Lifting engine in place with carb studs?

[shiftpro]

I just tonight lifted a complete 454 with pulleys and a th400 bolted to it. With a good quality lift plate.

It was an old torquer 2 aluminum intake.

I have done this many many times never any issues at all.

That being said only do what your comfortable with.

Anytime you lift something that heavy no matter the devise, in my opinion it’s always dangerous.

I treat every engine I lift as if it could fall and make sure myself fingers hands and legs as well as anyone else’s around stay out of the way.

I have broken chains never an issue with lift plates. I’ve even had a cherry picker collapse with a 350 on it.

Accidents happen use what you feel confident with and of course be careful.

Isn't that the truth!!

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[80BrownK10]

Sounds fishy I know. Getting ready to drop my newly rebuild 350 into my truck, want to put the intake on before hand. Old man says “take a plate of steel and weld a couple hooks to it, bolt it where your carb goes and use the hoist to attach there!” He claims this will also keep stuff out of the intake so killing time birds at once I suppose. Easy enough, we work in a shop with access to all the tools to make it happen, just curious if that’s been done and if I can trust those carb mounting bolts to essentially hold the weight of the motor?

I worked in an auto parts store when I was a kid. We sold those plates to bolt to the intake to lift the engine from. I know there is a production piece that's made for that purpose.

 

[78C10BigTen]

Yep, those ones.

Or like most of my 350s had round lift hooks bolted to the intake on opossite side front and back

 

[Salty Crusty]

Plates are fine as long as your bolts are long enough. I have a full set of studs that I use so I can bottom everything out.

 

[Octane]

I just use chain with washers on the corner intake bolts.Even put a tranny/ engine combo in a 75 chevy van that way using a cherrypicker

 

[AuroraGirl]

I have a couple of those plates. 1 looks homeade and 1 looks store bought for sure. Looks to be how most of my engines were pulled. Some were pulled with chains that my gpa evidently cut when he got it out and left the chains on(the hooks on front and back).
Here is one of them. Iron intake. Not sure how it would handle aluminum intakes. Maybe just make sure its fully secured with ALL bolts possible on an aluminum and there is no slop so it cant shear threads?

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[MikeB]

I know it's done all the time, but I don't trust 5/16" bolts, especially in cast aluminum. And I'm not sure how you can tilt the engine.

 

[Wumbo]

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Why wrestle with it? These engine levelers work great.

 

[82sbshortbed]

1000lb chain diagonal one bolted to head in front and one bolted to head in back. Then lift. Will hold even with trans still bolted on. Easy peasy.

 

[Paladin]

1000lb chain diagonal one bolted to head in front and one bolted to head in back. Then lift. Will hold even with trans still bolted on. Easy peasy.

Here's a visual aid for this method!

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[82sbshortbed]

Here's a visual aid for this method!

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Never seen exhaust manifolds like that. Custom made?

 

[Michael Benardo]

Sounds fishy I know. Getting ready to drop my newly rebuild 350 into my truck, want to put the intake on before hand. Old man says “take a plate of steel and weld a couple hooks to it, bolt it where your carb goes and use the hoist to attach there!” He claims this will also keep stuff out of the intake so killing time birds at once I suppose. Easy enough, we work in a shop with access to all the tools to make it happen, just curious if that’s been done and if I can trust those carb mounting bolts to essentially hold the weight of the motor?

I suppose if your engine is light enough, you can. I wouldn't do it with a heavier engine though.

 

[Paladin]

Never seen exhaust manifolds like that. Custom made?

Those manifolds were a first for me as well but I believe they are stock. This come out of the 86 C20 of @oldretiredafguy that I am working on and the truck is stock right down to the true dual exhaust with the original big round mufflers from the factory. The shape this truck is in is amazing! If you enlarge the 1st photo you can see where the # 1 rod tried to exit the pan! This photo is of the rod and piston after disassembly. Dammit!!

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[dsteelejr]

Sounds fishy I know. Getting ready to drop my newly rebuild 350 into my truck, want to put the intake on before hand. Old man says “take a plate of steel and weld a couple hooks to it, bolt it where your carb goes and use the hoist to attach there!” He claims this will also keep stuff out of the intake so killing time birds at once I suppose. Easy enough, we work in a shop with access to all the tools to make it happen, just curious if that’s been done and if I can trust those carb mounting bolts to essentially hold the weight of the motor?

My uncle helped me install a new 454. He’s a retired mechanic and we used the plate with bolts in the carb stud holes. Worked just fine. I was more concerned with the fact that I had an aluminum intake on there and the weight would strip the holes. Worked fine. No problems at all. Don’t get too comfortable with the plate keeping the intake covered and clean. It’s not a tight seal and water would still get in there.

I saw another post suggesting using the store bought leveler with the cranks. I asked
My uncle about one of those making the job easier and he said he’s always just used a come along hooked to one of the chains to angle the engine. He’s old school and doesn’t spend money on extra tools if he doesn’t need to.

 

[Octane]

My uncle helped me install a new 454. He’s a retired mechanic and we used the plate with bolts in the carb stud holes. Worked just fine. I was more concerned with the fact that I had an aluminum intake on there and the weight would strip the holes. Worked fine. No problems at all. Don’t get too comfortable with the plate keeping the intake covered and clean. It’s not a tight seal and water would still get in there.

I saw another post suggesting using the store bought leveler with the cranks. I asked
My uncle about one of those making the job easier and he said he’s always just used a come along hooked to one of the chains to angle the engine. He’s old school and doesn’t spend money on extra tools if he doesn’t need to.

I do it old school too.Never owned a leveler tool