Hi, all...

I'm getting ready to stab the engine/tranny back in the truck. I wasn't too concerned taking the engine out, so just made some quicky 3/8 metal straps to yank it out. But, now that it's all painted,etc, I have a little more concern.

I have seen some people make a plate, that bolts in place of the intake manifold. One had just 6 bolts, lost the pics of the other one. Is this a "safe" way to lift the motor and 4 speed tranny? And if you've done this, how many bolts did you use? I lean towards "overkill", and figured at least 10 bolts, but want to know if others have used this method, whether its recommended, etc before I go through cutting and drilling a steel plate...

Plate like this:



I'm mostly worried about strength of the top of the block, with the tranny on it.

Thanks in advance!!

R

 

I user the 4 carb bolts on my 351 c6 instal,I bought a plate at the local speed shop that is made for this.manafold ia alum. eldbrock work fine.

 

"Theoretically", one 1/4" bolt, Grade 3, will support it....yeh. If it bounces on the hook, maybe it takes 2.... theoretically. The more you use, the less chance of distorting the intake surface. (and use Grade 5) With the flywheel and trans on it, you'll probably be lifting with the rearmost hole on the lift plate (a leveler would be good)

I've seen people lift the block w/heads etc with a J-hook stuck into the valve chest. On the assembly line, Ford used a 3"-4"-tall plate that they stuck into the valve chest, turned 90-deg. (crossways to the crank), hooked it under the center intake tubes, and lifted. (short blocks)

 

That should work exactly fine.

I made on that doesn't look as nice, bare blocks I use 4 bolts, crank & Tranny 6

 

Thanks all - now off to the shop to make a puller/installer!

R

 

I can never get enough pictures of Flat Motors..... Keep 'em comin.

 

Don't know if you saw them - here's mine as it looks today - can't decide whether to use the aluminum or the stock manifold...




Decisions, decisions, decisions!!

R

 

Luke!!...come to the Darkside....

 

Looks good, I see you decided to paint the centerhead, is that original colour, I struggled with my colour choice and as long as were are looking at Flatheads here is mine.

 

That's VERY close to the original colour - Detroit Diesel Alpine Green. No, I didn't paint the aluminum manifold, but did paint the original cast one. Those two pictures are different manifolds.

I like your heads. Someday, maybe, I'll build a motor from ground up. For now, this will do for my truck. I also have a Fenton dual carb manifold, that I'll eventually use, or sell...or something...

R

 

Looking at your two pics rc8avor I still say go with the aluminium manifold.

 

Roger


Yours needs some contrast, I personally would do the heads another colour. I powder coated my aluminum heads black and you could something similar and for not alot of money and some crome nut covers would look really nice.

 

WGC - the motor is together, except the intake. I really don't want to pull the heads, plus I'm pretty much a "stock" kinda guy. I like the contrasting heads, as well, on someone elses truck. My truck is going to be as stock looking as I can make it, and old looking. I'm not "rodding" it, just "roading" it. I'd like to find a set of aluminum heads someday, polish everything, put my dual carbs on it, etc, just to sit in my shop. But, this one's going stock. I'm just really torn about the manifold. I like them both equally, and I think the aluminum "washes out" a bit, although it looks better in person than the picture. Plus, I think it will look a LOT better once I put on the 5-bladed fan, and generator. Wish I had realized that my front cover is aluminum, I would have stripped it before painting the rest, but I'm not going to strip it now. So, it's still up in the air what I'm going to do. When the time comes to put my oil fill on, one of the manifolds will get it, and that's the one I'll use. I'm still a ways away, as I have to come up with the money for a new clutch pack, and with overtime all but gone at work, it might be a while! Of course, if I sold the Fenton, I'd have the money for the clutch, but then, I wouldn't have a Fenton any more...decisions, decisions, decisions!!

R

 

Over my dead body!!



R

 

Looks just fine and when you get the generator and fan on it will look very stock and clean. Post some pictures when you get it in the truck.