How heavy is an engine in real terms?

[sarkie83]

I know this sounds like a rediculous question - but are engine hoists the only way to move them or if you got 2/3 people can you do it?

 

I've never swapped so can't properly get my head around it. I always wonder when you see adverts for engines for sale what people do when they collect them - take a hoist with them?

[Fiesta Steve]

One strong person could lift a crossflow, it takes a super human to lift a pinto.

 

To be honest, to avoid back injury two people are needed and then they are fairly easy to lift

 

A crossflow weights approx 100 kilo's depending on whats bolted on to them. Pintos are around 20 to 30 kilos heavier.

[Durham Fiesta]

2 people its a comfortable lift just a bit awkward to find things to hold onto.

[sarkie83]

That was gonna be the next question - how do you physically lift it! Get it on something first?

[Durham Fiesta]

its just a matter of getting to the engine and finding a comfortable way to lift it, remeber to bend your knees and keep your back straight (osf health and safety official lol)

[Fiesta Steve]

That was gonna be the next question - how do you physically lift it! Get it on something first?

 

Nah, just grab it and lift, its just a big bit of metal.

[mk1super]

In old money a pinto is around 21 stone x flow is is 11 kilos lighter so iam told

 

As for lifting it we popped straps round the sierra engine mounts that were still bolted on to it and lifted it like that, and it was bloody annoying

[Durham Fiesta]

my uncle has told me story's of lifting an x flow outta his escort years ago using a bit rope and a metal bar , standing on the strut tops and lifting it straight out

[Fishtailparka]

Yep, done that.

I can lift a full pinto out of the back of a van on my own (without dropping it), I doubt I could lift one off the floor into a van though.

With 2 people it's easy.

Not the same when it comes to fitting them into the engine bay though. For that you need a hoist really. You can manage without, but only if you don't care about dents and paint scratches.

[bortaf]

I've never owned an engine hoist, bonnet off, old seatbelt in the lifting eyes stand on the inner wings, head through the seat belt and stand up

Mind you i now have 3 fooked discs so get HELP, 2 blokes, a scaffold tube and some rope is way easyer on the back, trust me

Put some carpet on the front pannel (or an old caravan matress is great) lift it off the gear box and up and onto the front pannel, then balence it there and get rid of the pole and the pair of you can then lift it off the front pannel into that shopping trolly you "found" to get it in the garage

Or if you are tall (you outa luck there mate ) you can lift it up and out onto the floor on one go

 

Sounds hard and it is, borrow a hoist mate

[sarkie83]

I've never owned an engine hoist, bonnet off, old seatbelt in the lifting eyes stand on the inner wings, head through the seat belt and stand up

Mind you i now have 3 fooked discs so get HELP, 2 blokes, a scaffold tube and some rope is way easyer on the back, trust me

Put some carpet on the front pannel (or an old caravan matress is great) lift it off the gear box and up and onto the front pannel, then balence it there and get rid of the pole and the pair of you can then lift it off the front pannel into that shopping trolly you "found" to get it in the garage

Or if you are tall (you outa luck there mate ) you can lift it up and out onto the floor on one go

 

Sounds hard and it is, borrow a hoist mate

 

Hows the health and safety advisor job working out for you

You calling me vertically challenged

Cheers for all the responses - at least i've got a better idea of what i'd be potentially dealing with...

[mossy]

i can just get one off the floor onto a pickup/van....Just, but its bloomin heavy!

 

Last resort tho.....always call in the cavelry as injuring yourself, just isnt worth it!

[BIGKEV]

For Christ sake dont lift one with out 2 strapping fellas - just aint worth the many visits to the chiropractors

 

BTW if you do need a good chiropractor - the one in camberley will give me a free orthopedic pillow if I recomend anyone

[sambo]

I recently collected an engine. We needed a hoist to get it into the back of the car. It depends on whats bolted to it too, if you have carbs, flywheel, clutch, alternator etc then its obviously heavier.

Moving any engine, i would deffosay get a mate in to help!!!

[turnover]

and allways make sure you have some shit clothes on as i allways get ropped into giving a hand when ive got good clobber on,and yes allways get oil on trainers/shoes and t-shirt,i dont mind but the mrs does

[mk1mexico]

my uncle has told me story's of lifting an x flow outta his escort years ago using a bit rope and a metal bar , standing on the strut tops and lifting it straight out

 

My dads told me this, but with an Essex V6 out of a capri Ghia

[mossy]

my uncle has told me story's of lifting an x flow outta his escort years ago using a bit rope and a metal bar , standing on the strut tops and lifting it straight out

 

My dads told me this, but with an Essex V6 out of a capri Ghia

 

me and cisco did this with my old xflow!

[escortwithsunroof]

3 of my mates inc me dragged and then lifted a pinto (complete) i might add and an auto box form a capri into the back of a VW caddy van

 

Still full of oil went everywhere , i

 

ts not that its heavy, its the way ya lift it, we were lucky the crossmember was there to, so we grabbed that and then the tail shaft

[Fishtailparka]

my uncle has told me story's of lifting an x flow outta his escort years ago using a bit rope and a metal bar , standing on the strut tops and lifting it straight out

 

My dads told me this, but with an Essex V6 out of a capri Ghia

Even Arnie couldn't do that on his own.

[redrocket]

ive got a mini-digger a chain work a charm

 

but after that we used a pole hooked through a rope around the engine and to people to lift to shift it into the shed. just a matter of lifting about 20 stone... so 2 people minimum

[jed]

Done an austin westminster on me own once sucseeded but wouldnt recomend it though

[Conor]

my uncle has told me story's of lifting an x flow outta his escort years ago using a bit rope and a metal bar , standing on the strut tops and lifting it straight out

 

I did that with a 307E Anglia Van in 1991. Two years later at the age of 22, I was laid on an operating table with my spine opened up having two discs in my lower back operated on. I've had nothing but trouble since then. It ended my career in the Army, ended my career as a mechanic and 16 years to the week from the operation, I'm unable to work fulltime and even doing something like changing a thermostat on a Pinto can leave me hardly able to walk for the rest of the day. To cap that, the disc above the two operated on let go in 2001.

 

In short, I'm screwed for the rest of my life. All because I lifted an engine out of a car.

[NginEEr]

i cheat and lower it out of the bottom of the car alot easier on the back i then usually have to pick it up by myself and carry it to the back of the garage

[keeh]

i recently collect a couple at once, i'm not particularly strong and i could lift a complete bottom end, with oil , on my own, out the car and about 30 metres to the house. it's just getting hold of it comfortably.

 

my mate give me a hand with a complete engine after that, had clutch, flywheel and inlet on, plus oil again. that wasn't as easy

 

only sore things where my hands the day after.

 

2 days later i decided they where to go into my cellar, which i did myself, only 2 bottom ends though, i tell you this, a block is muc easier to lift when empty, took me about 20 mins to get the complete bottom end down

[bomber1]

Done an austin westminster on me own once sucseeded but wouldnt recomend it though

 

big respect i know how heavy the straight 6 is in the zodiac so cant see the westy engine being any lighter! i think the head alone on the straight 6 weighs about as much as a full x-flow