Having worked w/ Zoltan, I can attest to his method indeed being 'fun'. Very
easy, so easy in fact, that I made my own based off of his design. See the
pics for yourself:

http://wavanagon.googlepages.com/87westfaliaenginework

It works great! I did the engine drop myself in a couple of hours.

On Nov 29, 2007 8:11 PM, Zoltan Kuthy < zolo@foxinternet.net> wrote:

> 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
> >
> >
> > --
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> > Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.10/1159 - Release Date:
> > 11/29/2007 11:10 AM
> >
> >
>

--
Chris
88 Vanagon GL (daily driver)
87 Westfalia (in progress)
http://wavanagon.googlepages.com/