engine in

[desert1]

Another note on my progress of installing the 79 Special engine in my 78....yesterday after 8 hours I had the engine in and bracketed, the carbs in, the headers installed. The 1st 2 hours of the job was spent getting the engine at the right hight and correct attitude for sliding it sideways, this was done by using the motorcycle jack and blocking it just to give enough clearence for the engine pan. I had put two pieces of wood strapped to the frame to help hold the engine once in place...to move it sideways I gave it a shove part way into the frame then spread my chest on top of the bikes frame and lifted with both arms hoisting and moving it sideways......but its in.
Bruce

[midnight1980]

I gave it a shove part way into the frame then spread my chest on top of the

now this sounds exciting and has got my imagination going..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRxRmZFzOI

[fredintoon]

The eye of the beholder

Hi Midnight,
Me, I'd use my shop crane but your reply reminds me of a story:-
Man is in a psychiatrist's office and the Doc is showing him cards. First card has a square on it. What does this look like?
That's a bedroom window. There's a couple inside. You should see what they're doing! Second card has a triangle. What do you see? That's a tent. there's a couple inside. You should see what they're doing!
Third card has a circle. What do you see? That's a porthole. On the Love Boat. There's a couple inside. You should see what they're doing!
OK Sir, your diagnosis is obvious, you are obsessed with sex. Me? Me? I'm not the one with the pornographic picture collection!
That'd be you, right?
Fred Hill, S'toon.

[79XS11F]

Sounds like the way I get things done. It's the where there's a will ... there's a way.
Rob

[desert1]

Will

I used the force! Dont have a shop crane nor block n tackle or even a roof to hang either on if I did have them.....everyone was either at work or busy....somedays are like that. Just turned up Stevie Ray a lot louder and went to it; my 78's givin me a "Cold Shot"!
Bruce

[Hepcat]

another method...

Another method that works well alone is putting the frame up on sawhorses on its side and raising the engine up with a MC lift. Alternatively, I found that lowering the frame onto the engine (again, on their sides) works well if you've got another person to help you. It took me all of two hours to take out the engine, replace the bolts on the oilpan (except for the last one I stripped and couldn't get out), give up, and put it back in. I had help for the two times that we lifted the frame.

I don't know for sure, but I'd suspect that if you did it with oil in the engine, you should probably let it sit in the frame for a while before starting the engine to allow the oil to run back down into the pan.

Good luck,
Jon

[desert1]

Once

Hi Hepcat.....once I got it lined up in position amazingly it was'nt to hard.....I gave it a shove on to the right side of the frame then physically lifted it from above and swung it inboard, guess I'm used to lifting heavy things at work, I'm a flour miller by trade and working around heavy roll equipment and grinders is common... heavy tools as well.
Added oil to the engine last night, plus working on cleaning and painting the rear caliper, hooking up the electrics, put the Supertrap muffler on as well; about the muffler, it comes within a half inch of the bottom of the fiberglass saddlebag so I may need something to absorb the heat, maybe a piece of aluminum.
Bruce

[Hepcat]

Bruce,

I've been there my share of times too, though I was always too afraid of hurting my back to try to lift the engine on my own. I've always used wood scraps from the tablesaw to lever the engine into position.

For me though, the "lower the frame down over the engine" method is by far the fastest and easiest. I don't remember anymore whether it's better to insert it from the right or left side though. I want to say right side of the frame, but I'm not sure. If it's still around, I posted about it when I did it about a year ago.

I had a friend help me lift the frame and I stuck the bolts in and we set it upright. He wanted to see how difficult it was to put the carbs in because I had been telling stories about it the week before. I got the carbs in place in record time that night. It seemed like I didn't even have to fight them! Of course, I used my secret weapon to make sure the boots didn't get caught partway. Craftsman calls it a cotter key extractor...I call it a punch with a 90 degree bend at the end and a little kink halfway there. It's perfect for running around the carbs to get the boots on the outside...just get one side into the boot (i.e. the right half of each carb) and run the tool around to stretch the boot over each carb. Cut my carb seating time by a factor of 4 the first time I used it!

Enjoy yourself!
Jon

[prometheus578]

Hepcat... good tool, that extractor.
I use a spoke with a curved end from an old dirt bike rim.