I used an engine hoist to lift out my lad’s Herald engine….and to be fair, you can’t get better access than that. In my area hire was quite expensive and more so if, like me, you need to pull the engine out again to check something I’d done wrong. An eBay jack is less than £50 and I found it easier to adjust than a n engine hoist. If the costings work for you, I don’t doubt that @77 Westy ’s way will work well.
I suppose I use an engine hoist because I have one but I don’t have a motorcycle lift. I borrowed one once but there obviously must be different styles because I couldn’t get just the engine on the jack let alone engine and box – the handle and hydraulic ram were in the way.
I have a motorcycle jack and it works well for the engine alone with careful balancing and adjustment as the engine drops, but the height of the jack does obviously add to the height of the engine sliding under the rear valance. I've not tried the engine and gearbox out together option but might have a go next time the engine is due out. I guess, an engine hoist through the hatch would allow the engine and gearbox combo to sit lower on some sort of trolley.
The trolley I use is simply an 18”x18” piece of ¾” ply with four casters, it’s about 3" high and is also used to move furniture, washing machines, fridge freezers etc.
I used a trolley jack and a bike jack to remove the engine and gearbox at the same time. I had some 6" blocks of wood jacked the back end up stuck these under the wheels and simply rolled her forwards on them. Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
This is exactly the way I do it too. Me working the motorcycle jack I use under the gearbox and Mrs D on the trolley jack. Works a treat.
Ian, just a thought bud. If you like the idea of using an engine hoist / crane. It’s possibly that you could eBay a second hand one and keep it as long as you want so that you’re one hundred percent happy that you’ve cured the issue, then re sell it on eBay once again to get it out of your way. Then the worst it should cost would be postage perhaps. I too have a piece of 3/4” ply about ten or twelve inches square with four castors on that I use for my engine out jobs although mines a type 1 motor. I use a trolley jack with my piece of ply with castors on to lower the engine but I can’t get it off the jack straight away, so I lower it until the castor wheels are resting on some four inch thick chunks of sleeper then ease it down some slopes as required. But for dragging it around and into somewhere to work, I like the hoist idea. Unfortunately I don’t have a hatch, but I got a removable rear valance, some bits are good some are bad. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,whichever way,, be safe with a big lump
If, as a first timer with a type-4 doing a clutch/flywheel seal it was suggested I either Tool up with engine cranes, motorcycle jacks etc, pull the engine and gearbox together, jack the bus high enough to get it out, split the gearbox/engine or. Jack the bus up a bit on stands, remove just the plastic oil filler bit, disconnect rear shift coupler, hinge the engine gearbox down 5-6" (at the rear) until engine/gearbox are parallel to the ground, prop gearbox pull engine straight off box on jack that's already under it, drop down, spin it round a bit where it is to access the flywheel. I've done this and don't even have a top engine hatch. I reckon it's the simplest way with minimum tools - trolley jack and axle stands which most people with a T2 already have. PS I've done it all the different ways.
I used this style of motorcycle jack that I got second hand. It good but as mentioned above, balance need to be carefully done to avoid damage, I used some wood to help. Once the weight is taken up, you have to pull the engine out of the gearbox splines and this needs space towards the back of the engine and then watch out that as the jack lowers as it does not come straight down, so little movements are required on its way down.
I used that exact jack two weeks ago to take out the Engine and gear box in one, the problem I had is that as the balance point is almost where the gearbox meets the engine. I had to lift the bus up quite a bit as the jack won't go far enough under the van as the handle of the jack hit the valance. I ended up using two sheets of 18mm ply to support the gear box. Without this the gear box and engine would have tipped back and hit the floor when lowered. Perfect if just taking the engine out thou.
The one I used, only needed bus up as if I was adjusting rear brakes and it slid out on the jack no problem and the engine stayed on the jack from start to finish. I used engine bar with chassis brackets upside down, with pieces of 2x4 wedged in to keep balanced/ at the angle I needed for any particular job.
I've kinda of chickened out on doing this... cost me £120 quid to get the bus transported from Edinburgh to Tillicoultry. DTH will drop the engine/ gearbox and send gearbox on to VW gearbox shop for a refurb. My theory is that all the hard to remove bolts and screws will have been sorted for me when I do it the next time its needed hopefully in 3-4 years... I'll tool myself up a bit more with hoists and jacks in the meantime...
I will have a look around for a suitable engine hoist but most on ebay seemed to be collection only...
That is the downside I guess in that they’re quite hefty , perhaps too hefty to post. I have seen one or two local to me on ‘Marketplace’. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,just keep those eyes peeled on local sale sites
