The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Engine hoist/big hammer photo

Can someone please explain the photo of an engine hanging from an orange engine hoist coming out of/going into a truck and a guy standing next to it swinging a hammer? There must by some symbolism there but I have no clue what it is.

Thanks!

Ray W

Left side of page

What I think of when I look at that photo is some of the brutal techniques I've read of on this forum. For example freeing "stuck" engines by towing the vehicle with a tractor or more recently removing a pinion gear/driveshaft pin with a big hammer.

Can that be the message?

Ray W

I see it as a reflection of what we all feel like doing sometimes while working on our trucks, smashing the daylights out of them!!

Symbolism of frustration, or barbarism?

He used to be a regular around here, Arnstien I think was his name.Agree with Paul, Symbolism of frustration.

I took it as a symbol of frustration, almost like a cartoon. He has the machine that let him down, almost clear out of the truck and he can get a clear swing at it!

He just found out what the maximum lift height of his cherry picker is; not enough!

Grow a sense of humor, folks! That's just a visual of the old saying us gray-haired old engine swappers used to use frequently- - - - -"Got it in there with a big hammer and a greasy shoe horn!" Danged young whippersnappers! Get off my lawn!
Jerry

I see a loose pinion pin sticking out on that motor. It's there if you look hard and long enough.

He who has never raised a BFH in honest anger, has not done much work on these old trucks, or is heavily sedated, or is a big fat liar. A prerequisite to working on these literally economically pointless money pits is to be marginally unstable. That picture captures that emotion succinctly.

The picture in question accompanies an ad in the top left corner of the page. After the ad is replaced this discussion will become meaningless, so for the benefit of those who happen upon this thread then, here is the picture.

And I know the feeling represented by the picture.

"He who has never raised a BFH in honest anger, has not done much work on these old trucks, or is heavily sedated, or is a big fat liar. A prerequisite to working on these literally economically pointless money pits is to be marginally unstable. That picture captures that emotion succinctly."

Carl,

When I was young and unskilled I would have agreed with you. I'm a geologist and that all changed for me one day when I was out doing some exploratory drilling and the drill rig broke down in the middle of nowhere. The driller had a portable stick welder on his chase truck and some scrap metal. Using what he had on hand he made a temporary repair that allowed us to get the job done.

When I complimented him on what he had done he said "Ray, this drill rig is an inanimate object and I am not going to be outsmarted by an inanimate object". That was decades ago but his words stayed with me.

From that point forward the big hammers around here are used to pound stakes into the ground or to break up rocks. Some of what I read, like using a big hammer to remove a stuck differential pinion pin or pushing a vehicle with a "stuck" engine down a steep hill, seems completely Neanderthal.

I know that's not a view held by everybody, though. Recently I saw a guy use a big hammer to try to install a harmonic balancer. All he succeeded in doing was to deform the front of the hole the crankshaft is supposed to go through, ruining a perfectly good part. A simple piece of threaded rod screwed into the crank snout would have pulled that balancer right on. Oh well, at least it was amusing to watch.

Ray W

"He who has never raised a BFH in honest anger, has not done much work on these old trucks, or is heavily sedated, or is a big fat liar."

"I am not going to be outsmarted by an inanimate object". That was decades ago but his words stayed with me."

I have avoided this situation/conundrum/absurdity by simply walking away and considering my options (I do not like to shoot first and ask questions later). I have found walking away, having a drink/diversion/etc to be far more productive. My friends, associates, relatives, employees,students have asked me "don't you ever get mad".

“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

Wow, I'm with Hotrod Lincoln, How about a little sense of humor.
I'm not questioning nor care if anyone has done this... but willing to bet some of us have felt this way from time to time.
I think this photo has been up on occasion for at least a few years. Always made me laugh.

I have yet to employ swift and blinding violence with a BFH against a Stovebolt, in spite of being renowned for notorious viciousness, and intemperate disposition (not really, it just makes me feel big).
But I can fully understand why someone would contemplate such an action.
I walk away before the inanimate object figures out that it has outsmarted me. "Who's stupid now." I mutter under my breath as I walk away, so as not to be heard by the inanimate object...

Perhaps using a BFH is how to make reproduction parts fit?

I want to hide and watch while you try that on a stovebolt six, or a Chevy V8 made before about 1965. I'll be the one that's amused while you search in vain for a threaded hole that's not there. Hammering was the factory-recommended way to install a balancer on those engines.

I've made a fair amount of pocket change renting or selling a drill and tap guide setup for threading the older crankshafts to forum members here.
Jerry

My 228 gmc crankshafts are not threaded and the balancers driven on to the shaft using the extractor and a SFH. But my 270 and 302's have threaded crankshaft ends. I didn't like the idea of driving the balancer on using the extractor to pound on. I use a smal diameter pipe and drive it - it fits around the center and it seems to work well and distributes the force evenly on the balancer. But, this method may be subject to scrutiny too. Please note: SFH to quell the natives 😃

No swearing or banging/hammering needed, if you rent/buy Jerry's harmonic-balance drill and tap-guide setup tools.

Thanks, Jerry, for making/perfecting those tools and making them available to members.

And old but true statement I always remember
.....beat it on....you'll have to beat it off.


It took me years to figure out the transmissions, the rear ends, the slick worn out tires, broken windshields ALL came out of my pocket. I was essentially "working for the man". I learned my lessons well, and the hard way. Now were it that BFH....

A lot of frustrations is because we do not have, or know, the correct tool. Once we learn to spend a few of those precious dollars on the right tool we will be much better off and save a lot of "other" expense.

I understood the photo guys. Sort of fits in with one Roadmarks posted years ago when he was "dismantling" one. I thought at first it was the old picture of him! I think we all have done it to some extent!!!!

Ditto! From where I am progressing - all of this is learning and doing for the first time. I didn't take any car, mechanics, or metalworking classes and as I plod my way through this hobby I am learning about tools and techniques the hard way - by rolling up my sleeves and just doing it without having anyone to call or come over to help and teach. My posting about driving out the pinion pin was deliberate so that some other first timer would learn from my effort. I didn't intend to have it become a critical commentary about a lack of skill and last resort to the Bfh. I know for me that I am making progress but for us neophytes we have to make the most of what we know or don't know and what is on hand.

One thing I can say is - I may lack for knowledge, skill, and years of experience but I don't lack for Initiative and willingness to try and learn - and make mistakes along the way. And I have a sense of humor about this whole mess...probably the best tool I have in my arsenaI. I can't take me or any of this too far without some serious humor.

"I didn't take any car, mechanics, or metalworking classe"

Tom,

We all have our own individual approaches to life's challenges. In my case, I regard it as inefficient and a waste of time to try to figure out everything on my own. For that reason I have taken evening adult education classes in welding, machining, woodworking and auto body and fender repair.

Taking body repair as an example I regard the use of bondo akin to plastering and I wouldn't use it on any project of mine. So, if bondo is not going to be used some serious metal working skills are required. One of them is metal shrinking.

I don't think I could have discovered the technique in 100 years. But in the class the technique was demonstrated. It looks (and is) simple but so are tig welding and playing a fiddle although they both seem impossible at first. However after a lot of practice I mastered the technique. That enabled me to make the bed panels on my '36 Chevy pickup perfectly flat again even though they looked like a sack full of rocks when I started the project.

It was the same when removing a "stuck" pin. In my case it was the crankshaft pin on an off road race motorcycle engine. When I went to install a rod kit even a 25 ton press wouldn't press the pin out of the crank halves. So I asked an experienced engine shop owner what to do. He said "Pierce a hole down along it with your cutting torch". That sounded like it was worth a try and guess what? It worked! The pin pressed right out.

So for me asking knowledgeable people how to do something is an effective way to "Get 'er done" and move on. If others prefer the big hammer approach I totally respect their choice.

Thanks Carlitos, first time I've laughed out loud here in a while.