Engine going in shortly. On stands or wheels?

[MartinH]

Hi All,

 

My R300SV build is progressing and next weekend I will be attempting to get the engine in. I have already done front and rear suspension so have the option to either put the engine in while on its stands or on its wheels.

 

Can anyone offer any pros and cons for doing it different ways? At the Penn Sevens meet yesterday I heard that it can be useful to chock up the front wheels while leaving the back up high on the stands - in order to get a good angle of attack - as it were.

 

Does anyone have any photos or even video of their engine going in?

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

 

Duratec R300 SV build in progress

[Grubbster]

A few pictures here from when I built mine. I did it on it's wheels but wouldn't recommend that - subsequently I have always done this on stands which I find easier. The theory of getting the back up higher does make sense but I've not tried it myself.

 

Solent Se7ens Web!

[Irrelevant]

Can anyone offer any pros and cons for doing it different ways?

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Doing it with stands is easy . . on wheels sucks(as Grubbster said)

 

I heard that it can be useful to chock up the front wheels while leaving the back up high on the stands - in order to get a good angle of attack - as it were.

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So the back end a lot higher than the front . . .Maybe I'm missing something, but that's got to be the worst possible thing you can do. Getting the engine onto the gearbox can be a sod - the last thing you want is it falling straight off again.

 

 

IMO, you want the car up high (mainly for access to the underside but it also saves you from back ache) and level. Use 3 equal length stands - 2 at the rear, one at the front . . .just like Caterham do

[OliverSedlacek]

I've always had the car on axle stands, but that's only because the legs on my engine crane don't clear the car. It mostly depends on the working space in your garage.

[MartinH]

Thanks Guys. I will probaby go for it on the stands then. I'll let y'all know how I get on next week.

Cheers,

M

 

 

Duratec R300 SV build in progress

[charlie_pank]

Deffo on stands, it's useful to be able to get at stuff from underneath as well as on top. I recommend getting a load leveller to go with the crane (available from machine mart for about £30. It means you can angle the engine as required while you have it on the crane, and makes the job really easy.

 

 

 

back here because I want to be.

[tiddy1]

I always do mine on wheels as I winch the engine from a fixed beam in the garage roof, just lift it high enough and slip the car in underneath, easy

 

regards

 

Simon

[Kevsta]

As you have the gearbox attached then I can see why the ar5e end high approach might be useful. I'd be tempted to try this but with it all on stands, just with the rear higher. Make sure you have AT LEAST two people there to help....be such a shame to damage that lovely paintwork (good choice btw).

 

I have always done mine on stands, but never tried the rear higher approach, I've just struggled with tipping it instead!

[Beverlonian]

Martin,

 

I'll second the load leveller from Machine Mart. If you can make a job easy for a few pounds then do it. here

 

SV in Aztec Orange 'n' Black.

[alextangent]

I whip mine out and put it back in single handedly (if you see what I mean... 😬) with a load leveler. Simple and effective, and it allows me to move the car under the load, instead of moving the load over the car -- an engine & gearbox does tend to swing about if you push the crane.

 

Spot of advice, having spotted Beverlonian's piccies (no criticism, B, just having done it a few times it's worth noting);

(1)put the load leveler handle to the outside of the crane, not the inside, as you can get into situations where the handle gets blocked by the crane piston if you have the arm on a short setting.

(2) use a rope to keep the nose of the gearbox square, as with some levelers, depending on how they're hooked onto the hoist, tend to turn the engine at 90 degrees to the direction the engine should be pointing. The rope lets you do the hoistie pumping and releasing stuff while keeping it in a line.

(3)mark it with a felt pen as to which way you wind to make one end go up and down. Saves lots of winding in the wrong direction

(4)use straps through eye lifts. The chain is generally the cheapest carp the manufacturer can find. OK for straight line loads, but the chain links are under a considerable twist strain if used through an eye lift, and they may bend or even part.

 

Alex McDonald

Loud, louder, loudest...

[Gridgway]

I have always done it with the car on the wheels as I find it easier to inch the car forward. The car can just be move a little bit. When you move the crane it tends to jerk and then you get a swinging mass on the end!

 

Each to their own.

 

Graham

[OliverSedlacek]

It's a good point about that most engine cranes are hard to inch along smoothly. I've got a tiled floor, so it's not much of a problem, but rough concrete may be a different matter.

 

As for the "raise the ar5e" idea, I think it's more trouble than it's worth. The only real benefit is that the gearbox oil doesn't run out of the end of the box.

[Pezky]

I put my engine in when it was sitting on its wheels. I have been told ( and saw for myself ) by 7 workshop, it was easier to do it with the rear of the car jacked up, then you gradually fed the engine/gearbox in whilst lowering the car.

When I recently replaced the gearbox in my car, I removed the engine + gearbox - lifting it out at an angle on a engine crane - and deposited the gearbox oil all in the tunnel and garage floor

On refitting I used the car jacked up approach and found it a bit easier.

[Racing Snake]

Flip a coin Martin and go for it

Just fill up the g/box after

 

 

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Mad Hatter Racing - Feel The Duralight R Torque 😬 Carl

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[John Vine]

Martin,

I went for stands plus a load leveller. If it helps, have a look at some of my build pics here.

 

JV

[MartinH]

Thanks John. Sounds good.

 

Carl, does your lovely engine crane come with one of these load leveler gizmos?

 

Cheers

 

Martin

[ChrisHawkins]

If you need a load leveler you can borrow mine

 

Chris

 

K93 AMJ