Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:15:53 -0700
Reply-To: David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Engine removal, long winded...... Seeking advice
In-Reply-To: <46FD5D7D.3010805@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Someone probably already suggested it before (in the archive?), you can
cut 2x4 construction wood to make blocks of 1.5 to two feet long.
Stack up 3 or 4 of them on each side at the bottom of the engine.
In case the engine falls off it will land nicely unharmed on the blocks.
I did not need to raise the rear end of my 84. Once on the ground
it will slide out from the rear and there is enough clearance to come
out.
I used such wood blocks for my 84 watercooled. My crappy floor jack can
not be trusted. I let the engine lowered on the top of the wooden blocks
first. Then I removed one piece of 2x4 from each side at a time. I only
need one hand to lift one corner of the engine and remove one piece
of wood with another hand. In less than 5 minutes the engine was on
the ground.
The harder part of this is to separate the engine from the tranny.
I did a lot of yanking and pulling. It will let go you pull hard
enough. With the wood blocks down there I had no fear if the engine
would fall down to the ground hard.
Did the same trick to raise the engine when installing. Just raise one
corner of the engine and tick in one piece of 2x4 at a time. One by one
it raised to a height slightly lower than the tranny. Then my crappy
floor jack did the final raising and I pushed the engine into the tranny.
If it refuses to join with the tranny just depress the clutch pedal a few
times. AGain with the wood blocks down there I had no woory if the engine
would fall off.
Good luck for the rebuilding project. It is fun.
David
--- vanagonvw <ac.vanagon@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > Figure two things. How high can you go? (ceiling height) Then,
> > dimension of engine WITH floor jack so you can leave it sitting on
> > floor jack as you roll it out.
> >
> I guess this begs the question of "how high is an air cooled engine" :-)
> If it was sitting on the floor, exhaust and heat exchangers in place,
> anyone know how high it is? I wish I could just put the thing on a pair
> of ramps, and be done with this part of it.....
> > I would say NO to cinder blocks. Use wood. I have 6x6 chunks of wood I
> > use as "safety" when using jack stands.
>
> I guess the term 'cinder block' justifiably makes folks shiver. I can
> relate, but if it has to go 15-18 inches high, there are precious few
> real choices. piling three pieces of 6x6 doesn't seem any safer. Maybe
> it doesn't have to go that high. Hoping someone knows the answer, so I
> can decide how to go. I think that with good jackstands, the blocks
> would just be a backup. If the stands are gonna fail, and crush the
> blocks, then I know my number must really be up :-)
>
> As an aside, the van has been resting in the garage awaiting my
> decision, for days. Last night, I looked beneath for other reasons, and
> observed that the clutch slave cylinder had disgorged its contents all
> over the floor. No one touched the clutch for days, and it doesn't even
> have 20K miles on it, so already, the total bill is rising on this
> effort and I haven't even gotten started. Never heard of one just
> 'blowing out' like that before. Of course, it will be easy to replace
> with the engine out, so maybe its better that it puked now, than later.
> <shrug>
> > Can't recall exact measurement, but you need a floor jack that has a
> > min. of 14" lift. If I understand your email correctly, those small
> > ones are not appropriate IMHO.
> >
>
> yea, I am thinking I may need to rent a big one to make it easier, but
> that only means the van has to go higher.....
>
>
> Thanks for the advice and ideas Neil.
>
> John
>
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