Drop Engine : Advice

[cbbond]

Dear Forum Members:

Is it recommended to use jack stands to drop a motor out of a Volkswagen Beetle (1964)? I've got a crushed rim and flat tire on rear passenger side and will not be repairing that tire or rim.

Please help!

Thanks, Casey

[denisond3]

I have dropped the engines from a couple of 63/64 beetles, and didnt use jackstands. You do have to get the body up far enough for the fan shroud to pass under that back end, but I did that by lowering the engine with a couple of scissor jacks, and taking them out - so the engine was flat on the ground, then using the scissor jacks to raise the body of the car, by raising the axles just about where the rear suspension arm met the axle tube. Then dragged the engine out: I left the car raised up until I slide the rebuilt engine back under the car. Then I left the body/trans/rear suspension back down off the scissor jacks, and levered the engine up enough to get the scissor jacks back under the exhaust heat exchangers on each side, and raise the engine back to where I could bolt it to the bellhousing of the transmission.
If I had use jackstands, I would have needed a better way to gently lower the engine down that extra distance, and to raise it back up again.
A friend used a sheet of plywood and a truck inner tube. He inflated the inner tube enough to hold the engine up during the unbolting from the bell housing, then deflated the inner tube to lower it. He put some planks under the tires to get the tail end up a little, and pushed the car forward, so the engine was now 'out of the car'.
I found that with a helper, the two of us could lift the engine up from the ground and set it on a sort of low 'workbench', made out of two homemade sawhorses with a 4 x 4 sheet of 3/4" plywood on it. Thats were all of the rebuilding was done.

[cbbond]

Denisond3:

I am purchasing a Craftsman 2 1/2 or 2 1/4 Ton Floor Jack at Sears. Is Craftsman a pretty good brand for Floor Jacks? Do you have any recommendations? I will use the Floor Jack for '58 VW Pickup (Type 2) primarily.

In regards to the VW Beetle 'motor drop' process, I will just gracefully yank that motor out of back of tranny and get it on the jack, and lower it down onto a piece of plywood on garage floor. Then I will proceed to place the jack stands under wheels to get back-end of beetle up just enough to slide the engine's fan shroud under that 'back apron' and free, clear completely out of engine compartment area.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks again, KC

Originally Posted by denisond3

I have dropped the engines from a couple of 63/64 beetles, and didnt use jackstands. You do have to get the body up far enough for the fan shroud to pass under that back end, but I did that by lowering the engine with a couple of scissor jacks, and taking them out - so the engine was flat on the ground, then using the scissor jacks to raise the body of the car, by raising the axles just about where the rear suspension arm met the axle tube. Then dragged the engine out: I left the car raised up until I slide the rebuilt engine back under the car. Then I left the body/trans/rear suspension back down off the scissor jacks, and levered the engine up enough to get the scissor jacks back under the exhaust heat exchangers on each side, and raise the engine back to where I could bolt it to the bellhousing of the transmission.
If I had use jackstands, I would have needed a better way to gently lower the engine down that extra distance, and to raise it back up again.
A friend used a sheet of plywood and a truck inner tube. He inflated the inner tube enough to hold the engine up during the unbolting from the bell housing, then deflated the inner tube to lower it. He put some planks under the tires to get the tail end up a little, and pushed the car forward, so the engine was now 'out of the car'.
I found that with a helper, the two of us could lift the engine up from the ground and set it on a sort of low 'workbench', made out of two homemade sawhorses with a 4 x 4 sheet of 3/4" plywood on it. Thats were all of the rebuilding was done.

[DeltaP]

You start relying on these junkyard methods and sooner or later it'll bite ya in the ass. Believe me,I've tried them all in my younger days. Once unbolted an engine and trans axle then rolled it on the side to yank it out!(wrecked bug of course). I've got a shirt load of other amateur methods I wont mention here.
2 jackstands,one under each outboard torsion bar spring housing pipe,high enough to clear the fan housing. Lift with a floor jack. A one ton jack is plenty. And dont forget to undo the throttle cable! Same goes for the bus.

[denisond3]

cbbond: The Craftsman brand from Sears is just their name put onto a product they buy wholesale, made by some other company - and most of the inexpensive stuff is made in China. I imagine the floor jack would be entirely adequate, but dont expect it to be working as well in half a dozen years.