I bought a "complete turn key" 2.8 V6 from a guy off of EBAY a few weeks ago.. He will be dropping the engine off at my place in his chevy blazer in a couple of days..

I need some help...

The guy asked if i had a cherry picker to get the engine out of his sport utility.. I dont have one and am not ready to do the engine install in my 86 GT any time in the near future... I would hate to go out now and buy a cherry picker (even rent one) to just lift a motor out of someone's truck to just put it on my garage floor... That'll take what a couple of minutes... I was hoping i could just go to home depot to get a couple of 4x4's and him and i could just lower it to the ground so then he could be on his way...

One of my questions is this, has anyone had any experience in doing somthing similiar to what ive just explained to their 2.8 V6???

If so, what did you use and where were your lift points on the engine???

I am also wondering how much an assembled complete 2.8 weighs???

Finally, if i need to use a cherry picker what do i need to go with it because ive never done anything like this before?? (example what type/size and quantity of hex bolts do i need for the engine block and where are these located in the engine so i can attach the engine hoist to it...))

ANY help would be GREAT!!!

pcgamer..

Unless you have a hoist/lift, you are going to need the cherry picker to put the engine in your Fiero anyway. I would say bite the bullet and get a cherry picker. If you are going to be doing any engine work, it is much easier/safer to have the right tools. As far as the engine lift points, there are 2 metal brackets on the engine. One is on the side of the cylider head by the distributor, the other is in the opposite corner. For the cherry picker, you will need lift chains and hooks and safety wire. A good tool to have is a load leveler, this lets you shift the lift point around so whatever you are picking up will stay level.

Harbor Freight Cherry Picker - $189
Harbor Freight Load Leveler - $30

If it's a Fiero V6 there should be lift points from the factory, a couple of iron loops diagonally opposed fastened near the heads, one near the flywheel end and one near the accessory end. Picking it up inside a blazer (or pickup canopy for that matter) is going to be a .........
if you use the 2X4 method remember that the vehicle will rise as the weight is lifting, meaning you'll have to lift it that much higher.
I recently brought home a DTC in the open bed of my Dakota, I rotated the motor near the tailgate, installed the mounting gizmo for my engine stand and it took FIVE healthy guys to lift it off the truck and plug it into the stand (D... motor-mounts kept digging into the bedliner).
I'm not sure about the weight difference between the two different motors, but it's probably not that significant.
I now own a cherry picker to finish the project (after that experiance) Harbor Freight $159. on sale (folding outriggers) along with a $31. load shifter gizzy that hooks to the lift points on the motor + a trip to hoedepo for some 800# rated screw open chain-link things about $1.80 ea.

how do i attach the chains/load leveler to the engine brackets??

are those loop youre talking about the ones that are spring loaded or can i just use tow chain hooks???

pcgamer..

They look like a link of chain w/ a knurled section on one of the sides that retracts by unscrewing it (sorta like a key-ring), found them @ Home Depot. In our store (aren't they all the same) the isle next to the tool corral has rope, chain and cable. there's a section with chain and stuff for trailers thats where I found them along w/ carbiners and things of that nature. Make sure that what you decide on is over kill! Having the oil-pan squish your toes after the exhaust manifold rakes your shins would probably rate way up there on the suck scale. the ones I got were rated for 800lbs.. I may go back for bigger ones 'cause now that I think about it one (hopefully) of my lifts will be the whole drive-train.

gt88norm

ok.. thanks again MEMBERS...

pc..

I got a hoist for 200, with free shipping, and its worked out great so far... I can find the link again if ur interested..it was cheapest i could find, local parts store wanted 260...

i just found a 2 ton engine hoist at pep boys on sale for $119.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about a steal !!!!!!!

I highly recommend a load leveler like what gt88norm linked to. They make aligning the engine and transmission way easier.

i plan on getting one now...

thanks..

pc..

I bought a 2 ton shop crane from CostCo that folds up, and it came with a leveler already, for $130 total. It's a well-built item, I'm very happy with it.

The only thing I did to it was to build a swivel: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/036945.html

JazzMan

If you had'nt bought the C-picker already I was going to suggest what we used years ago.
A tree with a strong bow, something called a "Block & Tackle" not football related at all, a large wheel barrel and 3 strong guys. We used this method on a 389 from a GTO. A 2.8 would be a piece of cake once you drug it off the SUV.

Maybe you can get your money back ??

------------------

Wow.. I suppose what I'm reading is the right way to do it..

I never used a hoist or cherry picker, etc when I did the engine on my GT.. takes some doing but floor jacks and jackstands can be used. Admittedly, using a hoist would be a lot simpler.

As for moving the engine about, as heavy as the 2.8 is, 2-3 guys shouldn't have any problem moving that engine around. A bare block I can carry myself, and assembled with heads (no intake) my father and I managed to lift onto the cradle..

Just an observation..

quote Originally posted by Steve Normington: Unless you have a hoist/lift, you are going to need the cherry picker to put the engine in your Fiero anyway. I would say bite the bullet and get a cherry picker. If you are going to be doing any engine work, it is much easier/safer to have the right tools.

Um, I have to disagree with you here. You don't need a cherry picker to do engine work with a fiero. Actually, the ways I've seen people lift fieros to remove/replace engines I don't like at all. My preffered method is using a pair of jacks and a 4x4 to raise the fiero off of the engine/cradle. It seems to work much better since there isn't really a good way that I've seen to lift the fiero off of the cradle with a cherry picker.

-Jeff

The dressed weight of a 2.8 is almost 600 pounds, that's a wee bit much for a couple of regular guys to pick up out of the back of a truck and set on the ground. If you can't get a shop crane and don't have any place to set up a chain hoist, consider borrowing a set of the ramps that the ATV guys use to drive their ATVs up into the back of their trucks. With a set of those and some wood you can slide that engine right out of the back of the truck.

Good luck, and be safe!

JazzMan

i have a four wheeler and was going to use the ramps .. but hey, thanks to all for the input...

pc..out..

I had to bit the bullet here recently and purchase a cherrry-picker and load-leveler for my engine swap. It had to be done.

To lift my car, I attached chains to the strut plate studs coming through the strut towers. There are several ways but I used nuts with large washers. I would definitely put jackstands under the frame of the car, just forward of the front cradle mounts. I did use the cherry-picker as a secondary safety hook-up but it wasn't supporting the weight of the car, the jackstands were. I actually put my jackstands on cinderblocks (2, side by side) to get the car high enough to roll the engine out from under it.

When I dropped the engine/tranny/cradle, I set it on a 1/2 pallett that I had installed 4 cheap casters on. I was able to roll the assembly around on that.

There are several different ways to do it. Try a search for "drop cradle" or something and you will be able to decide which is best for you.

Two floor jacks, works just fine, and leaves the underside of the engine/cradle free to use a dolly:

JazzMan

Hey PCGamer, I bought my cherry picker from Pep Boys also only mine was on sale for $99. It has been a life safer for me with doing my engine swap. I wasn't going to buy one either, but now I am glad that I did as it makes the work easier. At least for me it did. How far away are you from Grand Rapids? If you are not to far I could let you use mine as I don't need it right at this moment. PM and we can talk about it. Also if you need help I just took my engine out by using the cherry picker and 2 jack stands. Not very hard to do at all.

Thanks Ken