Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 17:42:30 -0800 (PST) From: Mike West Subject: Re: Hoisting Type 4 engine? > > Got a couple of replies with some info, thanks. Let me give a bit more > detail. > > Have to lift up into high pickup bed. I could lift one side no problem > but friend is 115lb and no muscle, had trouble helping me lift a s. I walk in with a tool bag. Much > harder to haul in ramps or platforms, etc, plus it's a large yard. Might > be able to scrounge car parts laying around to get a jack up high enough > to support an end. Might be able to prop up tranny end and get a cable > past tin to go around flywheel area to hook to hoist. I'm just not as > familiar with busses. What would be about the center point of balance > for a T4 engine and tranny, say around a 78 FI? > > Thanks again, > Jeff > > Jeffy, my brother in law does it and he's crippled. By himself. First it must be a bus with the rear deck lid which is any year after '72. He has nylon strap that goes around the engine and just adjusts it till he gets close to the center. Use a chain or rope or whatever. The secret part is next: He has a piece of 1-1/2 or 2" galvanized pipe about 4ft long that spans the hatch there plus about a foot. In one end you drill a hole for a bar handle to go thru. Make the bar handle out 1/2 bar stock or threaded stock, about 18"lg. If you're feeling poorly make it longer. If you use bar, then thread each end for a nut or some other means of a removable stop. Electricians tape will do. Now we need some bearings for this chingadero so get a couple pieces of 2X4 wood about a foot long. Out in the middle of the flat side, put a slight notch in the wood. Use a saw v-notch or just beat it in with a hammer. Not a rocket sled. Just enough to keep the pipe from rolling along the 2x4. Do not grease these notches. Now the braking system: Get a piece of rope of fair size that you can trust with your life. Hahh ! ! About six feet should do it. Get another piece for the winch, I almost forgot! Here's the plan: Put one block there in the rear of the van on the edge of the hatch. Put the other block on the inside or forward edge of the hatch. Set the pipe in the notches and center it side to side over the engine. The extra part of the pipe hangs out the back with the handle hole for you to crank on. Take the one piece of rope and tie, then wrap the whole six feet around the middle of the pipe. We don't want it to slip so you need the friction of all those wraps. Do not use plastic rope, it doesn't have the friction chingaso. Take the other rope and tie it to the bumper or some solid looking object. This is the brake so it will have to hold the weight of the engine. Put the other end where you can reach it while cranking. Actually it will only be a fraction of the weight but we won't get into that. Put your handle in place and secure the stops on it's ends. Put the belly band around the engine about the middle and tie the rings into the winch rope. Or vice versa. Crank it up till you have some good tension and start loosening the bolts to tranny etc. You may have to re-adjust the band etc. till you get a fair balance. It doesn't have to be perfect, just so you can hold it level with a hand/arm. With enough tension on it to lift the engine/tranny combo, set your brake and pull the bolts to the tranny. Your friend is keeping it balanced. Crawl out of there and slip the brake and lower to the ground. If you have a couple pieces of plywood on the ground, one on top the other, it's not too hard to slip it out from under the van. Use the ropes tied to the engine. If this is too hard on your puny little body, put 3 or 4 dowels between the pieces of plywood. Jeeeesh! ! Now you go get the wrecker truck to set it in your pickup. "What if the wrecker truck is busy you say?" You're trying my patience here Jeffy. You wander out into the yard equipped with 4 five dollar bills. You find four stout looking youths and say "a six pack for your time" They slam it in the back of the pick up. west