Engine Lifting Points

[Nigel W]

Just had a very enjoyable day at the NEC, where I noticed that several of the Stags that I looked at had 2 engine lifting points at the front of the engine and 2 at the back. Mine, a 76 car has one at the front, holding the power steering pump, but none on the left bank and none at the rear. I presume that I should have the other front one, but the Rimmers catalogue lists the rear with the comment 'If Fitted'. Does anybody know when they were all fitted?

[tractorjames]

Mine had them all fitted, when I refitted the engine I used rope around each exhaust manifold at the rear and one rope around the crankshaft at the front. Didn't really trust the front hooks, or the threads in the heads at least.

James

[jleyton]

Mine had them all fitted, when I refitted the engine I used rope around each exhaust manifold at the rear and one rope around the crankshaft at the front. Didn't really trust the front hooks, or the threads in the heads at least.

James

+1 - 3 or 4 times

[Nigel W]

Interesting, I suspected that the front one had not been refitted due to stripped threads. I was going to try and get some but on the strength of your feed back, perhaps I won't bother.

[tractorjames]

I actually was considering cutting off the lifting eye from the power steering pump as it now looks a bit odd on its own, but then I thought "you never know" so it stayed and the other removed lifting eyes are in my spare parts box.

James

[davidf]

Had the full engine/gear-box in and out a few times with the front lifting eyes. Just check they aren't cracked along the welds, and that the threads are OK.

[edd]

You'll only ever drop a engine on yourself or your car once so I would never use something you can't gaurante as a safe lifting point. It's basic health and safety.

[jleyton]

Had the full engine/gear-box in and out a few times with the front lifting eyes. Just check they aren't cracked along the welds, and that the threads are OK.

JUST the front lifting eyes ? You're a braver man than I David

Cheers

Julian

[DJT]

You'll only ever drop a engine on yourself or your car once so I would never use something you can't gaurante as a safe lifting point. It's basic health and safety.

Couldnt agree more. This is from a career spend carrying out, risk-assessing and supervising lifting operations from Efficient Deck Hand through to LOLER. Nobody trained in safe lifting operations would use those front lifting points.

[davidf]

Couldnt agree more. This is from a career spend carrying out, risk-assessing and supervising lifting operations from Efficient Deck Hand through to LOLER. Nobody trained in safe lifting operations would use those front lifting points.

Only following the ROM.
ScreenHunter_33 Mar. 30 14.41.jpg

Haynes is also the same, with a photo just before starting the lift, and one with the engine-g/box hanging vertically in the engine bay.

[DJT]

Only following the ROM. Haynes is also the same, with a photo just before starting the lift, and one with the engine-g/box hanging vertically in the engine bay.

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Agreed, but that was printed 45 years ago. Times, and risk awareness, have moved on a long way since then believe me. If a professional business did that, and the lifting points failed leading to an injury, the HSE would take the business owner to the cleaners. Just following a 45-year-old manual, or "I've always done it that way", would not constitute a valid defence. Lifting assessments must be up-to-date and reviewed before each use.

Sorry, but I've seen the results of some nasty lifting accidents and several 'near misses' in my working life and the method in the ROM just isn't safe.

[davidf]

Agreed, but that was printed 45 years ago. Times, and risk awareness, have moved on a long way since then believe me. If a professional business did that, and the lifting points failed leading to an injury, the HSE would take the business owner to the cleaners. Just following a 45-year-old manual, or "I've always done it that way", would not constitute a valid defence. Lifting assessments must be up-to-date and reviewed before each use.

Sorry, but I've seen the results of some nasty lifting accidents and several 'near misses' in my working life and the method in the ROM just isn't safe.

Ok, that leads to the next interesting question - how would you lift the full engine-g/box assembly? It has to be able to tilt from near horizontal to near vertical while raising it from the mounts and lowering the rear of the gearbox.

I guess a lot of people still rely on the instructions in the manual, on the basis that the lifting eyes were (presumably) designed to be strong enough.

[DJT]

Ok, that leads to the next interesting question - how would you lift the full engine-g/box assembly? It has to be able to tilt from near horizontal to near vertical while raising it from the mounts and lowering the rear of the gearbox.

I guess a lot of people still rely on the instructions in the manual, on the basis that the lifting eyes were (presumably) designed to be strong enough.

Good question. Raise the rear of the car as high as practical. This reduces the requirement to lift the engine/gearbox unit vertically. Then use all four lifting eyes in combination with a lifting balance beam, or two chain blocks on a single hook. One chain block would take the slings from the rear eyes and the other from the front. This way the angle can be altered using the blocks.

Not having access to this gear at home, I have always elected to separate the box from the engine and the them out and replace them individually. It takes a bit longer, but I am not paying for my own time and it is much safer.

[edd]

There are now very nifty adjustable chain mounts that go inbetween crane and fixing to let the engine rotate on a worm thread. I used heavy duty nylon straps from the Raf on mine. They are less damaging to surrounding parts too.

[tractorjames]

With my engine, gearbox and overdrive assembly it balanced just nicely when lifted from the back of the exhaust manifolds and I used a rope around the crank to get the correct angle. I lifted the front of the car up, offered the engine in, rested the back drive shaft flange on the cup of my trolley jack to allow it to slide backwards and carefully lowered and slid back the engine.

James