Hi Guys,
I'm getting close to installing the engine during my restoration.
I have the frame up on Jack stands at this point as I'll be getting new wheels and want to refinish them as well.
Is there any advantage to installing the engine on wheels or is it ok to do the install with the frame/chasis on four solid jack stands?
Thanks...
Michael
(newbie)
Michael, from my experience, i found it easier to have the chassis on it's wheels, as depending on the crane you have, then you can simply lift the motor up and down and move the chassis in and out and around for the motor install. The weight and awkwardness of the motor tends to be the controlling factor as you are installing it, so i would try to have the wheels on and chassis mobile etc. Just my opinion, good luck, bede cordes, new zealand. Sorry about the text, im on a tiny nokia cellphone.
Michael, do it however it's best for you! If you were using a chain hoist hooked to a rafter, it would be important for the car to roll. If you're using a cherry picker on casters, make sure the feet fit between the jack stands.
Michael,
I would prefer to have it on the wheels with tires. A little more cushion and it cannot get lower by mistake. Sometimes the engine goes in really easy. Sometimes there is some pushing and pulling. Sometimes the engine bumps the chassis a little more than I had planned. For all of those having the four tires on the ground is helpful. And with the wheels on the ground it is very easy to chock all four wheels. Also what Bede shared -- depending on what you are using to lift the engine -- it may be handy to be able to move the chassis.
You mentioned the chassis was on four solid jack stands. If you have the body and fenders off -- then installing the engine & transmission will be easier. If the body and fenders are still on the car -- what type of jack stands do you have? I gently bumped our 1918 touring when I unloaded the 1931 Model A off the trailer and into the garage. The three legged 2-ton jack stands that I have used for years easily tipped over. The Model T fell -- but only a few inches -- because the wheels and tires were on it. Other than my pride, no apparent damage. A 2500 pound car moving slowly applies 5 times more force than an approximately 450-500 pound engine and transmission moving at the same speed. But I was still amazed at how easily those stands had tipped over. I also now appreciate how I normally only have one or two wheels off the ground at a time when using the jack stands and have the other wheels chocked and the e-brake on when I am working on the cars. I would not have gotten under that T, because I like to push and pull on a car to make sure it is good and solid before I get under them. And I had previously pushed/pulled on that one and knew that one was not as solid as I would have liked. Blocking the wheels probably would have also helped in this case even when all four wheels were off the ground. Being more careful with my unloading definitely would have helped. But the main point is wheels are not only nice for moving the car around, in general they will keep the car at a constant height. And with chocks on both sides of all four wheels the chassis will normally not move. Also having the jack stands at the lower range rather than the upper range tends to make them more stable. And the replacement 6 ton jack stands made everything a lot more stable. [Good news – that has been the only time I’ve had one slip off the jack stands.]
If you plan to do it on the jack stands anyway (how much of a delay?) then be sure the chassis is not going to move if something happened and the engine assembly bumped the chassis hard. No that should not happen – but if it did – you would not want the chassis to drop to the floor. You could possibly strap the chassis to something else etc. And of course never stand or put your body under anything that can fall when you are putting in the engine. (The U-joint should be able to be rotated from up above the frame -- a thin wrench or some metal with a cut out can do that for you – see the tool at: http://www.modeltford.com/item/352-TOOL.aspx and make something similar to lift and turn the U-joint. A couple of extra folks would also help .)
Finally just a clarification point. You asked about installing the engine. I am assuming you mean the assembled engine and transmission. If that is not what you mean – then please let folks know and they will share why installing the engine and transmission assembly is a much better way to go.
Good luck with your project,
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
Thanks guy for the advice....
Hap...You're correct, there will not be 'that' much of a delay to wait until the wheels are finished. And, yes - I did mean the engine with transmission.
It does make sense to be able to give the chasis a bump and push here and there, without worrying about knocking in off the stands.
Michael