I am getting ready to start my motor mount and oil pan gasket service this weekend, but first need to fabricate the wooden 4x4 overhead cross supports used in Dwayne's write up - which he mentions were based on Andrew Olson's design.

The photos of the setup largely speak for themselves, but a while back I recall reading a thread (which I can no longer find) that mentioned types of wood to use / avoid -- I seem to remember something about pressure treated lumbar not being a great option. Does anyone know what it best to use or have a link to a thread that covers this (searched, but again came up short)?

Also, is there a link to Andrew's design -- I have looked all around, but coudl not locate it -- would be nice to read one more source before heading down this path.

Thank,
Dave

 

Go buy one of these and sell it on Craigslist when you are through with it. Much safer.

 

What Sean said...

Drop by the Harbor Freight store and buy one. Less than $50 on sale, less than the time and aggravation spent jimmying one out of Home Depot hardware and a couple railroad ties that you -think- the Leaky Rockawanna Railroad won't miss for a while.

 

I used a piece of 4x4 and some pieces of 2x4 to make one. Total cost was $0 as I had the wood laying around and took less than 30min. ;ow the same one is holding my Jettas engine up.

 

Dave,
Consider this http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb...bar-96524.html

Sean, this looks similar but don't know if as good.

 

I wrote the thing on the wood type. I know lumber, strengths and what I am talking about. I own a company that designs and builds custom crating and packaging out of wood for industrial equipment.

You want to STAY AWAY FROM SPF. This is what most 2x4's are made of that you will buy at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Go to a local lumberyard. Tell them you want Southern Yellow Pine. If they don't carry southern yellow pine in untreated, you can generally get it in treated lumber (don't use Lowes top choice treated for 2x4's or Depot's equivalent, most of their locations use a weaker species of lumber for treated as it is cheaper for them to buy. If they don't have it. Get a 2x12 from them and have them rip it to 2x4's. Make sure their 2x12's are Douglas Fir (might call it Select Structural Fir).

Here's your material list:

(3) 2x4's 36" long (you can use 4 if you really want to get **** and put another vertical one at the back like my front one is)
(2) 2x4's 12" long
(1) 1/2x12 eyebolt and some heavy 1/2" washers. If you can get a Stainless Steel eyebolt, all the better. The thread quality will be so much better.
(1) heavy duty quick link
(24) 2-1/2" Torx Head Deck screws. Stainless Steel are best as they are strongest. The local lumberyard should sell these by the pound. If they don't sell them then get Reisser (brand) Torx head screws. These are made of case hardened steel. You'll need a T-25 Bit to drive them in too.

Note the orientation of the boards. This is important as you are basically building a very simple truss.

Put two of the 2x4's flat together (like the back ones on my support. Set the 12" 2x4's on the fender like shown in the picture. Then just lay your two 2x4's over top, scribe a line and then take off the car and screw together.

Finally put the front 2x4 over the face of the first two (see picture). Screw to the two flat 2x4's with a zig zag pattern.

You'll counter bore some holes that match the location of your fender bolts. You'll just place the finished truss with the 12" boards already on and press down on the fender. This will put dents in the wood and you'll know where to counterbore for slip resistance.
Eyeball the hole for the eyebolt and then drill it (off the car). Be sure to hold the boards tight when you screw them. You want the boards pulled together. Also note the end grain of the lumber of the two 2x4-s that will be flat on top of each other. The grain should look like a rainbow, not a bowl to ensure you are getting the strength out of the wood.

Jack the engine up from the bottom with a piece of wood under the oil pan, this way you don't have to crank it up with the bolt. It's much easier. Then tighten up the bolt and you are good to go. Use a little oil on the threads too, help prevent galling of the generally poorly made eyebolts. You'll get a little bowing in the lumber, this is a normal deflection. It will hold just fine.
Again DO NOT USE SPF (regular 2x4 material or stud material). It doesn't have the strength needed. I could bore you with span tables but you just need to trust me on this.
See photos for design

 

rluvsporsche that's basically the same thing, just looks like the pads for the bottom are different. It will work great.

Jeff great write up, crazy bastage. Speaking of, I found out why my car felt slow when you drove it

 

Sean. Is it because I am fat and weighed it down?

 

Bad plug/wire/cap. #8 was only firing half the time.

Sorry for the high jack.

 

Nah, that's okay. Nice to know what my car's potential can be with the WOT fixed.

 

Sean, Dr. Bob, rluvsporsche - thanks for the support suggestion I recall seeing these in a thread a while back but had forgotten about them. Depending on the direction my travels take me this weekend, I may stronly consider them.

Jeff, many thanks for the detailed post on wood types and the hardware required. Any thoughts on mahogany (non american) as an option? A lumber store near me gets pallets of the stuff with scrap 4' pieces tossed in between the layers as dividers. When available, the scrap is cheap to free depending in the mood of the person helping you :-)

Two other questions came to mind as I looked through the posts. First, past pics I have seen show the earlier model engines supported by two overhead wooden cross braces. Does an S4 motor require just a single brace even though there is a lift point near the back of the drover cam cover? Also, Jeff, it appears that that the eye bolt / attaching hardware is located over the metallic loop (just below the elbow that the lower radiator hose attaches to) that also serves as a cable channel - is this the lifting point on the S4, or is there another point...the older engines seem to have a forward lift point closer to where the passenger side distributor would be on the S4.

Thanks,
Dave

 

Dave-

S4 engine hoist bar in action. All you need is one chain to the ignition wire harness bracket on the WP:

 

I am using the system like Dwaynes on my S4. Using two lift points Rh cam cover front and LH cam rear.
Surely any decent 4x4 piece of wood would be strong enough to lift 1/2 share of the motor? Its what 300kg max, so perhaps 150kg to 200 kg, or two big blokes?
The advantage of the engine hoist bar is that you wouldn't need to remove the cross bar, but i am doing a squillion other jobs so its no issue.
my .02c!

 

Rob, thanks for the picture...excellent to have confirmation when workin under something that heavy! Any chance the setup differs for a 5 speed vs. Auto?

 

Nope!