engine dolly
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 895
Likes: 4
From: whitman massachusetts
engine dolly
Hi All,
Is it just me, or is the "advanced search" feature on the forum messed up. I tried unsuccessfully to search this subject on multiple occasions. I have to pull my new motor transmission combo back out of my restored chassis, in order to start serious body repairs. I want to store them as a unit on some type of dolly. Motor is a stroked small block attached to a turbo 400. Could I get some pictures/ suggestions as to the best type of dolly to build/buy. Any help is appreciated
Is it just me, or is the "advanced search" feature on the forum messed up. I tried unsuccessfully to search this subject on multiple occasions. I have to pull my new motor transmission combo back out of my restored chassis, in order to start serious body repairs. I want to store them as a unit on some type of dolly. Motor is a stroked small block attached to a turbo 400. Could I get some pictures/ suggestions as to the best type of dolly to build/buy. Any help is appreciated
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 6
From: Tucson AZ
St. Jude Donor '12
I just bought a couple of these from Jugs:
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/80065/10002/-1
At that price, why bother with making one.
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/80065/10002/-1
At that price, why bother with making one.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 895
Likes: 4
From: whitman massachusetts
I just bought a couple of these from Jugs:
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/80065/10002/-1
At that price, why bother with making one.
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/80065/10002/-1
At that price, why bother with making one.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 895
Likes: 4
From: whitman massachusetts
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 6
From: Tucson AZ
St. Jude Donor '12
In that case I would make a wooden dolly and lay it on that.
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Cruising
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
I have one similar to the one pictured below, bought it from Summit Racing. It's great for storage of the motor and moving it around the shop. Bolted right up to the block. I don't think it will balance a tranny though unless you hang a few pounds off the balancer.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,435
Likes: 793
From: Redondo Beach, California
The only time I had an engine/bellhousing/transmission stack all together and supported was when the entire stack was supported by an engine hoist. The hoist was connected to the entire stack via "eye" plates connected to intake manifold. One "eye" plate at the back of the engine and another "eye" plate on the opposite side at the front of the engine.
An eye plate is just a plate that connects to the intake manifold and has a big hole in it for the engine hoist C clamps to connect too.
An eye plate is just a plate that connects to the intake manifold and has a big hole in it for the engine hoist C clamps to connect too.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,709
Likes: 3
From: Savannah GA
FWIW, there's only a dozen or so bolts holding your trans to the block. Maybe 10 minutes to disassemble... 15 to bolt back up. It will be much easier to store/move/work around as two smallish parts vs one large one.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,435
Likes: 793
From: Redondo Beach, California
I prefer to do the complete engine/bellhousing/tranny removal and install.
I've had bad luck laying underneath the car, trying to mate the tranny/bellhousing with the engine. I take it that for some people, it's not that difficult, but for me it's not possible.
Also, for mating a Richmond 5 speed to an engine..OUT IN THE COMPLETE OPEN on an empty frame, I had a lot of problems. The clutch was a McLeod twin disk unit. Absolutely no way in hell I could have done this underneath the car. The Richmond had one of the fine spline input shafts (many more splines that the 17 spline OEM). That and the twin disks, made slipping the input shaft into the twin disk plates and then into the pilot bearing was very difficult for me. Once again, laying on my back under the car...no way.
I've had bad luck laying underneath the car, trying to mate the tranny/bellhousing with the engine. I take it that for some people, it's not that difficult, but for me it's not possible.
Also, for mating a Richmond 5 speed to an engine..OUT IN THE COMPLETE OPEN on an empty frame, I had a lot of problems. The clutch was a McLeod twin disk unit. Absolutely no way in hell I could have done this underneath the car. The Richmond had one of the fine spline input shafts (many more splines that the 17 spline OEM). That and the twin disks, made slipping the input shaft into the twin disk plates and then into the pilot bearing was very difficult for me. Once again, laying on my back under the car...no way.
