[RocketScientist]

So I've committed myself to building the bottom end since I'm pitching the warranty out the window on this new car. How beneficial is it to have a lift when dropping the motor? I've just had surgery and have the sympathy card to play to its max. The wife has agreed to let me install one, have 10’6” ceiling so should just work with the right bend-pak. The down side is I’ll need to cut up a section of floor since the expansion joint is right where the columns would go. All that will take a month of time that I’d rather use working on the car. Need some feedback, take a month and install the lift, start right away and jack up the chassis the hard way?
Spending the kid’s college fund…
:???:

 

[smokinAMD]

You don't need a lift. Jack stands and an engine hoist is all you need.

He'll I've taken a motor out of a buddies speed 3 using nothing but a floor jack and landscaping bricks, no joke. And no, we didn't damage it any further than it was. :lol:

 

[RocketScientist]

Damaged further than it was? I once rebuilt a 289 in a '67 Chevy truck without even pulling the motor, that's what you do when you have no cash and can't pass emissions. Can remember being covered head to toe with oil and grease.
So maybe I'll just do the shade tree way and put off the lift a while, just hope the wife doesn't forget her agreement.

 

[smokinAMD]

It had a giant hole in the block from a tossed rod.

 

[RocketScientist]

That's why I'm pulling in on a new car. Seems to be too many rod problems.

 

[smokinAMD]

Honestly, if you don't up the boost without a fueling upgrade, you should be fine as long as you have a good tune on it.

 

[blam]

for the cost of the lift you could probably pay a shop to pull the engine and put it in.

 

[RocketScientist]

How many of you guys would like a lift in your shop? I do as much work myself as possible, that way I'm the only one to blame if it gets F'd up. I have the sympathy factor from the wife right now, might not last long.

 

[t-time]

[quote author=blam link=topic=142270.msg3066639#msg3066639 date=1239995193]
for the cost of the lift you could probably pay a shop to pull the engine and put it in.
[/quote]

but what happens next time you want to pull the motor

 

[RocketScientist]

The way I see it, if you can afford the tool, buy it don't rent it if you think you might need it again. My garage is stuffed and I always seem to find a reason to need something I thought was a one time deal. Paying all that labor would cover probably 1/2 the lift, then I've got it for simple stuff like tire rotations. I'm getting too old to bend over and crawl on the floor.

 

[t-time]

[quote author=RocketScientist link=topic=142270.msg3066986#msg3066986 date=1240003494]
The way I see it, if you can afford the tool, buy it don't rent it if you think you might need it again.
[/quote]
+infinity

 

[blam]

[quote author=T-time link=topic=142270.msg3066849#msg3066849 date=1240000599]
[quote author=blam link=topic=142270.msg3066639#msg3066639 date=1239995193]
for the cost of the lift you could probably pay a shop to pull the engine and put it in.
[/quote]

but what happens next time you want to pull the motor
[/quote]

do it right the first time and you wont have to

 

[t-time]

ok i will give you that... let me word it different
what happens when you work on your other car? if you bought the lift instead of paying someone to do it. it just paid for itself

 

[blam]

no, it just saved you a little bit of time.

 

[Sacrilicious]

[quote author=RocketScientist link=topic=142270.msg3066111#msg3066111 date=1239982138]Spending the kid’s college fund…
:???:
[/quote]

if you're serious about this, i would say you REALLY need to sit back and evaluate what you're doing right now. a stock bottom end is good for 300whp without too much trouble...you're rebuilding to get that up to 350whp? MAYBE 400whp? is that worth impacting your kid's future like this? you've got sympathy from your wife right now, but this is kinda fucked up, imo...

 

[RocketScientist]

I've attached a picture of the wife and "kids" just so I don't look like a total jerk. My point of the posting was to get some idea how much benefit a lift is for pulling the motor. I'm anxious to get started on the motor work and installing a lift will set me back a month. I'm closing in on on 50 and lying in the hospital bed a few weeks ago thought, why am I waiting till retirement to do some of the things I've always wanted to do? By that time I'll either be dead or too old to do it. Plus with the market the way it is, I'll probably be working till I drop dead anyway. Thanks for the responsible reply, I hate to see young kids with a family blowing all their money on cars instead of saving for hard times.

By the way I got into this because we gave the wife's '01 Focus to a family in need last year and bought the MS3 as a replacement. She's now decided she'd rather drive the minivan everyday so this will be the car to replace my '08 Stang.

 

[Trubopower]

Even if you have a lift you still need a hoist lol.

 

[RocketScientist]

Got one under the unfinished '65 mustang conv.

 

[smokinAMD]

Heh. Maybe you should finish the rustang. You'd have a lot more fun with that one.

 

[RocketScientist]

Too slow, plus have you ever seen a non-collapsable steering column? Looks like a spear heading for your chest. Will finish it some year, it's been pulled to the chassis, bead blasted 100% and repainted. Just lost interest and got busy.