Lifting Car To Put Engine Back In

[daveh]

Hey guys,

I'm hoping to be installing the 340 with the K member and TKO 600 attached in the next couple of weeks.  Right now I have the rear tires on dolly's and the front I made casters that attach to the bumper bolt locations.  See pictures.  The engine is assembled with all of the accessories and headers minus the intake and A/C compressor. 

I'm going to bolt some angle iron to the lowest portion near the casters, come out the front a couple of feet, then across with another piece so I can put an eye hook in the center to lift it.  So I'm lifting the car from a really low point which is good and should give me a little more lift.

My question is where do I want the back of the car?  Do I want it as low as I can get it or as high as I can get it?  I'm note sure the best way to get the most clearance up front.  The engine sits pretty high on it's dolly.  Do I keep it on the dolly's, maybe put jack stands under the axle or I even have these race ramps (see link below) I can use.  What are your thoughts. 

https://www.amazon.com/Race-Ramps-RR-WC-8-Wheel-Crib/dp/B003ZA92D8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1483716324&sr=8-3&keywords=8+race+ramps

Thanks

[daveh]

Here is what it looked like before the headers went on so you know what I have.  Thanks

[67vertman]

Your dolly is pretty high, so I would leave your rear wheel casters on, block them after you raise the front end, so the car won't move around.  You will need to get the front end pretty high to clear the engine. Once you have the engine under the car you can then lower the front.  I did mine in my garage and i used my engine hoist to raise the front end. Then I used jack stands and blocks of wood to support the front so I could get the motor under. My biggest issue came when trying to get the engine hoist back in place to lower the car, as the hoist legs hit the engine stand. I had to come at it from the side.

Good luck and take your time you can do it. 

[1 Wild R/T]

With a stand that tall you should be doing this on a lift....

[anlauto]

Yea...I agree. The stand is over kill, the transmission is really high and I don't see how you'll do it without raising the back wheels way off the ground, or use a hoist as mentioned.

Also, how do you plan on supporting the transmission while you remove the cart ? There's no way to install the transmission mount/crossmember 

The cart I used doesn't support the transmission at all, so once I bolt the K frame back in, I slip a jack under the transmission, raise it slightly and bolt up the crossmember.

I just hook my engine hoist inside to the frame....no angle iron needed. I've done dozens of cars this way since 1993.

[daveh]

Ok let me clarify a little. 

1. Yes I am using a hoist to lift the front of the car.

2. I'm using the angle iron attached to the front because it will be lower and in the front of the car giving me more height. The car was just painted and I don't want to risk putting the hoist in the engine bay. 

3. The stand that the engine, K-member and Trans are on are all adjustable (see below) and removable like the pic below.  I figured once I got the K-member bolted up I would support the trans and then unbolt the trans support and drop it and move it forward allowing me to install the trans cross member. 

Does that help?  Thanks

[HP_Cuda]

It doesn't look like you have enough adjustment at the Kmember to bring it down enough.

I did it like Alan shows in his post and I even had to jack the rear of the Cuda up to get it under.

If I were to do it all over again I'd use a lift without a doubt. Actually there is a shop nearby that is now renting bays per hour which have bandpak lifts and tools for a very reasonable price. Pretty cool!

[daveh]

Unfortunately I have no chance for a lift.  It's just going to have to wing it and just move slowly.

[crash340]

Yea...I agree. The stand is over kill, the transmission is really high and I don't see how you'll do it without raising the back wheels way off the ground, or use a hoist as mentioned.

Also, how do you plan on supporting the transmission while you remove the cart ? There's no way to install the transmission mount/crossmember 

The cart I used doesn't support the transmission at all, so once I bolt the K frame back in, I slip a jack under the transmission, raise it slightly and bolt up the crossmember.

I just hook my engine hoist inside to the frame....no angle iron needed. I've done dozens of cars this way since 1993.

Alan, before you remove the engine and trans, do you simply hook up your engine crane to the chassis rails and lift the car with the engine high enough to install the dolly then go from there?

[soundcontrol]

I just used a jack on mine, to get the cart in there, my cart is pretty low so that worked out fine.

[4 speed fish]

I made a bracket that bolts to the bumper bracket holes.They came out  about 18 inches.I welded a piece of angle iron connecting the 2.I used the hoist to raise the car with the chain attached to the angle iron.The hoist will stay clear of the car this way.

[HP_Cuda]

Thats the ticket. If you can get a cart low enough to pull it off.

I just used a jack on mine, to get the cart in there, my cart is pretty low so that worked out fine.

[soundcontrol]

I made a bracket that bolts to the bumper bracket holes.They came out  about 18 inches.I welded a piece of angle iron connecting the 2.I used the hoist to raise the car with the chain attached to the angle iron.The hoist will stay clear of the car this way.

Gonna do that when I put mine back in, I attached with a chain inside the engine compartment when I took it out, it worked but the hoist was to far under the car, getting in the way for the engine cart,  and didn't lift high enough, since the hoist arm was touching the upper radiator support.

[daveh]

Ok I cut down the rear square tubing so I could install the trans mount and cross member.  I'm trying to come up with an easy solution to lower the front on the stand.  I didn't want to have to support the engine and cut out the front supports and re-weld.  Seems like my good intentions aren't that good.  I'm learning, this is my first Mopar.  Chevys are a lot easier when it comes to this.  Engine Bays are black and easy to touch up.  I'm just trying to avoid messing up my nice new Plum Crazy paint. 

[anlauto]

I hope you've already modified the transmission crossmember and floor in the car for the extra clearance needed for the Tremec.