Zoltan,
i know you like the setup you made, and it worked very well for you.
using the floor jack method is not difficult, or unstable, or scary or
anything.

I also have a welded up adapter that fits into a floor jack, and bolts to
the bottom of the engine, but i don't even bother to use it all the time
either.
scott
turbovans
----- Original Message -----
From: "The Westy man" <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2008 2:57 PM
Subject: Re: 2.1 running again, thanks, list!

> Amaizing how little recognition that simple device I made, to take out and
> istall the engine to make it a joy, received.  And for me to read about
> double jacks and all kind of obvious struggles with platforms and what
> not,
> is really a puzzle why most don't realized the simplicity without lifting
> the car both sides.
> Well, we are not all the same, I guess.  I went through my struggles
> myself
> too.
> Zoltan
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2008 2:07 PM
> Subject: Re: 2.1 running again, thanks, list!
>
>
>> Scott,
>>
>> I learned that the intake system comes right out and makes the
>> alternator and AC all that much easier to get to. But getting the
>> plenum onto its stupid mounting points is ridiculous, especially when
>> you consider that the rear one is actually a flywheel-end main bearing
>> stud nut, and badly needs torquing. Getting a socket past the flywheel
>> pickup is difficult even with the engine out of the car! Dumb!
>>
>> One thing I've done--don't remember how the car was manufactured--is
>> to install the alternator with the bolt coming out toward the back of
>> the car. Once the parts are aligned with a tapered drift, The bolt can
>> be tapped in with a long stick through the license plate hatch. It can
>> be pried out to remove it because you can get a tool up under the
>> head.
>>
>> Thanks for the trick with the two jacks. I used 4x4 sections to get
>> the back as high as I did on this removal. A while back, before I got
>> the jack I have now, I cut up a stack of plywood big enough for the
>> jack to operate on. This platform gave it enough lift to raise a
>> vanagon, but it was a pain to do.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 17, 2008 at 3:39 PM, Scott Daniel  - Turbovans
>> <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>>> the trick is to have two floor jacks.
>>> then................when you do lower the engine and it's too tall to
>>> get
>>> out from under the rear bumper .........
>>> you use the other jack, with a large block of wood on it if necessary to
>>> enable it to go higher..........to temporally raise the van high enough
>>> to
>>> get the engine out from underneath.
>>>
>>> I read the trick of, for engine removal, removing the intake system
>>> first,
>>> then the alternator, with the engine in the car.   Two advantages to
>>> doing
>>> that.....makes getting at the alternator lower pivot bolt easier, and
>>> the
>>> engine less tall for getting out from underneath the van.
>>>
>>> and it's a lot nicer to install all that stuff onto the engine out of
>>> the
>>> van .....so kinda a toss up .
>>> But having two floor jacks.............makes a huge difference.
>>> Scott
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
>>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>> Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2008 8:04 AM
>>> Subject: Re: 2.1 running again, thanks, list!
>>>
>>>
>>>> Let me correct something I said in the original post... it is the
>>>> easiest to R&R that I can remember. But then comes hooking everything
>>>> up! That takes a long time. The way the engine goes in, with
>>>> everything already mounted to it, is pretty cool.
>>>>
>>>> The deal is, how high do you want to lift the car? Assuming you're
>>>> going to use a furniture dolly, like I did, then if you already have
>>>> the oil tower and thermostat housing mounted they are the same height,
>>>> that will require a 23 inch clearance in the back.
>>>>
>>>> If you left those off till the engine was in the car, you could get by
>>>> with about a 19 inch clearance.
>>>>
>>>> I waited until the engine was back in the car to install the AC
>>>> compressor, intake setup, and alternator. Next time I'd like to do
>>>> that in the engine stand and spend only about two hours hooking
>>>> everything up once the engine was in rather than the six hours I spent
>>>> this time. It will require about 26 inches of clearance, beyond the
>>>> capability of my current jack.
>>>>
>>>> Really, it is an easy engine to get in and out except for the "stuff."
>>>>
>>>> Jim
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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