My wife and two year old daughter feel asleep mid afternoon. My first thought was to scramble out to the garage. I was thinking about my next step all week, boxing in the back of the frame. But wait I had to take the body off the frame for what seemed like the 30th time this week, so i made a few phone calls and non of my buddys were able to drop everything at a moments notice and help me. I was on my own, me two ratchet straps and some 2x6s. As I constructed my pattened ford model a coupe lifting system. (lifting my coupe body from the rafters in my gagage with ratchet straps) I couldn't help but think: I wonder was some of you guys have done in the garage that was foolish but worked? Thanks Tommy
hey tommy, i poke a 2X6 through the window openings like you did, then i poke my engine hoist arm up under the board and lift it, done this a 100 times by my self, my car my pick-up. nice project m8.. thanks for posting
I'll digress at the moment from talking abour what I have done that was foolish. ........................ As you do, I also do by my lonesome what might seem to be a 2-man job. I'm so used to it, that when I have ***istance the helper gets in the way a lot Here, my friend, ladder, holds the light end of the frame up whilst I wrench underneath. Depending on your point of view, either the ladder or the winch is the backup.
I've always worked alone. I have problems working with others. I have pictures somewhere of installing cabs and front caps that are freshly painted and not a chip upon ***embly. I use a series of straps,,loosen one tighten another. You can do it. If you want to run off your buddies for a long time tell them you need help building a new shop.
Don't mind the shameless plug at the bottom of this picture. Shortly after this picture was taken, I found the limit of old pine 4x4's. Luckily the 1960 Pontiac was still being partially supported by the engine lift, and saved the car from a catastrophic event. I then quickly upgraded to new pressure treated 4x4's, and they have been holding strong since. Sometimes you gotta get creative when your buddies aren't around to lift stuff. -Jeremy
I'm with both you guys on this one, except instead of using a 2x6 to lift my truck cab of the frame, I use an 8" c - channel of about 12-10 gauge I "found" one day, lift it with the engine crane, marked the center for the pivot point and lay a sheet of foam on top and viola' ! off the frame the cab goes ! I wondered if I was the only one doing this, and I figured they were many more intelligent folks like me out there ...sheesh, I'll stop now, please excuse that last part, lack of sleep.... and Tommy, I know just what it's like to see an opportunity to dash out and try to scramble something out in the garage when the family allows, right now I'm staying at home looking after our almost 4 year old girl and our son who is 1 1/2. ( I'll have to get back into the workforce soon, but daycare is expensive and you wonder if its worth the h***le to work, but daddy needs play money ) It isnt't bad now, cuz its like -32 deg F with the wind ( colder yesterday ) but when it was nice this fall and hopefully sometime at the end of April, I'll be salivating to get out there.......as I think to myself, it's just on the other side of that door *looks longingly at door*.. keep jammin on and give updates on boxing, I've got some plate to install on the 55 to harness the power of the worked 440 ! best, Derek
Jeremy is right about being creative with timber and cars, when I was about 18, bought a 70 340 *******, and proceeded to remove the front end and k member, scratched my head on the way to get it mobile in the garage while the k was off, and i took a huge slab of wood my Dad had behind the garage, was about 20 inches wide, 2-3 inches thick and just long enough to take the place of the k, i drilled and counter bored four holes for the mounting bolts from the original k, cut three or four pieces of 2x8's screwed the together for a short "post" if you will, this thing looks like a "T" now, some gussets and a spring loaded 50 year old swivel caster and , Houston, We have mobility, actually, you could sping that thing around better than if it were on car skates...wish i still had that part and the car. This was long before i knew how to weld Derek
So really its not foolishness more creative thinking!! Derek, ya kids are VERY time consuming, but well worth it!! My wife and I are expecting twins, ya twins....So that will make three kids and I get a little boy out of all this!! Im excited for the twin....my garage is not so excited..
loaded an old Caddy long block into the back of the pickup myself Friday without the use of the hoist....engine was in barn, a hundred yards from hoist in garage. Hand truck, come-along and some patience did the trick. And it wasn't as bad as when I was 18 and we loaded a complete 235 (with bellhousing/clutch) into a truck by just picking it up. That was scary.
yeah, they are worth it, right now they are poking away at the newly decorated christm*** tree congratulations on the news and the prospective new mechanic(s) or helpers at least. my buddy and his wife are near having #3, he already has 2 girls, he's screwed! He has big plans to swap a SRT HEMI into a mint 69 383 Roaadrunner ( not sure why, but it's hot rodding, so whatever ) and he thinks he'll have time to do that....i dunnno. "my garage is noit so excited" - that's funny ! Gotta go Dad, ****'s getting out of hand at the tree......... Derek
I was about 20 and decide to lean over a Torqueflite automatic laying on the floor to pick up another one that was against the wall - by myself - so my Dad wouldn't hurt himself.....pissed blood for a weak with torn stomach muscles, had a spike in overnight in case they had to do a hernia operation.....and if you saw my stomach, you wouldn't expect to find muscles anywhere NEAR there..... ahh, youth Derek
My most foolish thing I use to do at the pick a part was pulling engines out with fan belts with the cherry pick. This was in my high school days(90's). The first time I did it I was in a hurry. The 390 in my 67 Ford truck threw a rod.I was young and anxious.Hauled *** to local pick a part.I found a good core,so I went running to front counter to rent the cherry picker. Ran back with lift and started disconnecting everything.I was ready to pull engine out and noticed," I have no chains".WTF! Went back to ask if the had any chains. They said,Sorry bring your own chains.Dammit.So me being young and stubborn I went back to engine. I was on my own and said to my self,"this engine coming out TODAY!" Started thinking what to do,what to use, and I was looking for a chain.While I was looking.I'm flinging fan belts left and right and realized. Hey the F'n fan belts! Screwed some bolts into the block. Wrapped a few fan belts.Hooked it to the cherry picker and out she came.
Always use a net. We always remember the times we took risks and got away with it, but we also remember the times we didn't. Read the numerous threads here about guys getting hurt/killed because they didn't take steps for safety first.
I've always used chains with a bolt through a link and into a seat mounting hole in the floorboards to remove cabs on the 55-59 chevy trucks I've done. Bolts the cahin down and reach in whith the cherry picker, hook onto the chain and lift. Can use one hand on the pump and one to hold/steady the cab.... The scariest genious idea I had was unloading a 52" manual sheet metal sheer, put a 10' long piece of 2 1/2" pipe across 3 trusses in my barn, looped a chain over the pipe, hooked chainfalls to the chain then to a chain around the bed of the sheer and up it went.....got it just off of the trailer bed, ran out and pulled truck and trailer ahead, ran back in and started to lower the sheer. Got about 1' or so from the floor when the chain around the bed of the sheer slid and let the sheer tip to one side. I jumped about 2' back and almost **** myself!!! The sheer only tipped til the end hit the floor, but it sure got my attention. Finished lowering it down and decided it was in a good enough spot right where it was!!! It sat there for about a month with the chainfalls and everything still set up, everyone of my buddies that would stop by and seen that stuff there thought I was crazy as hell to even try to pick that huge *** sheer up by just that pipe and trusses..... probably!!!
When I was 18 I'd take oil deliveries at my Gramps shop, just roll the 50 gallon drums of hydraulic oil on their side, roll off the tailgate onto my hip, then buck them over to the rack...I wonder why my leg is screwed up?
I lift my model A body regularly with a block and tackle. Not so hard. I did have to unload my 401 when I first got it. No friends, no block and tackle. I got a heavy rope and tied the engine to the roof truss of my shed using a truckies hitch, drove the ute out of the shed leaving the nailhead swinging. Then using the truckies hitch I lowered it onto a piece of ply wood and rolled it around the shed on pieces of 3/8" steel rod, Egyptian style. I have equipment now.
The Jalopy Journal
