So, tired of wrastlin the SBC around on the homemade wooden dolly, then having to jack and shim and to finally get the engine into the car. So was thinking I need a nice jack and was wondering what everyone else was using.

This is Andys jack. Of course he is a rocket scientist with mad fab skills

I just bought one of these yesterday. Haven't unpacked it yet and I plan on making a bolt on pad/adapter for my engine/transmission combo

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I don't have one. I have this:




Just lift the car off the engine.

I have 2 different systems that I built

1) is a dolly we built. I'll attatch a picture. it has 6 wheels, with the front 4 rigid, and the back 2 rotating. The back 2 are off the ground in its normal rest position allowing it to roll in straight without swerving from side to side.

we roll it into the engine bay and then put a floor jack under the front brace. When you lift the front brace off of the ground (the front wheels off of the ground), the weight transfers to the back 2 wheels and then that shift allows side to side swing for final positioning. The dolly can be used with or without a transmission mounted to the engine.

its amazing really... and just any old floor jack will fit under it. the perfect height for a car on jack stands... low enough for the motor to clear the chassis for a motor drop, yet high enough to allow a jack under the fixture. And it is a lot more stable than other motor plates we have fabricated in the past due to its wide-supportive stance.

2) is a large box. No pictures, sorry. its about the size of a hope chest but reinforced with 2x4 structue internally and covered with plywood externally. About 2 1/2 foot wide, and roughly 4 foot long. This is also about 2 foot tall and has heavy duty casters to hold again... the motor seperate or the motor and tranny as a unit.

I use this technique with a lift.
lift the chassis up about 3 foot from the ground with everything disconnected except the 2 motor mounts and 2 tranny mounts. Lower the chassis down onto the box, take out 4 bolts, lift the chassis up again with the lift and leave the motor on the box. The casters allow easy side to side wiggle so that the motor clears its tin work. Super easy to reinstall motors too.


brant

I have a 4 post. Not so easy with the engine bar mounted.

Maybe I will just purchase a two post also?

That handle will get in the way. These have been tried and discussed here before. Good luck.

Hmmmmm....... Pelican board guys don't seem to have a problem

This is what I use at my shop.


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I use that same jack ( 7+ years ) , and yes the handle does get in the way, I just put the tail end of the tranny on either side , minor incovience , thankfully my engine does not come out to often , before this one I had one of those other kind of motorcycle jack stands (kind of boxy with a bottlejack) , I couldn't give it away fast enough ( gave to my brother for his atv) Bill D.

I have used this jack 3 times now. 1 time completely by myself and 1 time with a lookout and the 1st time I had some extra hands. Takes some balancing but it works. Not sure about the capacity of 450 lb vs a type 4 engine and transmission, but it did not break or collapse. I also placed a foam pad on it to reduce the slippage factor. operates with a 1/2" drive, so you can go manual with a ratchet or pneumatic. I take the strap off.

They have them on sale every now and then. It is called a Transmission Jack and they are $89 this week. Looks like the regular price is more like $120.

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Is there a good jack design that would both assist with drivetrain drops, AND allow me to service the engine mount bar with the motor still in the car? We always just used the 'ole furniture dolly method, but I'd certainly like to step up to a proper engine jack if it can do both.