My method is simple and  cheap, easy and safe.  I have written about it a
couple of times.  I can't imagine any more simple and easier way.  I used to
have a little dolly too, but I had to lift the car way too high that way.
Now, only lift one side of the car if I want to.  Much faster too.  And the
main thing is, that I can be without the dreaded cherry picker.  Now, to
take an engine out or install, is fun.
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "neil N" <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 6:30 PM
Subject: Re: Dolly for engine removal

>I should add that I used this setup for engine/transmission removal.
> Not sure if it would help when just taking out engine.
>
> Neil.
>
>
>
> On 11/29/07, neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all.
>>
>> I'm sure this has been done before, but it might bear repeating.
>>
>>
>> If you're a one man show, and have limited room to use floor jack to
>> scoot
>> the engine back once it's free, this may help. It also helps in that you
>> can
>> move the engine around more easily. FWIW, I would have removed the handle
>> from the jack, but this just seemed totally unsafe.
>>
>>
>> Basically you make a dolly that rolls under engine when van still on
>> ground, and has enough room between rails for floor jack to go underneath
>> it.
>>
>> I made mine this way. Your jack may be different. YMMV! Also this design
>> is not meant for a lot of use.
>>
>>
>> With jack saddle seated, I measured height from floor to saddle. Mine
>> turned out to be ~ 6".
>>
>>
>> Each rail of dolly:
>>
>>
>> 2 pieces of 2x4 and a 3/4" piece of plywood at roughly 17" long. Attach 2
>> 125 lb rated plastic swivel wheels. (you may want something more
>> substantial
>> than plastic wheels. You may also want to add a cross member at rear to
>> ends
>> of rails.) The wheels I bought were ~ 2.5" from bottom of wheel to top of
>> plate. Whatever you use for material, just make sure you make it so jack
>> will slide out once dolly is on the ground.
>>
>>
>> Deck:
>>
>>
>> I think it was 18.5" x 15" but for sure is 3/4" plywood. I sized it to
>> support engine and IIRC, the carrier bar (aka load bar) but for sure not
>> the
>> exhaust header. I positioned it on rails as such.
>>
>>
>> Here's how I used mine.
>>
>>
>> With van still on the ground, I put dolly and jack under engine and
>> jacked
>> up dolly to support the engine. I supported the tranny, and removed the
>> mount and plate it attaches to from frame and tranny. I removed the
>> fasteners from the engine carrier, and lowered the engine/dolly to the
>> ground. Then I snuck the jack back to the tranny mount point on frame,
>> (there's room with other parts removed) jacked up the van, put some jack
>> stands in there for safety, then I removed the bolts and nuts holding
>> engine
>> to tranny, wiggled the engine off the tranny, and with some fenaggling,
>> it
>> rolled out nicely!
>>
>>
>> I had removed some parts from the engine, so you may find there's not
>> enough lift on your jack to make this possible. Even so, you could add
>> wood
>> to your jack. As it was, I had to uh, persuade the sheet metal under
>> bumper
>> so the tower thingy (crankcase breather??) would clear. The body on this
>> van
>> is scrap so I didn't care. Again, YMMV.
>>
>>
>> The best part is I can roll the engine out to my other van, get the jack
>> under the dolly again, and with any luck lift it up level with the van
>> and
>> slide it in!
>>
>>
>> Heh heh.
>>
>>
>> This design is not HD, but should suffice for limited use. I'd recommend
>> using heftier rubber wheels and adding a cross member at rear to ends of
>> 2x4.
>>
>>
>> I'll post a pic tomorrow. It's too dark right now.
>>
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Neil.
>>
>> --
>> Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia -
>> "Jaco"  (Bustorius) http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
>>
>> Engine swap beginings: http://musomuso.googlepages.com/home
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia -
> "Jaco"  (Bustorius) http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
>
> Engine swap beginings: http://musomuso.googlepages.com/home
>
>
> --
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>