Just like it says in the subject line--I'm curious to know. Right now I've got mine up 41 inches at the top of the rear wheel arches. Once I have a hoist, I'm going to try it. Of course, my motor doesn't have a plenum on it.

I don't even know if I can get it any higher without a crane or magic or something. I need a taller jack.

Thanks!

Ed

If your cradle is undone, all you need to get that extra lift are a couple of big boys and someone to put the blocks under the jackstands. I have no body panels on and wheeled mine into the garage like a wheelbarrow (about 5 feet at a time).

*edit*
I forgot.....I was too busy pulling the motor/cradle out to measure, but it was about 1/8" higher than the highest point of the engine I guess this would partly depend on what you use for a dolly, so a measurement would be a moot point anyhow.

[This message has been edited by FieroBUZZ (edited 11-08-2004).]

yours is about as high as mine was. I just kept jacking up one side a bit, then the next side a bit, and so on (back and forth) until it was high enough. I had hydraulic jacks at the slots on the frame used for jacking. I then had jack stands just ahead of where the front cradle mounts are. Everytime I jacked up one side, I would raise the jack stand on that side. I eventually had to put wood blocks under my jackstands because they wouldn't go any higher. I also put wood blocks under the hydraulic jacks to get them to go higher as well.

I think mine was about 48" to roll the duke out the back. You can help yourself out by removing the TBI unit before hand although that only saves an inch or two. But every fraction counts right?

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84 Sport Coupe
87 GT 5 Spd

I have had my up twice to have the engine removed. 48 inches is what I go by. I have the front wheels up on ramps, the red ones that you can buy this cuts down on the angle of the car. With it this high I can drop it down on the crane's legs and slide the whole cradle out from under the car. I support the rear of the car just ahead of the rear cradle . With this set up I have removed the duke and a caddy 4.5 litre.

quote Originally posted by ditch: yours is about as high as mine was. I just kept jacking up one side a bit, then the next side a bit, and so on (back and forth) until it was high enough. I had hydraulic jacks at the slots on the frame used for jacking. I then had jack stands just ahead of where the front cradle mounts are. Everytime I jacked up one side, I would raise the jack stand on that side. I eventually had to put wood blocks under my jackstands because they wouldn't go any higher. I also put wood blocks under the hydraulic jacks to get them to go higher as well.

I started doing it this way on my first engine replacement until I stumbled on this idea...raise both sides at once.

I've always used the standard floor jack. as people above, going side to side, untill its high enough to get the jack in the middle. I also use a bar across the so I can jack in the middle.

48" to the top of the rear wheel well, also had the front up on jack stands about 10"
I had the rear bumper cover off so I wrapped a chain around the bumper support with a 2x4 to spread the load of the chain and lifted it with an engine hoist. First I used the engine hoist to lower the old motor and cradle assembly onto the dolly. Then I lifted the Fiero.

48"...scary high
When you start to worry about the car falling over you are close to high enough!!!!!!!!!

Dragon1/Brian

I jack it up ...Just enough

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98 3800SC, Getrag 5sp. only one around Austin Texas !

I do it just like Palcal. Except I roll the car on ramps in the front. Its not a bad idea to weigh down the front end. The car can get a little tipsy with the engine in the back. I doubt its enough to tip the car over, but it feels more sturdy with an extra 100lbs up front.

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About this high

Not really sure how many inches but you can probably guess.

Angie

quote Originally posted by FieroAngel: Angie

Holy cow, i thought i was the only one to use a backhoe to lift my fiero to pull the motor, i did mine inside my 40'x50' though -gary-

Check this out.
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/044643.html

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...Perfection....

This high:

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/046984.html

I lift mine high enough so that I can slide the motor straight back. It also involves putting the front on jackstands or the nose will hit the ground.

First time dropping a fiero motor I used a tractor. Sure makes things easier.

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Buy a fiero, become a mechanic

[This message has been edited by crzyone (edited 11-08-2004).]

EZ for me. I have a neighbor with a auto repair shop next door. He has a lift. I just run the car up about 7 feet in the air and put a tranny jack under the cradle. Worked on V6 and SBC

Definantly the easiest/scariest part of the engine swap. We just hooked the hoist to the strut towers and raised it up along with a board under the cradle with a jack. Then just roll the engine out the passengers side with a dolly. Make sure park the front wheels with some blocks or boards though so it doesnt roll forward into your garage wall.

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-Kyle
Email: arte@sek-c.com
Aim: Littlechugger
1987 Notchback 4cyl. (Busted Tranny)
1992 Corsica 3.1L GT =P

[This message has been edited by arte444 (edited 11-08-2004).]

quote Originally posted by crzyone: I lift mine high enough so that I can slide the motor straight back. It also involves putting the front on jackstands or the nose will hit the ground.

I got to disagree with that statement. I even have a spoiler under my GT nose and I never had to raise the front end up to get clearance while removing the engine.

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Red 88 GT T-Top 3800 INTERCOOLED SUPERCHARGED
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Please give me a rating if you appreciate my contribution.
Click here to read the History of Skitimes Car

Just speaking from experience. In order to clear the struts and have lots of room, putting the front on jackstands keeps my factory air dam from getting crushed. I've dropped the motor in this particular car 4 or 5 times, the first time I hit the air dam on the ground.

When I did both of mine I pulled the rear bumper skin off. Then I hooked my engine hoist onto the rear metal bumper and up she went............. Did it that way twice, one of the good things about that is you don't have to worry about bumper damage.

quote Originally posted by crzyone: Just speaking from experience. In order to clear the struts and have lots of room, putting the front on jackstands keeps my factory air dam from getting crushed. I've dropped the motor in this particular car 4 or 5 times, the first time I hit the air dam on the ground.

Well I have a little bit experience too. I remove the engine from the rear and even could remove my 3800SC with a 2 inch intercooler with no problem without damaging the front of my car. I also still have the factory air dam as well as the spoiler that is even further forward then the air dam and hangs down as low as the rubber unbreakable factory air dam. Neither ever get too close to the floor. Perhaps we are lifting the car differently. I lift the car exactly like paulcal posted above. This method is what is shown in the factory manual. It lightens the front of the car a lot which makes the front of the car appear to be raised quite a bit. Look at how the front suspension looks in the pic. This is what gives the clearance. If you raise the car from the back (Engine hoist ie lifting behind the engine) it would cause the front of the car to press down and you would have clearance problems. I know of one forum member that did what you described and put his front on stands. Unfortunately if fell off the front sands while lifting the back end and damaged his front body work. Raising the front of the car with stands seems to be an unnecessary danger when you are raising the back end so far. You can see in this pic that there is still plenty of clearance on the front of the car and the factory spoiler and my chin spoiler is still on the car.

Just one more point as to why I am disputing this. It is not that you can not do the engine removal this way. I see a lot of bad, dangerous information on this forum. This bad information could get someone seriously hurt. It is dangerous enough raising the back of a car this high while working to remove the engine. Adding the danger of raising the front of the car while raising and moving the back of the car is very dangerous and young Fiero enthusiasts could get hurt.

And to those young Fiero enthusiasts, never,never, never get under a Fiero without jack stands in place no matter what method you are using.

[This message has been edited by skitime (edited 11-08-2004).]

I use either floor jacks with 2 8' 4x4's and several cinder blocks or I use my chain fall

I've always used the two jack and 4x4 method most people use. After my latest intall I don't think I'll be doing that anymore. The scary part is that as you raise the jacks up the back edge of the 4x4 lifts up to follow the slope that the car is now at. Leaving only the front edge of the wood still sitting on the jack. Not a very safe situation. A better, safer method is to use the engine lift and chain through the shock towers. I couldn't do that unfortunately as I didn't have the roof clearance in my garage and the lift I had wouldn't go high enough either. It is difficult getting the car high enough with just the jacks though. Especially if your leaving the struts attached like I did.

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85 WS6 GT partly modified
87 GT Loaded resto project

Member Edmonton Fiero Owners Group

Okay everyone, that was the information I was looking for! Everyone gets a + if they didn't have one already, with my thanks!

Ed

PS It is quite possible that I was one of the last people to rate Skitime with a + on this forum. I have no idea why I hadn't rated him before. Oh well. Problem solved!

lift? to remove engine? bah!! i pulled mine from the top.. *nods*

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I used two floor jacks, stable as a rock. I checked every couple of inches by rocking to see if anything moved, it didn't. Have used this techique five times so far.

Without the engine the back end of the car is fairly light.

JazzMan

quote Originally posted by MiZer: lift? to remove engine? bah!! i pulled mine from the top.. *nods*

*you*? lol, that was a fun project... Soon we'll have a 3800sc in there eh!

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quote Originally posted by MTA:As you can remember I blew up last week and caught fire.

i've pulled many from the top
but never a swap from the top..

for my 3.4tdc swap i'm pulling the craddle - I have a hoist and a swivel wheel platform dolly so it shouldn't be too bad

When I pulled the cradle on mine.. I used the two jacks, 4x4 and jackstands method..

However, instead of jacking up the front end, I drove the car up on a set of 8" ramps. I don't think that ramping the car was totally nessessary.. however, I'm big and fat and the extra clearance made it easier for me to get under the car when needed

Before:

During:

After:

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'88 Formula
Project Testostarossa
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quote Originally posted by crzyone: I lift mine high enough so that I can slide the motor straight back. It also involves putting the front on jackstands or the nose will hit the ground.

quote Originally posted by skitime: I got to disagree with that statement. I even have a spoiler under my GT nose and I never had to raise the front end up to get clearance while removing the engine. . . . And to those young Fiero enthusiasts, never,never, never get under a Fiero without jack stands in place no matter what method you are using.

I think what crzyone is saying is that to pull the motor Straight back, you would need a little extra clearence by raising the front end. If you pull the engine out of the wheelwell, you won't need to do this. Of course, a lot depends on the dolly your using. Mine is tall. It sits almost 10 inches high.

I do agree with NOT using jackstands for the front. I would think it would be too tipsy when lifting the rear end. I raise the front end with ramps. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't. I don't need to do it. I'd say I've had complete cradles, in and out 15-20 times or more.

quote Originally posted by KissMySSFiero: I think what crzyone is saying is that to pull the motor Straight back, you would need a little extra clearence by raising the front end. If you pull the engine out of the wheelwell, you won't need to do this. Of course, a lot depends on the dolly your using. Mine is tall. It sits almost 10 inches high. I do agree with NOT using jackstands for the front. I would think it would be too tipsy when lifting the rear end. I raise the front end with ramps. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't. I don't need to do it. I'd say I've had complete cradles, in and out 15-20 times or more.

I do remove my engine straight back and you do not need extra clearance. I just pulled my 3800SC with a 2 inch thick intercooler under the supercharger and I removed it straight out the back. I would agree that if you are using a tall dolly you would have a problem but I am using a wooden skid with rollers mounted under it so it is not all that short in height either.

Well when i dropped my engine in me and 4Bangin4Fun lifted the back of the car up with an engine hoist by the back bracing of metal under the bumper! but started to buckle with the engine finally in ...but ya here are some pics and it helps with the trunk being alittle dented so you can slide the engine under just barley... was rubbing agaist the trunk !!

Engine being slid under from the side.. after going under the trunk!!!

Engine under with the car lifted high!!

Now engine in and hooking everything up.. OMG it was messy .. but alot of fun

Matt