Hi,

I have a 351w in my '49 F1. The motor mounts are not in the best condition, quite rusty and since the replacement ones cost $13 for the pair I decided to replace them. However having bought the replacement mounts I obviously need to lift the engine to get the exist ones out. Therefore I was after some advice on the best way of doing this.

My thinking, which could be wrong, is I have two options:
a) Hoist the engine, which is require buying/renting a motor hoist. In which case does anyone know the exact locations of the chain attached points on the block?

b) Cheaper option as I have a jack, jack the engine up from below with a thick piece of wood. I hear a lot of people suggest this is a bad idea and I suspect the previous owner might have tried this before. The oil pan is dented as shown in the picture below. I plan to replace the oil pan as well since it does not look in great shape, but obviously don't want to risk damaging the oil screen, or anything else.

I'm happy to empty the fuilds as the coolant needs changing and if I'm going to do the pan I'll need to change the oil as well.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated? Thanks Richard

 

In the past I've raised the engine to replace the mounts by using a floor jack with a 2X4, the wider the board the better to spread the weight.

 

I never put the top of the jack in the center of the pan as it looks like somebody did to yours. I use a 2x8 about 8 " long or a triple layer of 3/4 ply wood about 8" x 12" . I do that with auto tranys too only with a board that will cover all of the pan . For a few years I had a steel plate 8"x 12" x 1/4" that worked well until I needed a piece of steel that size for a project and used it . I never have bent one doing it that way.

 

Is the pan bent, or "clearanced" to get over the axle? Pans are plenty stout to hold the engine up, but if you want to replace the pan, you'll either have to do the mounts first, or use a hoist.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think i'll give the thick, large piece of wood a go.

Having never removed an engine before I'll follow these steps, but please let me know if these sound wrong?

1. loosen off bolts on all the mounts (both sides and transmission)
2. Place the truck frame on axle stands so I can remove the wheels to allow easy access to the mounts.
3. jack the engine up, with the thick piece of wood supporting the as much of the oil pan as possible, so the weight of the truck and engine are supported between the axle stands and the jack/wood evenly.
4. undo the bolt that holds one side mount to the frame, then undo the bolts that hold that mount to the motor
5. jack slight bit more to lift the engine enough to get the mount out.
6. install the new mount and bolt up, not fully tight and lower jack again.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 on the otherside.
8. lower jack to leave engine supported by it's mounts.
9. jack back off transmission to support weight of transmission
10. undo bolts that hold the transmission mount to the transmission, jack transmission enough to get the mount out.
11. replace transmission mount and tighten transmission mount bolts, 37 ft/lbs.
12. tight motor mount bolts to 37 ft/lbs.

Ross, I think it was dented as the photo below shows the truck when I bought it and there is plenty of clearance.

Thanks once again. Richard

 

Sorry, thought the dent was looking sideways where it transitions to the deeper sump.

Your plan is sound. All you need to do tho is take the weight off the mounts, and if you're lifting evenly, you can do both with the same "lift". No advantage to lifting any more than necessary to get the bolts out.

 

just dont smash your hand between the motor and frame, that can cause allot of cussin!

 

Thanks Ross.

b-uno, I'll try and keep my hands clear and not smashed, quite like them the way they are!

 

If you can, after you have the motor raised you might try to insert a few blocks of wood between the motor and frame just in case you have your hands in there and jack decides to fall. It's basically the same principle of using jack stands whenever you work under your car. If the engine comes down it won't feel much less than if the entire car fell on them.

 

thats the same trick i use, since im alone all the time doing dangerous stuff i always jam somthing in anywhere i can get smashed so the wife dont have to come out days later and see me dead