How to pull engine?

[wotan2525]

Anyone have any tips or creative ideas on how to pull the engine? In the past I've used a garage with a hook point and heavy duty winch to lift it up, let the air out of the trailer tires and was able to barely coax the boat out from underneath it.

This time I don't have access to a garage with high enough ceilings to do that. I can't imagine a cherry picker that would have the reach or height to accomplish it.... what are some other ideas? Maybe a forklift? Crane?

[Montgomery]

A really big tree with big branches will work

[wotan2525]

That sounds pretty sketchy!! It does have me thinking though.... I'm guessing I have to replace the rear main seal... can I do this without having to put the engine on a stand? If I can just lift it up enough to remove the oil pan, I should be able to get to the seal... right?

[michael hunter]

A tow truck with a boom can do it. You can make an A frame out of 4x4 legs and 2or3 2x10s for the header.

[wotan2525]

Problem solved. Found a friend of a friend that has a bucket truck with a 2000lb winch on the bottom of the bucket.

Anyone ever done a rear main seal? Should I pull the entire engine or just lift it up high enough to pull the oil pan?

[Salty87]

i've only done the front seal...too much work for a little piece of rubber. i'm sure the rear won't be any more fun.

you pulling/lifting the transmission too?

[wotan2525]

I did the front seal when I broke my timing gear.... Found a mechanic friend that is going to help me on Sunday. And yes.... have to pull the transmission and engine. It's going to be a long sunday but he's convinced we'll be back on the water by 5pm. Fingers crossed... I've already got everything disconnected and ready to pull.

[rludtke]

Problem solved. Found a friend of a friend that has a bucket truck with a 2000lb winch on the bottom of the bucket.

Anyone ever done a rear main seal? Should I pull the entire engine or just lift it up high enough to pull the oil pan?

I have done it on automotive engines in the car (or rather under the car), and I think you could do it in the boat as well. If you can raise it enough to remove the pan, you can replace the main seals. The downside of doing it in (or over) the boat is the oily mess it might make. You will want to protect the carpet. As it will be dangling on ta chain, it will be difficult to torque the main bolts, but a helper with a long pipe or 2X4 wedged somewhere to lean against you should work.

You might want to do both the front and rear main seals while you are in there.

[michael hunter]

DONT do it in the boat unless its a once piece seal [I doubt it is]. Pull the engine out, rent or borrow an engine stand. Drain the oil rotate the engine untill its upside down then you
can remove the pan and change the seal. Also a good time to check a couple bearings for wear. Note make sure you mark the bearing caps before you remove them they must be installed exactly as they removed. Also make sure you torque everything.

[wotan2525]

90% sure it's a 2-piece seal. I've got an engine stand. This is my plan. Going to be a long day and hopefully the bearing tolerances are good and I'll probably check my pistons/rings as long as it's out.

[michael hunter]

You wont be able to check the rings unless you remove the heads and remove the pistons.

[rludtke]

You wont be able to check the rings unless you remove the heads and remove the pistons.

...Or pull the crankshaft. If you are pulling the main caps off, it's just another few steps. It sounds like a slippery slope... be careful, you may end up with an overhauled engine! lol! ;0)

[wotan2525]

Happy to say.... removal and reinstall went really well. Started at 7AM. Had it all pulled by 9AM. Found the problem really quick... it wasn't the rear main seal, it was the hydraulic fitting I had replaced the drain plug with last time she was out. The fitting had suffered too many impacts with the hull and cracked. I removed it and reinstalled a proper drain plug.

Then.... went and got a new hydraulic fitting... drilled a hole for it it into the side of the oil pan (rear drivers side), welded a nut internally for it, and then reinstalled it all with a new 1-piece oil pan gasket. My mechanic friend took a visual look at the crank and still saw cross hatching in the cylinder walls and said the skirts on the pistons looked "like-new." Barely any metal in the oil pan so we felt good reinstalling it all without any more rehab.

Tidied up some minor bilge issues, cleaned everything and had it bolted back in and started up by 4:30. Wanted to surf this eve but the rain blew in and gave me a rest.

Note to self: Don't stay up drinking until 4AM when you expect to pull an engine the next day. My dogs are barking.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Wow man that is impressive!! Nice work! What did you use for a crane/hoist? You better get some pics/vids of that wave I wanna see it next to the SunSport! I should be going out tomorrow afternoon, so have fun!

[wotan2525]

I used a 65' bucket truck that had a 2000lb hoist on the bottom of the bucket. It was a 1971 truck with NO BRAKES! Made it very interesting driving it the 30 miles to my house and then back to the farm it belonged on. I'll leave it at that.

Also... probably not 100% safe working on a BBC that's suspended from such a sketchy boom truck. We hung it with an extra safety chain but... if the boom would have failed (it had numerous safety "back-ups") our plan was to just move faster than gravity.

[wotan2525]

I used a 65' bucket truck that had a 2000lb hoist on the bottom of the bucket. It was a 1971 truck with NO BRAKES! Made it very interesting driving it the 30 miles to my house and then back to the farm it belonged on. I'll leave it at that.

Also... probably not 100% safe working on a BBC that's suspended from such a sketchy boom truck. We hung it with an extra safety chain but... if the boom would have failed (it had numerous safety "back-ups") our plan was to just move faster than gravity.