picking up a sbc w/o a cherry picker ?

a while back i bought a small block chevy / muncie 4 speed for $500 . i grabbed the muncie when i handed over the cash but the engine is still setting in my buddys garage . well hes finally moving this weekend and ive got to get it to my house . im helping him move anyways but i dont have a cherry picker , long story short my question is has anyone ever picked up a complete (minus carb and headers) sbc and put it on a car trailer or in back of a pick-up ? im sure we'll have 4-5 guys helping
FINK

 

Just did it.....took four big guys...........engine was bolted into one of them engine craddles....my truck tail gate sits high, but they had no problem......more is safer..Littleman

 

two guys should be able to handle that with ease, especially if they have Mr. Horsepower tatooed on their arms

 

However many it takes to lift 550 pounds should do it. Remember...lift with your legs!

 

Not a big deal at all. My brother can get them waist high by himself. Approximately 650 pounds dressed

 

Watch yer gonads !!!!!!!!

 

It shouldn't be too bad. Take along an old tire or something to keep it from bashing up the oil pan in the back of your truck.

It will be easier to lift if you take a 4x4 post, connect a chain between it and the engine, and lift the post with your shoulders. Then everybody gets a good grip and doesn't have to torque their back.

 

if you take 2 peices of chain and put one on the front and one on the back and put a 4x4 through it you should be able to lift with 4 or so people

 

bobwop has the most humorous response so far-
I started thinking you meant "lift it" ALONE, and I was gonna tell ya to strip the engine.

 

Use an appliance dolly and pull the heads. Surely there'll be a dolly around since he's moving?

 

thanks for the quick replies , good idea about the chain and the 4x4 , with all the moving and stuff going on i dont want to disassemble anything , plus its ready to run (just a quick coat of paint , my delco dual point and 3 twos )
bobwop , im the only one w/a mr hp tattoo but it does give me super human strength !lol
FINK

 

I carried an assembled short block up a set of stairs when I was 20 something. I saw stars for a good minute afterwards though!

 

I have a motorcycle ramp and a skate board for that stuff.
Last one I put in a truck with it was an Olds Rocket...
Just don't use a made in China skate board, the trucks break...
A 2x12 would do too
Back the truck's rear wheels up to the curb if you have one on your street to get the tail gate as low as possible.

 

Don't overthink it. LOL 4 guys can handle that no prob. Just take the basic stuff off the block and lift it. Done.

 

Done it with nail head on a stand, still took two people though and some finigeling with a jack and bits of cardboard to slide it it. It was so much easier taking it out with the picker on the other side though.

 

Let the air out of your rear tires first so ya don't have to lift it up as high

 

Remember, they built the pyramids without cherry-pickers.
Just don't strain your gravy!

 

Oh man this brings back bad memories...lol

my self and 2 friends did it, if you are going to rebuild the engine anyways, pull the heads and intake and any accessories, try to lighten the load as much as you can.
a good rule of thumb on an SBC's weight is like 575# its a pretty healthy chunk of weight unless you and your friends are young and brutes

 

Two friends and I lifted a complete 8ba Flathead into a truck bed once. Last time I'll ever do that... Good luck!

 

you might chain it and run a metal pipe bar under the chain then everyone can good handle on it.

 

One time me and 2 guys got a 302 into a pickup bed, then when I got home I scooted it to the rear, bolted it to a stand, let the air out of the tires and it slid it off the tailgate pretty easily. I had a compressor, but no hoist!

 

If there's a stout tree/limb, run a rope around it and hook it to a car/truck and chains on the engine and pull/lift it into the air then back your mobile up to it. You're in Turlock!

A solid core door works great as an inclined plane (AKA ramp). If you can get the engine on a hand truck, it'd be easier to push/pull that mofo up a ramp.

1 of 5 guys should have a cherry picker!

 

I've done it before, we had the cherry picker but it was way in the back of the shop and we were lazy and only needed to unload it from the trailer to the floor so we said screw it and 3 guys did the job

 

four long bolts run into the corners,like the widest bellhousing holes and the front water pump holes. gives you four handles to get a hold of it to lift up. i have done it a few times.

 

Refrigerater cart.

 

If you do it with the chains and 4"X4" be sure to lag bolt the chains to the wood, if one end gets lowered it will slide down the 4"X4"! That's when the real fun begins!
Just be CAREFUL!

 

all it takes is some "engine-uity"

 

get someone to take some pictures ought to be good to post. don't drop it on your foot, even with steel toe boots still hurts like hell, don't ask me how I know.

 

Blew out a hernia once lifting a VW engine to a rebuild table.............Hurt like Hell!

 

Get two 6' long pieces of 1" x 2" steel tube. Mark out the bolt pattern for sbc exhaust and drill them out in the 1x2 so the pattern is evenly centered in each piece. Bolt each length to each head and voila! - You have a stretcher that 4 guys can handle easily - two if they're strong.

This works especially well if you have one of those rolling cradles bolted up too.