Hi all!

I just read about a homemade engine jack on a little site known as Tang Blog, which can be found here.
It's some sort of rig using two scissor jacks welded to a base with angle iron on top.
I want to know the intricacies of this setup. I didn't understand it 100% I have to admit. Namely the way the top part of the assembly worked.

I need a way of easily removing and reinstalling my van's engine. Last time it took more than a day each way.
I'll tell how I did it if you really want to know. It's kind of complicated and extremely stupid.
If anyone knws about this setup, please oh please tell me more about it!

Thanks already everyone!

what year van or more precisely which engine?the whole job shouldnt take more than an hour or two each way.all you really need is a cheap small trolley jack.

It's a 74 bay. It has the 1800 motor. Actually to be precise, it has the 1800 auto dual carb motor. The van was retrofitted with a 1600 manual drivetrain.

I can go you one better. i have a cheap, big trolley jack.
I was having horrible problems balancing and maneuvering the engine. Including all the rocking and wriggling needed to remove it, and to get the ^%&%( bell housing studs to line up with re-insertion.

I ended up putting a stack of old car batteries (don't ask) on either side of the top engine inspection lid, with the towbar sitting across between them.
I attached a ratchet winch to the towbar, and to the engine via multiple points with chains. I winched it up, getting it jammed a few times along the way, and then had to get it to line up.
The car was up on ramps because I needed to get the engine out from under it to work on it.
I had to work on a dirt surface so that added some difficulty.

Anyway, how do you get the engine on/off the jack? It's a bit too heavy for me to lift. I could do it with the beetle's motor though.

I have a concrete slab here though, which may make things a little easier.

Sorry for sounding like such an idiot, but the kombi's motor keeps defeating me every time!

ok firstly get a bit of steel plate 300x300 approx drill a hole in the middle and bolt that to the jack ,that will stop the wiggles then rear support bar off ,drop the rear to clear the ears on the tranny out you if you have trouble with height wip off the carbs .to get it off the jack stick a piece of ply under the clutch lift the exhaust and slide it onto the wood,,, piece of piss.

Thankyou so much for that!
I like that way. Much more effective.
I was using a thick chunk of wood sitting across the jack. Very unstable. Even worse when I had the jack sitting on batteries to get extra height (We had at least 20 to 30 batteries in the carport for some reason).
Hmmm.... I have some ~6mm aluminium plate floating around. With a nice big washer on the top, do you think it would be strong enough?
The bolt wouldn't damage the motor, would it? Just thinking of the point pressure it may exert.

One last question. How do I get it back onto the jack again?
I might not even need to take it off the jack. I just need to do some top-end work on one side... again. Not sure what yet. When I can finally afford a compression gauge I'll know what the problem is.

dont put the bus on ramps then you wont need the extra height,use a c/sunk bolt head thru the bit of ally plate which would be okand if its only a head job(???) lucky you then leave it on the jack

I'm pretty sure it's only topend.
all the rockers move as they should, so it's not a cam lobe. As near as I can tell there is still compression in all cylinders too. Just don't know how much. Worst case scenario it may be a buggered cylinder and piston from a badly broken ring.

I had a _lot_ of trouble with the rings I bought. Tried two sets of pistons. The 2nd compressions didn't fit right in any of them. I was in a very big hurry and had to leave on some of the old rings, because the new ones didn't fit.

It was weird really. The engine had been reconditioned before I bought the car. Most of the parts were still pretty much in new condition, but half the rings were broken. The cylinders hadn't even been broken in!

The replacement head I shoved on wasn't 100% but it was servicable. So it's a possibility for the problem too.

The work was done initially because of a dropped exhaust valve seat. The metal went into all the chambers, so i had to do the whole lot. I couldn't even turn the engine because of the metal.

All I know is the problem is in the left hand side top end. It's where the awful noise comes from.

Don't worry. I've called it a head job before too. Usually realise the connotations afterward.

It could also be a head gasket. Don't know.

there are 1.5 and 2 mm comp rings so that could be your prob , if the rings are that chewed up the barrels will be shit as well so if you got a bit of time send both heads away for a valve job and put a set of barrels and pistons in and off you go for another 100k km or so have a look in the oil pump as well to make sure it didnt pick up some metal

I didn't know that about the rings. that's really odd. Because the 1st compression fit fine on both sets of pistons, but the 2nd compression didn't. Thanks for telling me that.

That's the weird thing about this failure. No metal filings. Not in the oil, not in the exhaust, not on the sparkys and not in the manifolds or breathers. When the exhaust valve went, there was metal in everything!

I have 3 spare cylinders and pistons atm. And there seems to be a VW wrecker not listed in the phone book about 5 minutes walk from here. SO I could make a matching set again I guess. I also have a spare head. It's not pretty. The valve seats are deeply recessed and the head metal pretty much folded over them to hold them in. I have my doubts about even being able to use that head. I don't think the rockers could be adjusted far enough.

I can't even afford a compression gauge. I'm afraid getting the valves done is out of the question. The engine is doomed to limp along until I can find a job. Moving to melb was a baaaad idea. I don't know anyone here and my NSW certifications don't seem to mean much here either. I was told about another job that was open for me back home last week. This time for IBM. Argh!

Anyway, back on topic. So it shouldn't be that hard for me to get the engine out and in with the platform on the jack. Excellent.

That reminds me. Are there any good bolt and fastner places around Thomastown, vic? I want to get some proper bolts and studs for the bellhousing. It has one or two bolts going into the engine stud holes, and a long bolt with heaps of washers and stuff to take up the slack for where the thread ends. It is not nice.

The inlet manifold thread studs are pulled on the replacement head I put in too. It was a cheap 2nd hand jobbie bought off a forum member. It did the job.

Hmm, hey um there's a really nice looking 1800 sitting in a bus at the wrecker's near my place. It's new there (front end accident, sad, it was a nice bus). I know you said you had no money, but hey, just thought I'd let you know. This engine was still complete on the weekend (as in carbies, dizzy, fuel pump, heads,...).

I've heard quite often that 2nd hand heads are not really worth it. Depends who you talk to though doesn't it...

Good luck mate! Aurel.

I work in Campbellfield next door to Thomastown. Old Volks Home is in Thomastown, and I think I know the other one you are talking about. There are plenty of bolt places around here too. I always go to the Coventry Fasteners on Hume Hwy as we have an account there.

hm...a functional 1800. So tempting. No $ though. The stupid EA is up for rego next month (june) so it's a bit tight right now.

I have to get the van fixed and regd before the lease runs out on this house. I can scratch together the funds for that though (thx to NRMA privatisation shares).

Old Volks Home is in T'Town? I saw it once when we moved to melb, but I had no idea where it was.

The one I mean is Volkswreck. It's weird because the volkswreck listed in the phone book is different to this one. It's down near the end of uhh... whatever the name of the street is that the goodyear factory is on. The street (and factory) is only about 50m away from here. You'd think I'd know the name by now.

Thanks for the heads up on the fastner place. I used to go to BBF or BBF in bathurst. (bobs bolts and fastners and bathurst bolts and fastners). They used to be next to each other. Talk about ruthless competition.

Second hand heads, well yeah they are a gamble. But I got a pair of them and a set of cylinders and pistons.
I couldn't find a company that sold one piston and/or one barrel. It would have worked out cheaper if I could have. Also the cheapest recon head I could find was $180, plus p&h.

That remind me!!!! Can I get the original stuffed head repaired? and is it worth it? Don't know about cracks, but I know the majority of the damage was where the exhaust valve seat came adrift. It'd need to be filled and a new seat cut. I think I have a photo that I took when I pulled it out last year...
Can't find it right now. Oh well.