Date:         Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:30:45 -0800
Reply-To:     neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Dolly for engine removal
In-Reply-To:  <c4e7c5f90711291756k6872ee6w5c7f724d8dd22b25@mail.gmail.com>
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I should add that I used this setup for engine/transmission removal.
Not sure if it would help when just taking out engine.

Neil.



On 11/29/07, neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all.
>
> I'm sure this has been done before, but it might bear repeating.
>
>
> If you're a one man show, and have limited room to use floor jack to scoot
> the engine back once it's free, this may help. It also helps in that you can
> move the engine around more easily. FWIW, I would have removed the handle
> from the jack, but this just seemed totally unsafe.
>
>
> Basically you make a dolly that rolls under engine when van still on
> ground, and has enough room between rails for floor jack to go underneath
> it.
>
> I made mine this way. Your jack may be different. YMMV! Also this design
> is not meant for a lot of use.
>
>
> With jack saddle seated, I measured height from floor to saddle. Mine
> turned out to be ~ 6".
>
>
> Each rail of dolly:
>
>
> 2 pieces of 2x4 and a 3/4" piece of plywood at roughly 17" long. Attach 2
> 125 lb rated plastic swivel wheels. (you may want something more substantial
> than plastic wheels. You may also want to add a cross member at rear to ends
> of rails.) The wheels I bought were ~ 2.5" from bottom of wheel to top of
> plate. Whatever you use for material, just make sure you make it so jack
> will slide out once dolly is on the ground.
>
>
> Deck:
>
>
> I think it was 18.5" x 15" but for sure is 3/4" plywood. I sized it to
> support engine and IIRC, the carrier bar (aka load bar) but for sure not the
> exhaust header. I positioned it on rails as such.
>
>
> Here's how I used mine.
>
>
> With van still on the ground, I put dolly and jack under engine and jacked
> up dolly to support the engine. I supported the tranny, and removed the
> mount and plate it attaches to from frame and tranny. I removed the
> fasteners from the engine carrier, and lowered the engine/dolly to the
> ground. Then I snuck the jack back to the tranny mount point on frame,
> (there's room with other parts removed) jacked up the van, put some jack
> stands in there for safety, then I removed the bolts and nuts holding engine
> to tranny, wiggled the engine off the tranny, and with some fenaggling, it
> rolled out nicely!
>
>
> I had removed some parts from the engine, so you may find there's not
> enough lift on your jack to make this possible. Even so, you could add wood
> to your jack. As it was, I had to uh, persuade the sheet metal under bumper
> so the tower thingy (crankcase breather??) would clear. The body on this van
> is scrap so I didn't care. Again, YMMV.
>
>
> The best part is I can roll the engine out to my other van, get the jack
> under the dolly again, and with any luck lift it up level with the van and
> slide it in!
>
>
> Heh heh.
>
>
> This design is not HD, but should suffice for limited use. I'd recommend
> using heftier rubber wheels and adding a cross member at rear to ends of
> 2x4.
>
>
> I'll post a pic tomorrow. It's too dark right now.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Neil.
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia -
> "Jaco"  (Bustorius) http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
>
> Engine swap beginings: http://musomuso.googlepages.com/home
>



--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia -
"Jaco"  (Bustorius) http://web.mac.com/tubaneil

Engine swap beginings: http://musomuso.googlepages.com/home