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Engine Transport

7

78K5BlazerTJ

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if anyone is familiar with the toyota rav4 the max passenger weight is 875lbs.

Can I successfully use this vehicle to pick up my 350 engine? It is a longblock, with heads, intake on already. No accessories. The engine is going in my K5.
Long story on that, kinda.

I have googlesd around and cannot find much. renting a truck is not an option. Would I be better off using the mini van for this which has passenger capacity at 1,000-1,500lbs.

I think a 350 is roughly 575ish lbs
 
I know you said renting a truck isn’t an option, but have a look at homedepot. They have some flatbeds that super cheap to rent. I’ve moved all kinds of crazy stuff using their trucks.
 
Abusfullofnuns said:
I know you said renting a truck isn’t an option, but have a look at homedepot. They have some flatbeds that super cheap to rent. I’ve moved all kinds of crazy stuff using their trucks.
Click to expand...
My time window and location of engine pickup, work and home prohibits renting.
Minivan might be best just trying to get a few opinions before picking the engine up.

Its a bit of a pickle but...
 
“
1 Cargo capacity 2 Total load capacity

When 2 people with the combined weight of 366 lb. (166 kg) are riding in your vehicle, the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity will be as follows:

Without third seat
Total load capacity: 825 lb. (375 kg)
825 lb. - 366 lb. = 459 lb. (375 kg - 166 kg = 209 kg”
 
78K5BlazerTJ said:
Im excited to get this engine for my 78’ K5 just want it to go relatively smooth.
Click to expand...

Word of advice. Get a large, thick piece of plywood to spread the load out. I had an engine in the back of my K5 and a decent bump put a good dent in the floor. Pretty sure I did the whole oil pan through the center of a tire, but the pan was still resting on the floor.
 
dyeager535 said:
Word of advice. Get a large, thick piece of plywood to spread the load out. I had an engine in the back of my K5 and a decent bump put a good dent in the floor. Pretty sure I did the whole oil pan through the center of a tire, but the pan was still resting on the floor.
Click to expand...
Thanks.
I have a tire, multiple motorcycle tie-downs and one ratchet strap, one blanket. I may be able to score a pallet at work.
Drive sloooooooow
 
When I picked up my big block, the thing was tricky to get in the mini-van even thought the guy had a forklift. Make sure you have enough room above it to get a cherry picker in there to take it back out. I had a real hard time getting it out without dropping it. And yes, a big piece of plywood helps protect the floor and make it easier to slide out.
 
bp71k5 said:
When I picked up my big block, the thing was tricky to get in the mini-van even thought the guy had a forklift. Make sure you have enough room above it to get a cherry picker in there to take it back out. I had a real hard time getting it out without dropping it. And yes, a big piece of plywood helps protect the floor and make it easier to slide out.
Click to expand...
All I can get would be a wood pallet or plastic pallet at this point. I have no way to get plywood. Id have to tale the seat out but I cant leave the kids at home alone or bring them..
 
The main issue in renting a truck or flatbed.
I cant drop off the engine for install until monday
I have no hoist to get it out and return the truck from tomorrows pick up...

Maybe he’ll let me come by monday
 
If you use the mini van,take out the necessary seats, put in a piece of 3/4" plywood with cut outs where the seats fasten and use cargo straps for holding the plywood in place and also use to secure the engine with the same holes.

Your Rav4 sits up higher which would be a big help loading and unloading the engine. Think engine hoist height. You didn't say how far you had to go.

Obviously, you can't leave kids at home alone. Won't do you any good to get the engine and land in jail. You said you can't take them along either? Huh? Ever consider just having the seller ship it for you? They can strap it to a pallet, have it picked up and delivered to your house. I think even FedEx will do it but you'd have to check to be sure of which companies will haul it.

Also, ask around and I'll bet you can find someone who knows "someone" who would haul it for you. There's always some guy with a pickup looking to make some extra money.

Last: Don't over think it, just have a piece of plywood cut at the home store, anchor it down, get your straps and go get it. You'll be fine if you just use a little common sense while driving.

Good luck.
 
Used the mini van. Fit right in for pick up. Engine hoist was used and was pretty smooth actually. Strapped it down, used a tire and made it home safely. Secured with tie-downs and drove slow kept plenty of room ahead of me. I didnt want to risk having to slam on my breaks.

Now to go drop it off and my blazer for install. I would have preferred using the rav4, height and the way door opens to the side. But....
Didnt use plywood. Just didnt have time to get a piece.
 
All we to do was jack up the back about 1/4-1/2 inch to get the hoist legs free..
 
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I once brought home either an engine or transmission in the back of a '91 Ford Explorer. This was approx 20 years ago, so my memory is bit fuzzy now, but I do recall that it was a ROYAL PAIN IN THE BEHIND getting it back out with the engine hoist. There just wasn't enough room in the cargo area to both pick it up enough to clear the floor, AND clear the top of the body with the boom, as it was going up at an angle.

On the other hand, I also once brought home a fully dressed 454 in the back of my Samurai. It was a little saggy, but otherwise issue free. Being a soft top, it was a piece of cake picking that motor back out.
 
I once hauled a Lincoln 225/AS gas powered welder I bought home in a '93 Dodge Caravan..thing is bigger and weighs as much or more than a V8 engine..
The guy I bought it from, firefighter , had it in the bed of a pickup truck..I met him at the fire station he worked at.
He had two 2x10 planks in his truck,and a 3 foot hunk of thick pipe--that was it..
I had no come-a-long or tie downs..I forgot to bring them,and I wasn't sure I was going to buy the welder..all the seats except the two front seats in the van were removed and left at home..

The guy had some of the other firemen help,and they put the two planks on his tailgate,and down into the rear hatch of my van,and they used the pipe as a roller under the welder--it rolled a bit too well,the welder practically flew into the van,the guys had to bail and let it go!..

It stopped about half way up to the slider door area--the pipe "roller" was trapped under it,and the guy said "keep it,maybe it'll help getting it back out !"..I drove home with the van sagging some,and took it easy,as I knew the welder having that pipe under its angle iron cradle would let it slide pretty easy--I pulled into a supermarket parking lot and dug out some clothesline type rope from under the front seat and tried tying the welder down,but it was kind of useless--and I tried using the seat belts,but they were too short to reach..

I drove off thinking "it'll be ok--I'll just be careful"...
I hadn't even got past the parking lot I pulled out of when some douchebag whips right out of the lot in front of me..
I had to hit the brakes hard,and the welder came forward and slammed into my seat,shoving the back of it forward and squishing me between it and the steering wheel--not hard enough to cause injury,but now I was unable to drive "right" and it was too heavy to shove back by pushing my legs against the firewall..:doah:

I ended up backing up at 20 mph ,and slammed on the brakes,and the old physics law "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" worked..the welder slid right back where it was,and I used the van's jack as a chock to keep that from happening again..

Made it home with no issues after that--but getting the welder OUT with my engine crane was a major PITA..it had a "hoisting ring" made onto the welder,but the boom on the crane,with a 6" length of chain and a hook,ended up touching the ceiling of the van before it even started lifting it up..

I ended up taking the extendable end of the boom off completely,so only the first part it slid into remained--then I had to put a chain "quick link" and the hook in the boom's pin hole,and it barely was long enough to reach the welder--I hooked a chain to the welder and used my garden tractor to drag it closer to the hatch gate,then I was able to get the boom hooked up to it and get it out--the boom was still less than 1" from the hatch opening !..

I used that van to haul two Sears Suburban garden tractors home too,one at a time..had to make two 60 mile trips each way...
I picked them up in December,it was cold out,but no snow on the ground..when I got about 20 miles down the interstate on my way home with the second tractor--I looked in the rear view mirror,and saw a bunch of "bugs" buzzing against the rear window--then I felt something bounce off my neck,I slapped it,and a dead wasp fell to the floor..

I pulled over and locked up all 4 wheels and bailed out!--I opened the rear hatch just as a car pulled up behind me--and it was a MA state trooper!..I yelled "BEEES" and he gave me a weird look,then he saw a bunch go flying away after the hatch opened..
That tractor had a HUGE nest under the chassis I was unaware of,and I guess the heat from the heater woke them up...

I used a snow brush to smash the remaining ones..the trooper just grinned and said "well,as long as you dont need assistance,I'll be on my way"..bet no one believed him if he told them he saw a bunch of wasps in December..|
I was extremely paranoid all the way home,fearing one wasp survived or more was in that nest and they'ed sting me...:eek:
 
diesel4me said:
I once hauled a Lincoln 225/AS gas powered welder I bought home in a '93 Dodge Caravan..thing is bigger and weighs as much or more than a V8 engine..
The guy I bought it from, firefighter , had it in the bed of a pickup truck..I met him at the fire station he worked at.
He had two 2x10 planks in his truck,and a 3 foot hunk of thick pipe--that was it..
I had no come-a-long or tie downs..I forgot to bring them,and I wasn't sure I was going to buy the welder..all the seats except the two front seats in the van were removed and left at home..

The guy had some of the other firemen help,and they put the two planks on his tailgate,and down into the rear hatch of my van,and they used the pipe as a roller under the welder--it rolled a bit too well,the welder practically flew into the van,the guys had to bail and let it go!..

It stopped about half way up to the slider door area--the pipe "roller" was trapped under it,and the guy said "keep it,maybe it'll help getting it back out !"..I drove home with the van sagging some,and took it easy,as I knew the welder having that pipe under its angle iron cradle would let it slide pretty easy--I pulled into a supermarket parking lot and dug out some clothesline type rope from under the front seat and tried tying the welder down,but it was kind of useless--and I tried using the seat belts,but they were too short to reach..

I drove off thinking "it'll be ok--I'll just be careful"...
I hadn't even got past the parking lot I pulled out of when some douchebag whips right out of the lot in front of me..
I had to hit the brakes hard,and the welder came forward and slammed into my seat,shoving the back of it forward and squishing me between it and the steering wheel--not hard enough to cause injury,but now I was unable to drive "right" and it was too heavy to shove back by pushing my legs against the firewall..:doah:

I ended up backing up at 20 mph ,and slammed on the brakes,and the old physics law "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" worked..the welder slid right back where it was,and I used the van's jack as a chock to keep that from happening again..

Made it home with no issues after that--but getting the welder OUT with my engine crane was a major PITA..it had a "hoisting ring" made onto the welder,but the boom on the crane,with a 6" length of chain and a hook,ended up touching the ceiling of the van before it even started lifting it up..

I ended up taking the extendable end of the boom off completely,so only the first part it slid into remained--then I had to put a chain "quick link" and the hook in the boom's pin hole,and it barely was long enough to reach the welder--I hooked a chain to the welder and used my garden tractor to drag it closer to the hatch gate,then I was able to get the boom hooked up to it and get it out--the boom was still less than 1" from the hatch opening !..

I used that van to haul two Sears Suburban garden tractors home too,one at a time..had to make two 60 mile trips each way...
I picked them up in December,it was cold out,but no snow on the ground..when I got about 20 miles down the interstate on my way home with the second tractor--I looked in the rear view mirror,and saw a bunch of "bugs" buzzing against the rear window--then I felt something bounce off my neck,I slapped it,and a dead wasp fell to the floor..

I pulled over and locked up all 4 wheels and bailed out!--I opened the rear hatch just as a car pulled up behind me--and it was a MA state trooper!..I yelled "BEEES" and he gave me a weird look,then he saw a bunch go flying away after the hatch opened..
That tractor had a HUGE nest under the chassis I was unaware of,and I guess the heat from the heater woke them up...

I used a snow brush to smash the remaining ones..the trooper just grinned and said "well,as long as you dont need assistance,I'll be on my way"..bet no one believed him if he told them he saw a bunch of wasps in December..|
I was extremely paranoid all the way home,fearing one wasp survived or more was in that nest and they'ed sting me...:eek:
Click to expand...
Lol, enjoyable story....
I only had one close call driving home. Im in the slow lane (yes they do exist contrary to most drivers belief)
Im going 50ish and this douche comes slowly onto the freeway. I saw it coming and let off the gas. This idiot feels he doesn’t need to accelerate to get on the freeway.
I had to break, softy but in my mind it was an OH Shiz moment. Honks and fingers were exchanged but I made it home.

You do accelerate to get on the freeway, people. Crazy I know.
 
I've definitely hauled some sketchy loads. The top two come to mind pretty vividly.
1. I once put the entire rear subframe and drivetrain of a Nissan Skyline in the passenger section of a 84 Westfalia.
2. Motorcycle in the trunk of a Thunderbird. Old lady was acting crazy, so I packed my shit and left. Including the whitewater kayak on the roof and motorcycle being towed behind with the front wheel in the trunk. Sometimes you just have to get out of Dodge.
 
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