[charles bledsoe]

I'm getting ready to pull the YS engine out of the 69 GTO and not sure what bolt size I need to secure the chain to the heads to pull it out with the hoist and what size bolts I need to secure the engine to the engine stand once out of the car. Trying to use the least amount of washers. I'm guessing I need 4 bolts for the chains and 4 bolts to secure it to the engine stand for a total of 8 bolts. From what I can remember, I think I need grade 8 bolts, is this correct? Thanks in advance.

[johnta1]

The bolts are all 3/8" coarse thread bolts.

The lengths depend on your setup?

The engine stand measure the bracket length plus some amount to get how long the bolt needs to be?

[tom s]

I would invest in a engine leveler.You can get one at Harbor Freight.Makes it much easier to get out of the engine compartment.Tom

[JS77]

For the engine stand use grade 5 bolts.

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by JS77

For the engine stand use grade 5 bolts.

Why grade 5? Like grade 8 are too strong?
I personally use grade 8. Last thing I need is that engine falling on my foot because I wanted to save a dollar on cheaper bolts.

[rsavage]

+1 on the engine leveler. If you get the Harbor Freight one, get the heavy duty unit. The leveler chains will give you 4 lift points. Couple other things - make sure you are doing the pull on a smooth concrete floor If your cherry picker has legs that extend out - extend them out so it doesn't tip forward when the weight of the engine is on it. Give yourself enough room in front of the car to move the picker forward and back out as opposed to having to immediately start turning it. Once you clear your radiator support, lower the engine down some. I use grade 8 bolts and washers to secure the chains to the block/heads. You can't depend on just the bolt heads as they can pull through the links as they are not wide enough on their own. I use a combination of 3/8" washers above 1/2" or 5/8" washers.

[GOAT WHORE]

If we're going to be talking load levelers I'll give my 2¢. The Harbor Freight one is garbage, they do work but take a lot of effort to adjust and have an overall piece of sh!t feel.
This leveler is made in the USA and works with ease and has a very high quality feel when being used. It attaches right to the intake.
May not be worth it to some but I just can't stand garbage tools.

[ponchjoe]

Originally Posted by GOAT WHORE

If we're going to be talking load levelers I'll give my 2¢. The Harbor Freight one is garbage, they do work but take a lot of effort to adjust and have an overall piece of sh!t feel.
This leveler is made in the USA and works with ease and has a very high quality feel when being used. It attaches right to the intake.
May not be worth it to some but I just can't stand garbage tools.

That's awsome GW, I'm going to look into one of those.

http://www.myks-tools.com/pivot-plate.html

[johnta1]

I just never trusted the carb bolt holes in intake?
(5/16" holes?)

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by johnta1

I just never trusted the carb bolt holes in intake?
(5/16" holes?)

Been lots of discussion on this too. All the math/engineering adds up to something like 20,000 lb capacity and only lifting 1000 lbs.
Needless to say it's safe.

[north]

I've always used carb plates, like being easily able to pivot the engine in any direction up or down or sideways. The only exception is with aluminum intakes, just don't trust those threads, logically they are probably fine but I've stripped too many of them to trust an engine lift!!

[JS77]

Grade 5 will bend under stress.
Grade 8 will snap.
That is the way I see it.

[north]

And neither will come remotely close to doing either with the relatively very low weight of an engine.

[will slow gto]

While the Harbor Frieght leveler IS a piece of crap, it will get the job done. Just smear some bearing grease or moly lube on the threads. Grade 5 bolts will do the trick and are probably easier to come by than grade 8. Difference in cost is negligible as is the difference in capacity for this application.

[rsavage]

Originally Posted by ponchjoe

That's awsome GW, I'm going to look into one of those.

http://www.myks-tools.com/pivot-plate.html

That leveler doesn't work with a tri power intake. I'll stick to 4 chains and 3/8" bolts. Never have been comfortable on using a carb plate especially when I have that chunk of iron hanging above my core support. I don't know what the regular Harbor Freight leveler looks like but the heavy duty model is certainly stoutly made and it works fine and is rated for 2 tons. I have used it three times out and three times in without a hitch. One of the few things from Harbor Freight that haven't ended up being junk (portable air tank and the winch for my trailer are two other items that have proved to be good values). JMO

[MDGOAT69]

My dad and I used a carb plate on his 68 gto. Perfectly fine on an iron intake, don't do it on an aluminum. Learned that lesson quickly.

Also we used the Harbor Freight leveler and I personally liked it, though I have nothing to compare it to.

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by MDGOAT69

My dad and I used a carb plate on his 68 gto. Perfectly fine on an iron intake, don't do it on an aluminum. Learned that lesson quickly.

Did you have an engine fall from the cherry picker?

[MDGOAT69]

Originally Posted by GOAT WHORE

Did you have an engine fall from the cherry picker?

That would have sucked!

Nope, stripped the threads before we even got that far, wasn't thinking that day!