[lucky3]

Saturday my freind and i where going to take my 350 out of my 68 malibu. Everything was going good, we got the motor out of the car and was tring to move it away from the car when it lost balance and the motor tiped over onto the ground. The leg of the cherry picker kicked up and caught the bottom of my left front fender, bending it in and chiping the paint off it right below the side marker. That was the least of my worries, as the motor fell it caught my friends finger between my work bench and the motor. It cut open his index finger on his left hand and he had to go to the emergency room. He needed 17 stiches, but thankfully it didn't break anything or hurt any of his tendens. My girlfriend took him to the hospital and i cleaned up the mess, they were gone for a couple hours and i was worried about him but he was alright. I feel really bad this happened while we where working on my car but he said stuff happens and i shouldn't worry about it but i do. It just wasn't a good day.

 

[70 SS 454]

figure out what happened so you can avoid a repeat when you install!!

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Rich
Cocoa Beach, Fla
Team Chevelle #380
[email protected]
www.chevelles.com/showroom/70_SS_454.jpg

 

[Cardiac]

This is a real Saftey Issue that needs to be addressed more often! These engine hoist are very TOP HEAVY and dangerous while pulling away from the car. I add about 100 pounds to the back side of my hoist when I start to pull the engine out. It is a lot more difficult to pull away from the car due the extra wieght, but it is safer.


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Lowered '67 Elcamino
ZZ430 eng / 4L60 trans
"Canyon Carver"

 

[1224]

Since I'm ready to due the same, wouldn't it be better to push the car back instead of the engine/lift assuming you have the room?

 

[Bill70SS]

Listen to Tino. Thats how me and my friends do it all of the time. As soon as the car clear lower the engine and then move it. Glad no one was seriously hurt.

 

[mr409]

One more thing to consider. If your buying an engine stand, make sure it's a 4 legger.

The cheaper ones have only 3 and tend to tip over very easily. Guess which one I have?

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Bob (Pa.)

1963 Impala 283
1966 Chevelle SS 409
1969 Malibu 307
1972 Malibu 307
1969 Chevy stepside 350

Bob's 409 Chevy Page

silverstone.fortunecity.com/tvr/246/bob_s_409_chevy_page_index.html

 

[Shevelle70]

I second the 4 leg stand idea. My 3 leg stand dumpped a small block while we were moving it. Again we were very lucky and only had scrapes and bruises. Work slowly and use the best equipment you can find. Also keep your girlfriend. Not many will pull your motor.

 

[gUmBaLL68Malibu]

We just dropped my old engine and put in the new one today and we were banging it around and taking stuff off the old engine and putting on the new while it was dangling aroundo n there i didn't see anytime where it might have fallen. We did push the car back when the engine was out not the lift we pushed that out to the grass after the car was safely away.

 

[Sid Coleman]

Gotta agree with Tino! Always move the car v/s moving the stand, if possible. Glad ur friend wasn't seriously hurt.

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71 Ragtop, under construction and over budget!
MCC #347, TC (Gold) #174

 

[Rick Loncosky]

Guy's another thing to do, if your hoist has adjustable legs, is to move them out as far as you can. I found out the hard way too,
that the longer the legs the more stable the hoist. If you want to wrench on the engine while it's hanging, put a length of 2x4 or bigger across the legs and let the engine balance on this. Safety First, Rick...

 

[SSteve L]

I had a cheaper cherry picker that I horse traded form a friend. When I went to put my big block in (extra 200 lbs) I rented one that was heavier duty, because I thought mine was marginal for a small block with tranny. For $20/day, this thing was worth every dime. The guy at the rental place said it was a $800 hoist, and it felt like it. Usually I just move the car (line everything up straight ahead of time and it's real easy), but this thing was very stable with the BB and tranny hanging from it, I would have felt comfortable moving it, but I didn't push my luck. Guys, play it safe out there! I see people trying to rush to do things, and sometimes people give me crap that I take my time when wrenching on my cars, but part of that is safety, I always try to think ahead before I do things. Think of Murphy's Law, look honestly at what you are doing, imagine everything that could go wrong, and prevent it. Don't even think of rolling your engine accross anything but smooth concrete unless you have a couple of large friend around the motor to spot you through the rough terrain cracks and holes in the floor. It's real easy to lose a motor. always get that motor as low as you can as soon as you can. It sounds like common sense, but if it is so obvious, why do so many people get hurt?

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Steve

72 Chevelle SS402/4sp

 

[Cardiac]

I disagree with moving the car if your pulling Engine & Transmission together.
It's difficult to control because when you remove the engine you'll need to raise and lower (or level) the engine/tranny to get it over the radiator core. I can pull an engine/tranny by myself with out incident with 50-75lbs added to the backside of a standard hoist.

------------------
Lowered '67 Elcamino
ZZ430 eng / 4L60 trans
"Canyon Carver"

 

[Gene McGill]

I agree with moving the car, especially when removing it as an engine/tranny combo ( a little more difficult to do when the tranny stays with the car, as it is usually supported with a jack, making the car unmovable). The car rolls alot easier than most cherry pickers, plus you dont have the engine swinging back and forth as you move it. I try not to even have to move the cherry picker with an engine attached unless I have the boom lowered.

 

[Philip]

I have to move the car when I pull engines as I use a steel beam and a chain hoist to do it. I leave the trans in and remove it after the motor is out, I find that to be the easiest for me. After the motor is hanging I place a length of rebar across the frame rails and insert 2 long bolts thru holes in the bell housing and then lower the trans down, it is supported and the car can then be moved back. Most of the time I don't have to unbolt the crossmember to get the trans down, there is enough room to lower it by moving it forward.

------------------
Philip Valentine
Lakeside, AZ
Member #42 GOLD
"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."
[email protected]

 

[Wes V]

THANK YOU FOR SHARING!

I'm glad that nothing was permanent damage to your friend. (I'd recommend that you buy him a guest movie ticket for every one of the stitches. A discount booklet shouldn't cost that much and he will remember it in a positive way for quite some time.)

When I write the "technical reference" pages, I'm continually adding as many warnings as possible. I can't help but think that most people just feel that it can't happen to them.

As long as you learn from it, it's not all bad. I've had my own share of "eye openers"!

------------------
Wes. Vann
Technical Reference section
Gold Member #5

 

[speedr8413]

Yall are all so silly!!
Why go through the trouble of pushing the car out of the way... Start it up and drive it back.. Ya'll know about that wire that you can conect and make the car run without an engine right? Sheesh and I thought yall were experts..

 

[70 SS 454]

duh...geez speed...youre rite...how could we forget!!!

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Rich
Cocoa Beach, Fla
Team Chevelle #380
[email protected]
www.chevelles.com/showroom/70_SS_454.jpg