This thread is to document the 400 build for Dad's truck. I'd not planned to start the thread quite yet, but I need some advice so here goes.

In a couple of days I'm driving Rusty about 100 miles roundtrip to pick up a 400 out of a '78 F250. It's been out of the truck for many years and is locked up - supposedly just from sitting. But, it is supposed to be original and I'm hoping the crank is good since I need one for the conversion of Dad's engine from M to 400. And, for $40 I can't really go too far wrong.

However, the guy doesn't have an engine crane so I'm planning to take mine to pick the engine up off his engine stand. But my engine crane is a quite heavy (I over-built it ) so I don't want to have to unload and reload it at the guy's house w/o the use of my lift. So I've worked out this plan and want your input and upgrades:

• I'll load the engine crane pointing backward in Rusty and secure it for the trip.
• When I get there I'll remove the tailgate and roll the crane to the absolute back edge of the bed and secure it WELL with ratchet straps and a come-along so there is absolutely no way it can roll off.
• The attachment point on the boom will be outside the bed by 18", but only 10" past the bumper. Hopefully the guy's engine stand will have the engine higher than the bumper and I'll use chain to attach to the engine.
• But, the attachment point on the boom will be 20" past the front wheels of the crane, so I'll have to place bags of sand on the back of the crane to prevent it from tipping over. The spot I have picked for the bags is 52" the other side of the wheels. So I have a 2.5:1 leverage advantage, and since what I've found says a 400 weighs about 575 lbs I'm going to put four 80 lb bags on which, with the weight of the crane itself, will be major overkill.
• I'll pick the engine off the stand, have the guy keep it from swinging in into Rusty, and pick it up above the bottom of the bed.
• Then I'll use the come-along to roll the crane toward the front of the bed enough to get the engine inside and gently lower it down onto the spare tire.
• Strap everything down for the ride home, install the tailgate, and hit the road, Jack

What have I forgotten? What concerns do you have?

 

How are you going to get the crane over the engine and onto the ground to lift the engine out of your truck?

The seller must have a cherry picker too.
He got it onto his engine stand in the first place.

 

That this will turn into an 800 page micro analysis of how to load/unload an engine............

 

Lift the engine out with one arm of his lift. Then, do the same for the crane.

I know it will work, we do the same kind of thing at work.......

Also, he already said that was how he was gonna load the crane......

 

Ssssssh,
You're ruining my fun.

I think if Gary brought a big enough helium tank he could just fill the engine up and float it into Rusty's bed.

 

LOL!!!!!!!


Call "2 men and a truck". Let them do the loading/unloading, while sipping a cuppa coffee.

 

My neighbor has built an interesting hydraulic 'U' frame that folds over the bed of his F350.
There is a winch mounted on it.

He can pick things almost 5' behind the truck.

 

What Gary really needs to do is build another winch and trolly system like he has upstairs in the shop, but make it fit in the back of a pickup. If that system works for getting an engine upstairs in the shop, surely it can work for getting one in/out of a truck bed.......










Jim, we are bound to get this to at least page 2 in the next 15 minutes, at the current rate.

 

I always liked a collapsible gantry with a chainfall and casters.

But I'd be in favor of the simple redneck solution.
(you DO have trees there in Oklahoma, right?)


I need to be up in four hours.
So you're going to have to find someone else to get you to page 2.
Sorry

 

People get nervous if you go looking for a strong tree branch with a length of rope don't they

Surely the seller will help lift your crane on and off?

 

Gary,

Assuming the owner's roof isn't strong enough to lift from, can you -

-remove the tailgate & roll your crane down some 10' ramps onto the floor
-shift the ramps, & load the engine forward, towards the cab
-roll the (empty) crane back up the ramps onto the truck

I'm just thinking 'ramps', because I often use them. But your plan would work fine with enough counter-balancing.

No forklifts nearby?

 

Wow! You guys had fun last night! Glad I could provide some mirth. But, it sounds like you mostly agree with my plan.

Yes, the guy does have cherry picker, but he loaned it to his brother and it is now in TX. Then he found out he's moving, which is why the engine is going for $40, and now has now way to lift the engine.

Yes, I'll use the lift to load and unload, with one exception - I'll use the crane to lower the engine down onto my engine stand while the crane is still in the bed. That will make loading the engine onto the stand as there is a big problem with my design of the crane vs that of most engine stands - the legs hit. So it is a pain to load an engine since the stand has to be off center.

No, while there are trees in OK it isn't a good assumption that he will have one both at the right height and reachable with an engine on a stand.

Yes, a winch and trolley system downstairs like that upstairs would be nice, but I didn't plan that in like I did above so there's no good way to attach to the ceiling joists w/o using lag screws. Upstairs I bent strap that goes over the beam we installed, bends under the I-beam for the trolley, and is welded there. Very solid.

No, I'd rather not take the crane off, either via ramps or lifting it out. It is heavy and ungainly so lifting really should take 3 people and we are but 2. And I don't have any ramps up to the task.

Ok guys, thanks a bunch! (Did this get to Page 2? )

 

Got the engine hoist/crane loaded and tied down today, the ballast and all the tools loaded, and the truck is ready for the trip. Here's a shot of the crane hung from the lift:


This shows everything loaded. There are only 8 ratchet straps holding it in.


And, with the wheels of the crane as far to the rear of the bed as possible I have 11" between the chain and the bumper. Should be enough, especially if the stand has the engine above the bumper as that'll give another 8" of clearance.


The only potential problem I have thought of is how to get the boom retracted to get the engine fully inside the bed as there isn't enough room between the crane and the tool box to roll it forward to do that. So I'm thinking I'll set the chain length up such that when I've got the engine at the height I want it to bring into the bed the boom will be horizontal. Then I'll bring it up slightly to ensure it won't slide the wrong way and pull the locating pin. Then I'll put one of the ratchet straps from the front end of the boom to the back of the crane and, hopefully, retract the boom gently. (Or, I could find the tree we discussed and back up such that the boom hits the tree. )

 

Run rachet strap over top side of the boom, and it should pull in somewhat easily. Horizontal or slightly above would be best.


Only 8 straps holding it? Not sure that will be enough. Needs at least 28........


Rusty has a saggy tailgate. Some PO failed to use enough straps on something, prolly many times over.......

 

This made me laugh pretty good. My dog woke up barking. I needed that.