OzyDuster74 full rebuild and hemi conversion!!
Oz - For “final” assembly I checked the fit for my engine, transmission, steering box, dipstick tube, starter and exhaust for my 440 on my k-frame sitting on blocks on the garage floor. I did not need to do exhaust and steering box when I put it in the car the last time, but just as easily could have. I then set it on a dolly and rolled it under the car. Then, lowered the car down onto the assembly. No lift, no hoist. Just jack, jackstands and two furniture dollys.
My son and I did this four times when it was at the body shop so we could have them modify the hood for clearance, fabricate the transmission tunnel for the six speed and etcetera. Fortunately the body shop owner was a good friend and he let us work on the car on Saturdays. I am a former shop foreman ASE Master Tech, so he trusted me in his shop. I brought my own air tools, wrenches, sockets. I even helped him and his guys out on a few things. Doing this work is very easy when you have a lift. The dolly we had access to at the body shop was about 3’ high. My then 10 year old son could install or remove the engine assembly in about half an hour and all I did was operate the lift and make sure he didn’t get in to trouble. Pictures below from when I was assembling it at home, and from the last time I had my son remove the assembly at the body shop.
Key to this is knowing how the weight shifts and making sure you have the lift positioned so when the weight shifts it doesn’t cause a problem. We used safety stands and tested each time we added or removed weight of the drivetrain.
Oz - For “final” assembly I checked the fit for my engine, transmission, steering box, dipstick tube, starter and exhaust for my 440 on my k-frame sitting on blocks on the garage floor. I did not need to do exhaust and steering box when I put it in the car the last time, but just as easily could have. I then set it on a dolly and rolled it under the car. Then, lowered the car down onto the assembly. No lift, no hoist. Just jack, jackstands and two furniture dollys.
My son and I did this four times when it was at the body shop so we could have them modify the hood for clearance, fabricate the transmission tunnel for the six speed and etcetera. Fortunately the body shop owner was a good friend and he let us work on the car on Saturdays. I am a former shop foreman ASE Master Tech, so he trusted me in his shop. I brought my own air tools, wrenches, sockets. I even helped him and his guys out on a few things. Doing this work is very easy when you have a lift. The dolly we had access to at the body shop was about 3’ high. My then 10 year old son could install or remove the engine assembly in about half an hour and all I did was operate the lift and make sure he didn’t get in to trouble. Pictures below from when I was assembling it at home, and from the last time I had my son remove the assembly at the body shop.
Key to this is knowing how the weight shifts and making sure you have the lift positioned so when the weight shifts it doesn’t cause a problem. We used safety stands and tested each time we added or removed weight of the drivetrain.