HOW TO LIFT & SECURE ENGINES

If you've seen the LATEST EPISODE of our 4DMILF show car rescue you'll have seen things didn't quite go to plan when we set out to replace the clutch in our newest nugget. In fact, we had an absolute Barry Crocker. **SPOILER ALERT - WATCH THE EPISODE BEFORE READING ANY FURTHER**

We had been struggling to get the engine and transmission separated from each other, which can be quite a normal thing when dealing with older cars that haven't been apart in a long time. As it turned out there were some sticky dowel pins holding the Boxer and gearbag together, so we ripped them out together to split them on the bench, and we were keen to make up some lost time... 

Now, any old hand used to working on any sort of project will tell you the moment you start rushing you leave the door open for mistakes to creep in. "More speed, less haste" is a famous old quote, and unfortunately in our haste to get the engine and transmission apart we had a calamity...

Yes, the engine fell off the table and the old, rattly EJ is definitely pretty cooked now. But, this does create an opportunity to discuss how to secure engines if you want to lift or work on them. 

We have used a variety of methods to safely manoeuvre engines around when we've needed to lift, shift, or work on them. The main ones are:

• Using a chain bolted to points on the engine 
• Tying a used seatbelt through the intake manifold, or secured to the factory lift points
• Using a proper lifting sling in combination with a chain or used seatbelt.

You can see below the seatbelt is enough for the fairly lightweight Subaru NA SOHC four-cylinder and small five-speed transmission. Seat belts have to hold humans in place during a crash, so they're rated to more than 1000kg, and can sometimes withstand jolts of up to 2500kg. 

Heavier engines definitely need a beefier set-up, especially if you're going to be lifting them high, swinging them or jiggling them around. This is when careful rigging needs to take place, judging the weight of the engine, and how it will balance once it is lifted into the air. 

To pull the engine and transmission out of the Subaru as one unit we needed the front to rise significantly higher than the back, so pulling up from the front of the engine was key. When we fitted the Isuzu engine to Marty's Gemini he and Turbo Yoda attached a chain to the front and back of the engine, on opposite sides to balance the load and keep the iron block four-cylinder nice and level while in the air. 

Keeping the engine secure while it is in the air is key, and if we'd left the metal chain holding the engine to ride on the metal tine of the forklift it could have easily slipped or shifted. This could have led to dropping the engine, so a lifting strap was used around the forklift and the chain to keep it all secure.

Before you use a lifting strap you need to check it carefully for damage or frayed sections as these can easily snap, leading to engines dropping on the ground, onto cars, or worse onto people. 

Similarly, when you attach a chain to an engine you should use try to use factory lifting points with thick D-shackles. If you need to bolt the chain to the engine, you should use bolts with at least a 12mm head, and ensure there is at least 20mm of purchase into a solid thread in the block.

We rigged the engine to lift more from the rear, with a short chain length to avoid the risk of swinging as the engine acted like a pendulum. Keeping the engine level ensured we could drop it straight in the bay, as the shell already had the bonnet on and space was tight.

You can see below the engine sits nice and level, and is secure enough to wiggle onto the engine mounts without fear of it slipping or dropping. Don't think an engine won't slip or swing unpredictably when being moved as even workshop floors which appear smooth can hide bumps, or engines can be unsettled by the wheels on the lifting device starting and stopping rolling - all of this can start an engine swinging, which is why short strap lengths are important, and why it's key to have engines properly secured. 

So we've covered lifting and moving engines. What about once you want to work on them?

One of the key lessons from our 4DMILF disaster was we didn't have the engine secured on the table we were working on. It's easy to miss when you're focused madly on getting the damn engine and transmission apart, but still important to remember so you don't go through the same problems we now face replacing this engine (or worse, injuring someone).

If we had thrown a couple of rachet straps around the engine (front to rear, and side to side) this would have held it to the table and prevented it from falling down. Obviously you still need to be incredibly careful as the engine and table moves not to let the table flip over, or have your body in the way in case the engine does move and bangs down on the table. 

This is why rushing when doing any sort of work on a car is a bad idea as it's easy to break a hand or leg when a couple hundred kilograms of engine comes smashing down at terminal velocity. It doesn't even need to fall off the table to do damage, just rolling the engine over could easily break bones in your hand, leading to months off the tools. 

Ultimately this is a lesson to learn and an important one from a workshop safety point of view.