Safe to pull 390 engine this way

In the manual for a 60 caddy, it says "attach a rope or chain around the intake manifold."

Does this mean I can run a chain under the factory high rise intake and pull the engine that way. I'm not sure if that's what it is referring to. If so, that will make things convenient, but I'm afraid without conformation from someone that this might damage something.



Thanks,
Brandon

 

Personally, what I've always done is bolt two steel 'tabs' to the intake.
The tabs are a triangle bent piece of steel. One corner has a large hole for the hook on your chain and the other end has corresponding holes to match up to your intake.
You put them caddy-corner from each other on the intake, like one at the front right and one at the back left. You take out two rear bolts from the intake, place the triangle over them and then put the bolts back.
I've never run a chain/rope under a raised intake so I can't offer any experience on that.
Hope that helped.
~Jef

Here, I hopped into 'Paint' and drew this up...

 

Rope? NEWS AT 6 ......." man crushed while pulling antique engine,local congressman want to pass legislation to ban old engines as being unsafe"

 

Invest $10 at your local auto parts store on a manifold lift plate. It bolts on in place of the carb and will lift your 390 without any problems.

Picture added

 

I've collected factory lift tabs found on most GM engines over the years. These come in handy and can be found scattered about in any junkyard, especially pick-a-parts.

 

+1. Since I bought one of these plates, I've never pulled an engine or installed one without using the plate. I totally dig mine. It makes life so much easier.

 

X100 on the lift tabs. No need to get fancy, they're readily available if you look or ask around

Sometimes if you're using the right size chain you can bolt a link end direct to the intake or head

The chain under intake would certainly work, but I'd be leery of point-loading that old heat-cycled metal. Plus with bolts/hooks, you know it's not going to slip like a chain wrap might.

good luck

 

Sorry, I forgot to tell ya where to get them!..lol
pasadenahotrod is right, most of your factory motors have them, so a junkyard's a great place to start. I ran SBC's for years, so I always had the same set hanging on my pegboard.
As for the lift plate, guys are yall talking about that 'H' pattern type gig?

I've used my old tabs so long, I believe 'doing it cheap' has left me behind..lol

 

Your manual may be talking about the intake manifold and not the complete engine.

If the 390 Caddy intake is somewhat like the Ford 390 FE series intake it weighs a frickin' ton.

The 455 Buick cast iron intake is quite heavy as well.

 

Somebody familiar with rope would have no issues pulling a motor by it. The military does some amazing things with heavy objects and rope today, and other than a few farmers, it's pretty much a lost art. I'd imagine back then there still would have been rope users in a shop, including plenty of block & tackle hoists.

 

The older Ford engines used to have these neat lifting tabs on them, I've saved a few over the years and they come in handy for engine swaps. Always use a strong grade bolt for attaching anything for engine lifting.

I also made up a carb flange plate some years ago, not pretty but has been used many times. If you do make one up, put in a row of 3 holes so you can change the pivot point if needed.

Bob

 

I save all of my dental floss instead of throwing it out after use. Just save plenty and weave it together! It's very strong, cheap and it smells like mint!

Dude, buy a carb plate!

 

You know, lots of 80s & 90s GM motors with V8s have those tabs on 'em still from the factory. Hit the U-Wrench-It.

I usually use a chain. bolted to a couple of intake bolts with washers.

~Jason

 

Yeah, one more vote for a manifold lift plate.

And for a big heavy motor like that a load leveler isn't a bad idea either. Not necessary, but not a bad idea!

 

To answer your question, yes. a rope or chain under throught the intake will work fine. (although I would recommend a quailty strap, no rope or chain.) If your worried about it "breaking the intake", a intake lift plate is going to load the intake just the same, but with less bolts.

I once read an article about using a carb lift plate on an aluminum intake and if the weight of the engine would pull the studs out. long story short, if screwed in 1/2" a 7/16" stub will need 5,000+ psi to pull the threads out of an average cast AL intake. And your plate uses 4 of them. so it will be fine. so toss a strap through there and yank it out. your manifold bolts won't budge and unless the untake is craked in half, it's not hurting anything.

factory lift point brackets are certainly handy, but if you don't have any they are not doing you any good.

Good luck.

 

I was in pulling the engine/trans out of my OT mid 60's truck last awhile back and realized I didn't have my intake mount lift plate. I bought an engine hoist chain with two lifting plates from a discount tool store. Once I got the engine & trans pulled out, I looked at the plates. These plates, which looked to be 1/8" thick, were pretty well deformed from the weight of the 352. They still might be okay to use, but I threw them in a scrap metal bin.

I would try to buy, borrow, or build something quality so you don't get hurt or drop something and break it.

 

+2... This makes things easier...

 

That caddy has an open bottom intake manifold with a valley pan, right? If so YES you can run straps (stronger than rope less damaging than chain) under it and safely lift the motor out.

 

I read that back in 68-69 too. I've been afraid to attach anything to an aluminum manifold since. Long ago the carb brackets had a warning, "Not to be used with aluminum manifolds." The factory installation brackets must be safe, they are used to build cars. I've used a chain around old Chrysler Hemi's, Cadillacs & anything else I could get a chain wrapped around.
I'd never do this, but I've seen engines pulled using the heavy fabric strapping from shipping crates.

Lucky667

 

made one of these out of 2 pieces of steel..works great on most engines

 

I would go this way also,I have a set I made for FE Ford engines that bolt to the front and back of the heads, those puppys weigh a ton. I get nerveses. using a carb plate on a small block when it has a aluminum intake.

 

I use a engine leveler ... and would NEVER go back to the old chain and hooks. Coming out with the regular hooks and chains is not too bad but the leveler really makes installation back a LOT EASIER

About 50 dollars and well worth it

 

Don't get a shitty one, though... did you guys see that thread on here about the Harbor Freight one that broke on Scott?
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=308335

Was some seriously F'd up shit!

Scott has a nice '60, too. So do I, by the way.

~Jason

 

I did not see that but I do not buy Harbor Freight junk anyway ... I got the photo off the internet ... but mine is actually more heavy duty that the one I posted.

Anyone who would trust a 20 dollar Harbor Frieght one ... needs a small, light aluminum V6 engine to pull ... not a big heavy 700 plus pounds monster

 

LOL! No doubt!

But yeah, I figured I'd post that anyway. I'd hate for dude to get a shitty one and squash is hand like Scott did. Ouch!

Talk about lucky! He never did post a picture of his hand, or the busted load leveler though... and I was looking forward to the gore.

~Jason

 

Seriously, just start unbolting shit, Brandon. Take a couple of intake bolts out, one on the front right, and one on the back left, poke 'em through the last links of a 36-inch chain with a couple of washers to keep the chain on, and screw 'em back in.

Then hook the hoist up and lift! Hell, take it out with the transmission still attached. Have a buddy spot you, if you want. You can totally tell as soon as the hoist starts to get a little weight on it and the chain stretches a little if it's going to take it or not. Let your gut be your guide!

You'll get it, man!

~Jason

 

Gotta be careful with chain.
Works best with a straight pull.

If you have a link bolted to an intake manifold to head bolt the bolted down link will receive an about 90* pull.

Very common for chains loaded from the side to break.

Been there, done that....

 

Moral of the story: If you had to ask, you don't trust it.

 

Is an aluminum intake carb bolts (and threads) going to be able to take the weight of a V8 engine? I always bolt a chain to the front and back intake bolts. Comes right out...

 

YES. The 390 caddy in my avatar was lifted and pulled 5 times from under the manifold and twice attached with bolts right into the heads when the manifold was off with the tranny still attached. Get yourself some good bolts and a good chain and you won't have a problem. Period