented the first time had the wheels mounted in the frame (not under the frame) so it gave me more clearance which was nice (something to consider when you buy one). With that model the front wheels don't turn but that wasn't an issue. I believe when I bought one I looked and that style was more expensive so I went with the ones with the casters mounted under the frame.
2. With the casters under the frame model I only needed a couple inches of clearance so I have used a couple boards or 2" concreate paving stones under the front tires so when the motor was lifted high I could still roll the car out.

 

[Georgia68]

Lots of good info. One point is I use painters' tape on open holes & tubes, etc., to keep stuff out where it shouldn't be going. Duct tape leaves too much residue when removed and it is a bear to remove 4 or more weeks later, especially after hot days.

 

[wiggie]

If in a garage, look into attic to see if you can add some beef up on celling joists to use them to pull engine. Then go get a block and tackle , or -come-a-long ratchet system or a boat winch with steel cable to lift the engine out. I have used all three in my 45 years of pulling engines. Just need to add pulleys and any support to do it safely and easily.

Or get a larger hoist which has the needed depth from cylinder you need to pull engine. I think I got the 3 ton HF hoist 11 years ago and it has worked for me, so far, but I haven't pulled a Camaro engine with it.

Either way, you will need to change something to engine out, then back in. I would attempt modifying a 1 ton hoist to work as any mod will reduce it lifting capability. You are already at 1/4 ton (500 lbs) lift point that would be considered a barely safe minimum to pull the engine & transmission.

Don't cheap on this tool for your garage. It can create more damage than you want, if it fails.

I've never pulled an engine before and need some advice before I jump right into it. I'll describe the situation first and then have some questions at the end. Any input is appreciated. Back about the mid 80's the original 302 was pulled and the heads and other parts were taken off and installed on a 327, which is in the car now. I want to take the 327 out, take off all the original 302 parts, and send them and the 302 to the machine shop. The m21 needs some work so now is a good time to pull it as well. I bought a 1 ton folding engine hoist from harbor freight assuming it would work, as well as a engine leveler, and tried to do a "dry run" to make sure it set into place. I had to jack the front of the car up slightly to fit the hoist underneath, but the hoist is too far forward of the center of the engine, just over a foot away, and can't go in any further because it is right up against the bumper. Also the hood is in the way.

1. It appears I need to remove the hood to pull the engine. Is that correct?

2. I need to push the engine hoist closer toward the engine another 16 inches (roughly) and it appears I could gain about that much if I removed the bumper, grille, header panel, etc up until the radiator support. Is that something that is normally done or would that be a big mistake to do? Or did I buy too small of a engine hoist and need a larger one? If so, would the 2 ton from harbor freight work? I might be able to buy a longer piece of square tube and modify the hoist arm to reach deeper into the engine bay, but that seems sketchy.

3. Should I leave the transmission bolted to the engine when I pull it? Someone told me it's a lot easier to install an engine and transmission (especially manual) together, is this true?

I have other questions but they're more about the reinstall process so I'll ask those separately. If anyone has any general advice for pulling an engine I'd be appreciative since it's my first time and the guys helping me don't have a lot of experience either.

Thank you.

I know my dad used to pull them in the garage. There was a I believe it was a 4X6 beam and what he did was put two 4X4’s under the beam on each side of the car then he had the hoist with the long chains that you pull one for up one for down and put that in the center of the beam. He pulled the car in hooked it up and lifted it and pushed the car back out of the way. He sure made it look simple. I’m not sure the name of those pulleys but it worked great just another option. Good luck to you

 

[Georgia68]

Called a chain fall. My dad had one too. Heavy to lift up onto loop chains around saint joists beefed up area. Similar to a rope block & tackle.

.