Transporting a TR7 engine

[tipo158]

Someone is coming to pick up my TR7 engine next weekend. I have never moved an bare engine before. The guy is bringing his pickup and a friend or two to help. The engine is now on a stand that I am keeping.

Any advice on how to get it off of the stand and onto the truck? Any advice on how it should sit in the bed and be secured so that the engine isn't damaged?

alan

[saabfast]

Do not underestimate the weight of the engine! I picked up two from Maxwell when he was clearing out his shed. My 21 year old son and I both nearly broke our backs trying to lift them 6" onto a trolly which promptly broke (OK, it was a bit of lightweight job). I am sure somebody here will advise the actual weight.

(In contrast, took out his Viva engine last weekend and (with out it's iron head I admit) I could lift it alone even if not too high!

If it's on a stand it might be near the height of the pickup bed, which is a good start. I suggest pushing it next to the pickup, putting a workbench under it with packing to take the weight and release it from the stand, then push/pull/jerk it onto the bed.

Alan
Saab 9000 Stg 1
Saab 9000 2.3 FPT Auto
'81 TR7 DHC

[Last TR]

A portable 1-ton cable hoist (aka come-along) is a great tool for this job if you have a stout joist or tree branch to hang it from. We've used the come-along hanging from a double 2x10 header to pull an MGA engine, and from a tripod of 4x4 timbers to pull a TR6 engine.

Ken
Anchorage, Alaska

1980 TR8, 1973 TR6, 1965 Volvo PV544, 1958 MGA, Jeep Cherokees

[tipo158]

A support beam for the floor above the garage runs perpendicular to the garage bays. I have a couple one inch diameter bolts that extend out from the beams for attaching lifting straps and cables.

I got the engine out of the car using 2" wide ratcheting hold-down straps (like for strapping a car down to a trailer). The problem with them in this application is that they free-wheel in the release direction. My plan was to hope that the bed height is higher than the engine stand, lift the engine just above the bed height with the straps, back the truck in under the engine, build up something for the engine to sit on under it, then release the straps in as a controlled fashion as possible (maybe his friends could hold the free end of the strap to control its release).

How should the engine sit on the bed? Vertical on the oil pan (with straps to keep it vertical)? Lying on the exhaust side? Take the oil filter off and lie it on the intake side?

alan

[RadioGuy]

I've put engines inside an old tire with a piece of wood for the oil pan to sit on...then strap it with ratchet straps to the hooks/holes on the bed. Sometimes I'll need to put a 2x4 on top of the tire between the head and tire.


Maintained on Saturday…Drive on Fun-Day !!! 1976 FHC - 1980 DHC

[nervousnewowner]

agree on the viva engine, used to lift mine in and out on my own, was lot younger though.....

picked a tr engine up few weeks ago, took 3 of us to lift it into the back of my focus, same three got a back axle in car too and yes got both in with the back seats down.
getting it out this end was myself and two sons, so can be done, but watch your fingers....back.....and anything else that gets in the way,.....[:D]



Dave...

the project at birth, watch it evolve...I hope...

[FI Spyder]

It's been a few years but when I pick up the engine Ron gave me, we hoisted it up with an engine hoist, backed the Toyota pick up and set it down on some 2x4's on either side. I had some tires on either side and I'm sure we roped it to the sides so it wouldn't tip over on turns. It had the transmission attached and was pretty heavy when we unloaded it with my engine hoist and moved it into position.



- - - - TR7 Spider - - - - - - - - 1978 Spitfire - - - - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - - Yellow TCT

[andyf]

With the gearbox attached, it`s very heavy. John will tell you when I went to pick his spare one up. We had to enlist the help of his neighbour to get it into my van.
If it is split from the the box, it`s not too bad, two can lift it. I just sat mine on the sump and tied it upright to the side of the van to stop it moving (rope around exhaust manifold).


1980 Persian Aqua DHC

[Rblackadar]

Get a wood pallet! bring extra timber to wedge (get it? HA HA )them on the pallet in areas where the engine could use support... think of engine mounts. You can always screw them in place to make sure it's secure. Also the pallet will allow a little flexing since it's wood. It doesn't do a bad job and it will save your truck bed and engine.

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

Use an engine hoist (shop crane). Lift the engine and pull it out of the engine stand. Lower the tail gate of the pick-up and push the crane as far as it will go. Then close the tail gate and push the crane further in. This should put the weight right over the rear end.



Clay

[url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/Site/Welcome.html"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/Technical"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="https://public.me.com/jclaythompson"]My Public Folder[/url], [url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/tr8/Welcome.html"]My TR8 Site[/url]

[tipo158]

Good suggestion as far as accomplishing the task, jclay. But I am not sure that I want to buy or rent a hoist to facilitate someone else taking deliver of an engine in a deal that I am already losing money on (but at least it opens up space in the garage).

alan

[Marko]

i remember that for moving the engine ( head+block+stuff inside, without manifolds and gearbox) from my front yard to back yard ( 30 meters with 10 stairs in between) took 4 of us, and we wherent "small framed". we used 2 beams with ratchet straps in between.

Engine is really heavy with not much places to grasp it properly.
Don't strain yourself because of someone came to a job unprepared.

as Rblackadar said timber to hold it in place

[bahbzilla]

The spare engine that came with my car was just laying on its side on a pallet. It went into the truck with a forklift, but was removed by 3 guys with strong backs (4 would have been better). We were able to lift it from the truck and carry it about 30 feet into the garage with no serious injuries.[:)]

Bob
1980 TR7 DHC

[tipo158]

If there are going to be any strain injuries, I won't be getting them. I have told the buyer the situation. When I talk to him to schedule the pick up, I am going to pass all of this info along and hopefully he will come prepared.

Thanks

alan

[tipo158]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Century Gothic, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bahbzilla</i>

The spare engine that came with my car was just laying on its side on a pallet. It went into the truck with a forklift, but was removed by 3 guys with strong backs (4 would have been better). We were able to lift it from the truck and carry it about 30 feet into the garage with no serious injuries.[:)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I found a free pallet yesterday and managed to get the engine off of the stand and onto the pallet (by myself and without even coming close to hurting myself). I don't see a problem getting it onto the truck bed with three people.

Now I just need to find a buyer for the gearbox and someone to take my tote full of parts. Too bad I decided to do this after British car show season.

alan