Engine lifting

[Smokestacklightnin]

Whats the most effective lifting points on a 302 for removal and install with an engine hoist? Forgive me, but I will be doing my first engine swap soon.

[85crownHPP]

You must not have the 'factory' lift hooks attached to your exhaust manifolds I take it? Id use those if you can get a hold of some.
If not you can run some strong bolts with fat washers into the exhaust manifold bolt holes to attach the chains. (on opposing corners of the block)

[1987cp]

I would not attempt to use the factory lift hooks, myself ... possibly they work better when they're stuck way out on the outside of iron exhaust logs, but the one time I tired using some, they just bent in toward the engine and tried crushing stuff. I end up removing most of the accessories and running bolts into the backs of the heads to lift by. If the lifting chains are positioned cleverly, it would become possible to really use a load-leveler to full advantage if you chose to use one.

Scott swears by lift plates, because they offer so much flexibility for swinging the engine at weird angles. You don't get that so much with just a plain chain, and he points out that when not clearly needed, load levelers can just be cumbersome and unnecessary.

Thain clarified an interesting point when he told me he likes to remove the crossbolts on the motor mounts, pull the engine up at a big angle with the transmission still attached, then put a jack under the transmission and detach the bellhousing with more clearance around everything. Reinstall the same way by tilting the engine on the motor plate and bolting it to the bellhousing at a weird angle, then lowering the whole kaboodle back in. Myself, I haven't yet successfully visualized just how that's supposed to work (I'm guessing loosening the tranny mount bolts would be involved, especially with a polyurethene tranny mount), but that's what he recommends. I've always done it by unbolting the engine from the mounts and the bellhousing to start, then scooting it forward and lifting straight up, but that's admittedly a lot of work to get everything lined up when it goes back in.

[Lincolnmania]

these work great!


for a carb or cfi motor


for efi motors

[85crownHPP]

I would not attempt to use the factory lift hooks, myself ... possibly they work better when they're stuck way out on the outside of iron exhaust logs, but the one time I tired using some, they just bent in toward the engine and tried crushing stuff.

what the heck did you have them attached to?? They are originally attached to either end of the logs like you said... the ones on mine seemed like the stoutest things under the hood aside from the block.

[1987cp]

Uh ... I didn't have the logs on there anymore and had then attached directly to the heads?

I was still rather surprised at how easily mine bent.

[gadget73]

They do bend a bit, but usually not enough to be a major problem, Without the log to space it out tho it can crush the valve cover. I've used those, and I've used the inake plate puller and both work well. The intake plate puller has the atvantage of being able to rock the motor around more easily than the diagonal chain method. If you need to lift the front end up, just stick a prybar somewhere and it goes where you expect. With the lifting hooks, it will usually lift and rotate at the same time since the chain runs corner to corner.

[1990LTD]

What do those big funky plates that scott posted attach to?

[Lincolnmania]

the intake manifold

[1990LTD]

i figured it had to be part of it if it was carb/efi specific..thanks