Dons day,,,,,,,

Looks like he got your scent, Don! That was nice of you to do that....Hopefully he remembers you as the guy who helped him get rid of that lousy toothache!!!

So,,,,,,,Zack wants to pull the V8 out of his 1st Gen with a 1st Gen Doghouse to get it rebuilt,,,,,,now,,,,,,will it come out through the top or do I have to lift the van up to let it drop out the bottom,,,,,,,,,,,,he can start by trying to take the heads off to see which way to go........

Well, I have some knowledge of this issue! LOL If his 350 is anything like mine and he has a 1st Gen Doghouse... drop it out the bottom. Cause you'll have to come in from the side doors with a picker &
that doghouse may not be big enough? I vote for jacking it up, dropping it out the bottom etc. ect. at least he is not working in gravel!! But I really only know what I went through, you may remember Don? LOL
Good luck with your project! It will be so nice once rebuilt!!

,,,there is more to the story than just changing the front motor mounts,,,,,,,he cant even open the doors in his small garage,,,,,let alone trying to roll an engine hoist in there,,,,could end up rolling it out into the alley,,,,,,lifting the front end up,,,,,undoing the brake lines, shocks, drag link and springs to drop the axle and getting it out of there,,,,,then dropping the van down,,,then use the engine hoist to drop the engine down,,,,,,,then go back and raise the van back up,,,,,,,drag the engine out from under the van,,,then put the axle back on and pushing van back into the garage and taking the engine to the machine shop,,,,,

So, a bunch of work to just get to pulling the actual engine it seems... I wish he had a wider area to work in! I know you will figure it out as you always do. You are a sleuth about car problems and the figuring out the best way to approach a difficult problem is your strong point! Where others run and hide, Don charges in and decides how to fix this issue!
I am  glad Zack has knowledge about engines as well. With me I only know what I have seen, learned or been told. I do not have that training you guys have just by being guys! As a woman I never took shop class in school or mechanics! They did not allow girls in those classes in the old days. I learned what little I know from watching my husband who was an excellent mechanic. Then working in the Aerospace industry I learned how to work with hydraulics and hand tools. But, never about real mechanics of engines. I envy the knowledge you hold and seem to have about anything in the engine or works of the vans. Hmmm maybe you did this for a living for years!

I think this is a good time to pull the doghouse from the floor, it makes it much easier to work on the engine and you don't have to lift it so high when pulling out the top. He can also roll it out of the garage, pull the engine and roll it back in.
It made my install so much easier having the engine exposed hooking up the water lines, radiator supports, brackets, exhaust, etc.
All of my wiring was moved off of the doghouse and installed before I put it back in.

He kinda likes the work he did on his doghouse, but making it removable would at least make things easier,,,,,,,,,,, it would be easier to remove it if the engine was out,,,,,but lets see what he wants to do,,,,I will just bring my equipment over to his place when he is ready,,,,,if he can turn his long block into a short block, it might change the way it comes out,,,,,,,,

Wow, talk about a Custom Doghouse!

Russell, that's a mighty Purty looking motor!!!

vanny wrote:Wow, talk about a Custom Doghouse!  

Russell, that's a mighty Purty looking motor!!!

I agree!! It also looks like it should really flow some air!

the engine with the heads off might just be able to tip out the bottom above the axle,,,maybe with taking the center link out of the way,,,,,,,,but I surely would not like installing the heads and setting up the valves with the doghouse in place,,,,,,so if everything was in place and the engine was put in either from top, bottom or doghouse removed,,,that would be easiest,,,,,but we shall see if Zack starts working on it after he gets done chasing the eclipse in the Desert,,,,,,

Will he be in the Path of Totality? In New England, we're only going to see about 60%...

We wouldn't want one of our vans in the Path of Totality!

OK,,,,,,packed up equipment of mass destruction,,,,,,went over to Zacks,,,had some chili cheese dogs to get motivated,,,,,,pulled the TH350 trans,,,,,,and the engine came out the top,,,,,,,

Nicely Done!!!

Awesome job guys.

And not a drop of oil on the seats! Love Don's "engine dolly" mower....

That would be the Donimow! which is Dyno-Might!

,,,,I guess the 100 degree weather is slowing Jacke down,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,not much better at Zacks,,,,,,,but still better than my 108,,,,,,,,,,wind must be blowing   from Phoenix,,,,,,,
things sure got messy when the torque converter got stuck on the crankshaft and dumped a whole lot of trans fluid out and when we tipped the engine onto the mower and all the coolant spilled out of the block,,,,,,,,,motor mounts are weird,,,,,,,they welded brackets to the crossmember and put in different type motor mounts,,,,,,Jacke had the stock mounts on her V8 when we changed them,,,,,,Zack found a place that came over and took his engine to rebuild it yesterday,,,,,,,,,

Progress is Good! You guys attacked the problem and found a way to keep things moving along...Nice work!

,,,,aint much FUN,,,,,,,,,if you are out in the SUN,,,,,,,,,

I have been adding a little Worcestershire sauce on my eggs and it sure adds flavor to them,,,,,,,as we broaden our horizons here,,,,,,,,,,,

Looks like Phoenix temperatures

,,,,,so,,,,,,,,Big Frank likes that SportVan that Russell sold him so much that he just bought a 64 to keep it company,,,,,,,,

Nice Pair!