The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Swinging a 216 head back under the hood?

Swinging the head back under the hood?
It's a slow morning and I got some time for thinkin over my coffee. I'm just one old man, workin’ by my self here. So I got the head, (’50, 3604, 216, hood still on truck) off by my self, using a few six foot 2 x 4’s and 6's. Once I was able to slide it over to the fender I could lift it off, although I think I might have strained my milk doing that!! The problem I’m anticipating in a few weeks is setting it straight down over the alignment studs with out damaging the head gasket or dinging the freshly machined surfaces. Now remember I’m doing this by my self, with the hood still on, and no cherry picker at my disposal or room to get one along side. Oh, and I can't talk my "big old wife" into leaning over the other fender to help either.
Anyone ever rigged/designed any kind of a one man mini hoist that would work in this situation or have any suggestions?
I was thinkin' some kind of lever and fulcrum arrangement like you see the pyramid builders using on the discovery channel, ya know!! Like I could push the lever down with my free leg while I'm guiding it on with my hands?? Just kiddin of course, but something along those lines might just work, its less than a hundred pounds so it wouldn't take much of a lever.

Man to be 21 again, when lifting 75lbs over the fender by your self was a piece~O~cake!!!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny, I know exactly how you feel those heads are a lot heavier now then they were 40 years ago.
How about putting it back on similar to how you got it out. Pad the fenders good and lay a couple of 2x4's across them and slide the head out over the engine. With alignment dowels in place and the head gasket on the block stack 1x4 and 2x4 wooden blocks on the block to support the head and remove the 2x4 blocks one at a time lowering the head down to the alignment pins at that point have 3/4 thick blocks which you can remove one at a time to slowly drop the head. Time consuming but might save a hernia.

I call them boat anchors for a reason. I did mine pretty much the same way.

Denny, having a hernia already & being afraid of a wood splinter getting in the works, I'd look for some part-time helpers. Carriage bolt two 2X4's together, make up a couple eyebolts to screw in the head top & connect with a short chain. Make up two align. studs to screw in the block about 1" long, hacksaw a screwdriver slot in the top after you grind a starting taper on them & get a small pencil size magnet at your local parts store to lift them out. We have a mission near the R.R. tracks here, I get their guys quite often. Call the office a day ahead, they get me some good fellows. Don't tempt them by having your garage or toolbox open, have what you need outside already. Let them ea. lift one end & get it near position, you do the final align. as they lower it. A cheap price considering all that can go wrong. Working as a hvy. equip. mech. in a service truck for yrs. I got used to finding my helpers by the roadside. Doug

Denny, Denny, Denny: You are old enough to know that you really need that cherry picker. Lots cheaper than chiropractors or other docs when you slip, fall or strain somethin' important.

Shop around, bet you can come up with one under 200 bucks and will find a hundred uses for it.

Denny and Doug you can use those same alignment pins to install your transmission. Just put them in the top holes of the bell housing.
Tom

I recently had to pull the head on my GMC 248, I muscled it off O.K., but used my cherry picker to put it back. That's the first time I ever used any help to put a head on but as 31,32,33 said they are a lot heavier now than when I was younger. I have a couple long bolts with the heads sawed off and slots in the end to use as guide pins and never had any trouble and it keeps from damaging the head gasket. If I ever have to do engine work again on the 6 I will remove the front fender clip and hood, then use the cherry picker to take the engine out. I have an engine stand to hold it while working on it.

Hang it from the rafters.Drill 1/4 " holes on either side of rafter,put a 1/4" all thread shaped over rafter and make a bracket from 1/4 X 1 1/2 flat with holes drilled and hook welded on it for chain and comealong head on to engine. Wouldn't pull engine with it but will work for putting on a head. I have made a "A" frame from 1" sq. tubing 11 ga and done it that way with a comealong. Even pulled the engine with that.

Same thing went through my mind Doug, I’m afraid I might end up with a wood burner. The only buds I got left are as old as me and all of them are in much worse shape.
Ahhh the cherry picker, now Ken, I do happen to have, an Enerpack 1500lb cherry picker in the barn, way back in the barn and it’s like new. The problem there is I'm so d#@*ed disorganized and cluttered it would take me a month to get it out. Last thing I picked with it was a Bridgeport mill base complete with a 48" table less the head, that strained her bout to the limit but it did the job. The mill is only one of the three dozen things that are in the path.
Got the hood on her Beav'!! All ready thought of that one.
I think the railroad bums sound like the best idea yous guys have come up with so far!!!!
Well any way, I got a couple of weeks to ponder the situation, so I'll finger somethin' out. I think I might have my, "big old wife" talked into hanging on to one end of an 8ft 2x4, balanced across the core support and the head hung on the other end. That would give us almost a 4:1 advantage, I think she could hold down 25lbs easy enough.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

come on Denny, it only weighs 85lbs including the rockers Hey, I really like the idea of getting a couple hobo's and paying them five bucks to set it on while you have your coffee. I think you will be fine.

Set the head on the fender (with padding of course), crawl into the engine compartment strattling the engine and place the head. Just watch out for that darn hood safety latch catching the back of your head,
Scott

Thought you were on vacation Al?
You must be a thirty something Scott, at my age one end while under the hood is enough for me to lift. Anyway, I got it figured out, now all I have to do is get a good head to drop in there. But we're workin on that right now.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Actually, I'm 40 something but still do strength training stuff to keep in shape (somewhat). My dad is in his late 60's and can still out muscle me. He's been a farm boy his whole life, he doesn't know any better,
Scott

wish I was closer dude I would come over and give you a hand.

Good lord Denny, don't you have any neighbors?

Or, friends and relatives?

Wha'd I say! All my friends are dead, crippled or crossdressin', and I taint talked to the neighbors in years other than a few curse words or one finger salute. Then there's the relatives, ya don't want to start them comin’ round ta help cuz the next thing ya know they’ll be borrowing all my tools!
Hope you guys realize I’m funnin’ with ya a little here. I’m serious though about using a 2x4 over the core support, makes a perfect fulcrum. Two six footers across the fenders, slide the head out to the middle, holler for my “big old wife” to sit down on the 2x, pull the six footers out of the way then yell out, CUT HER LOOSE MAMA!!! And the heads back on!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Well Denny, this is interesting. What I think I would do is take your engine stand and make a small cherry picker out of it, should be pretty simple to make. use angle iron and a couple of 1/4 inch steel plate about 4 inches square. Make a bracket to bolt to the engine stand high enought to clear front of radiator,say 6 inches.
weld 4" plate to top of this drill 1/2" hole in center of plate first. Take two pieces of angle iron and weld the second plate to these with 1/2 hole drilled in center, position plate about one foot from end. drill both ends to mount pulleys one front one rear. The idea is to make a crane, assemble the whole thing and drill a stop pin hole to lock the whole thing in the forward possition. make out riggers for bottom of engine stand so it doesn't tip over. attach come a long to rear and run cable over pulleys . I think you get the idea, might even make it so it uses a hydralic jack say one or two tons. make it so you can take it apart and store it, should be handy for other things like put a transmission on top of a workbench, so forth.
jbennett
40 burb

Denny,
I think that maybe my hood was off at the time but here is how I did mine. I placed the head on the fender because the fenders were scrappers anyways. I then climbed in and stood on the frame. I picked up the head and placed it on the block wwith no guide pins at all.

I'd start digging the cherry picker out of the barn. No telling what you might find useful you've forgotten you have in the process. I'm still looking for some of the stuff i know i have after putting the pole barn up.

Where abouts is Sandwich? I was in Chicago (actually Naperville) all last week, I wish I would of know, we could have set that head on there then. Sorry,
Scott

Denny, if you have it all figured out, why are you asking for guidance here? Too bad you don't have any friends!

Whatcha doin in Naperville, that was my turf when I was a kid. Downers Grove, Lisle, Naperville. Ya wouldn't believe it if I told ya those were farm towns with a population of ten to fifteen thousand when I was a teenager. Samdwich, 20mi due West of Naperville. Taint got a head to set in there now, anyway!

Well AD, while talkin to you guys the solutions just kinda came to me, ya know that's how it works sometimes, some people call what we do here brainstorming, I think of it a BSin'.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

AD_Pickup,

Amen

Stuart

Hey denny,i have a head from a 1951 chevy 216 car engine.It would need machine work,if you need one holler !!

Sent ya an email Tim,
This truck came from your back yard, originally it lived in Gray, IA for 54 years till I got her.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I was in Nissan tech school all week. That's where our dealership's district warehouse and training school is located. Exit onto hiway 59 from I88 then hang a right at Liberty and go down about 3/4 of a mile.
Scott

I know it well Scott, I worked as a research technician up the road, (rt.59) a couple of miles at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory for about 28 years. Hope you enjoyed your stay, do they teach you in English or Japanese? (just pullin your jeeber there Scott)

Oop! Got Kansas mixed up with Nebraska Tim, Gray, IA is actually closer to Scott's back yard.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL