So I've read several threads here with varying opinions on the best way to drop an LT1... Here's my 2-cents' worth... (Keep in mind I've only done it twice now...)

1) I did 1/2 and 1/2 this time. I didn't lift the body off, or drop the engine out. I lifted the body halfway off and dropped the engine halfway out the bottom. Car on stands half the height it needed to be for the engine to come out. Hooked hoist to K-Member and dropped it all the way down onto the hoist rails (acting as a dolly now). Then, without moving member or hoist, lifted the body the rest of the height required to roll the K-Member out.

2) (Video) Rolled the K-Member out on the hoist rails. Easy Breezy.

3) Once clear of the car, I lifted the engine off the K-Member and bolted it onto the engine stand with the hoist still in place, K-Member still on the hoist rails.

4) Car now still in place, engine on stand, K-Member empty and movable now rolls easily off the hoist rails with no engine on it.

5) Everything on wheels, no crushing death. Yay!

Also noteworthy is that I see no need to remove the condenser or radiator. I even left the cooling fans in place.

If you planned this all out, you could do it in your driveway and roll everything back in the garage at the end of the day.

6) Maybe? If you really needed the car mobile, you could easily bolt the empty K-Member back under the car to move it around. It would 'look' mobile (ish) too if you needed to keep the neighbors or the apartment complex happy?

Linky to Video, ~30 seconds, just rolling the engine/member out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnnis3wZVeM

 

The picture of the car up so high in the air on jack stands scares the crap out of me.

 

It looks scary, but it's actually really stable. I even tried to wiggle it just to see. There is practically no weight in front of the windshield at this point. With the engine/trans/suspension under it this high, it's wobbly...

 

This is the kind of reasoning that skeptics use to bash the out the bottom method.

When there's no engine or transmission, the car is incredibly light, of course. It is VERY stable when jacked in that configuration. As long as you're not a moron it is very safe. I've taken my motor out the bottom 3 times now, and a friends twice, and it's just so easy.

 

Its not the height that makes a car unsafe in the air, its the angle and not supporting the vehicle with the proper jack stands and what not. Once you remove the weight things become alittle more safe. This is not the time to use you Harbor Frieght $20 set of jack stands.

 

I'm not a skeptic, I was merley saying the picture looks scary. Do you really need to go and talk like that? I have done the bottom method eight times and the top method twice. I prefer the bottom as well, just don't like leaving the car way up in the air like that. I also, recently lost a co-worker for doing something like that thinking it was safe.

 

I was'nt saying it like that. The picture does look not correct and I myself would not leave it like that after I removed the engine.

 

On thing I would suggest that I've seen others do is instead of using jackstands under the rear, put wheels/tires face-down under the rear wheels. It's more stable and acts as a 'wheel chock' too. I just don't have any laying around or I'd have done that instead of jackstands under the rear.

 

Sorry my left foot it wasn't intended to be directed at you. I think we were typing at the same time. I was talking about the comment that ramairta left.

350350 I'm not knocking you at all, I was just commenting on the one picture of the car way up in the air at that angle. Pictures can be decieving. I understand you're proud of what you've done and wanted to share with others to help out.

 

Yeah man it's all good!

No matter what you're doing, YOU need to be confident that it's safe. So whatever you use to support a vehicle, just be sure it's not coming down on you.

Main thing I wanted to point out here was the use of the hoist as a 'trolley' to help get the K-Member out. First time, I tried to drop the member all the way down (from all the way up) and let it come down on a floor jack. I've seen other posts where they dropped the member onto furniture carts and dolleys and whatnot.

If you plan it out and don't make it more complicated than it is, it's actually 'nice'... you can work all the way around the engine without even taking it off the k-member on the garage floor...

 

I noticed that in the video, using the hoist as a trolley is pretty slick.

 

I didn't call you a skeptic or insult you in any way. I'm just saying those people who have never done it before are quick to point out the supposed dangers and flaws about it, that's all. May I ask how you support your vehicle once it's in the air? And I should also point out that once my motor is out I lower the car back down so it can be worked on. Sorry you lost a coworker, but this method has been done THOUSANDS of times and is proven to be safe when done the right way. There are inherent risks with EVERYTHING you do, like welding in SFCs, disconnecting fuel lines, Hell, DRAG RACING in general. If you're competent and aware of what you're doing it's safe.

Take a chill biscuit bro.

 

Sorry, thought you were attacking me. I have an I-beam and a chain fall on a trolley, then drop the car back down on rolling stand I have.

 

Here is a link on how I dropped mine out the bottom, I don't think it could have been any easier. I did it alone.

http://www.bangshift.com/forum/index....msg506758#new