I need some ideas how to box it up or crate it up. no carb ,no exhaust.Thinking about an engine cradle that you bolt to the motor mount holes in block. Never shipped a 396, looking for ideas. THANXXXXX Bob

Try building a rectangular box of 2x8's or 10's on edge that fits the perimeter of the oil pan rail and clears the height of the pan or crankshaft (no pan). Notch the front and back to clear the damper and rear crank flange. The weight of the engine will be held by the box and will not move. Mount the support box to a shipping pallet and steel band or strap the engine to the box and the pallet. You then can cover everything with shrink wrap or go as far a building a plywood box around the whole thing using the pallet as a base. You then have a solid and portable (pallet jack or forklift) package.
Any variations on this that accomodate your particular engine or utilize material you have on hand will work just as well.
Hope this helps.

you could buy one of those ultra cheap off shore engine cradles, that bolt to the motor mount holes and the bellhousing flange, and then bolt that to the bottom of the wooden crate. I have seen those off shore cradles as cheap as 19.99.

Go down to your local Chevy or GMC dealer parts department and ask to see how the factory crates engines. Notice that the factory only uses a couple of metal straps to attatch the engine to its shipping crate. Ask them if they've sold any engines outright (no exchange) lately. Ask them if they would be nice enough to tell you what shop, if not their own, got the engine. Contact that shop and ask nicely if you can have the crate.

Otherwise just make your own on top of a small pallet as suggested above. This had better be a special engine - because all the effort of making a crate and getting it shipped out is a big hassle.

Thomas

Engine cradle, then strap it to a pallet and ship it. Pretty easy. I have shipped several. Not to big of a deal. Usually if you drop it off at the trucking company they will strap it for you if you cant do it. I have even used the galvinized strap with the holes in, I think its for gutters maybe, it and screwed it to the pallet..

When I shipped a Ford V6 engine we just covered it with heavy mil clear plastic and strapped it down tight to a pallet with a metal banding machine.

don't forget to notch for the oil filter, and make sure it can be lifted by a pallet jack.