I didn't have any trouble with this one that I made, with centre to centre distance of the chains equaling the eye to eye dimension, and the lift point dead centre of those.

Balance was fine and I didn't need a third stabilising point even doing it by myself.



Edit: Re the following post from Glen .... got it out with this with no damage whatsoever, and back in as well ... with no help at all from anyone else. Others may have different experience ... I took it very carefully and slowly, as I've done when taking any motor out, and re-installing. I used pieces of wood as buffer/guide blocks, and a jack .. and I didn't use a third chain.

I just didn't experience the level of difficulty/force/scraping mentioned, and not a mark on the engine or engine bay.
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These are the threads that drive me crazy.

How many commenters have actually removed and installed a 16V engine?

The two eyes on the corners of the block aren't aligned with the center of gravity of the engine. If it's lifted by those it'll tip towards the left/front and make it hard to impossible to get back in. Getting it out will happen with enough force, and scraping, but getting it in requires having it level and, better, to be able to tip it backwards a bit.

The clearance to the sides of the engine is about 1" total and you've got the sneak it over the heat shields and onto the mounts while mating it to the tranny. Having it level, side-to-side, is critical for mating with the tranny. It helps to tip it back and with two chains it tips forwards and makes it worse. Why back? So you can mate the tranny before settling on the mounts.

That third hook isn't for looks: it holds the left side of the engine up.

<rant>
All you who have done 32V engines, or think you know, just stop. If you've done it with two chains then be honest that it was a bitch to get right.

I've tried to come up with the right description for threads where people keep saying the wrong thing or have to add that their approach worked for them. There'll be a couple of posts on the right thing to do and then 20 posts on guys saying all the oddball and just wrong things they did. It's the internet, after all, and everyone wants to see what they did in the thread or just post. </rant>

 

I have removed two and installed 1 using only the two hook points. All 16v. It is tight and yes the engine tips to the front left some. It is not ideal but it does work. I used a jack under to help align during the install.

 

I would go with the advise of the more experienced because Ive only done this once, but I went with the same HF lift/spreader setup. I used the three chains with heavy duty carabiners (2 liftpoints, 1 PS bracket). I bought the chains and carabiners at the hardware store, they were more robust than the ones supplied with the spreader. The third chain was slack and I didnt stop to re-adjust it, just left it as a backup chain. In the photo you can see I got a little tilt towards the front left as previously mentioned, but it didnt take up the third chain slack, and it was easily managed by my girlfriend. As I worked the hoist to lift it out, a half-inch at a time, she guided it from the top side with her hands (never put your fingers on the sides between the motor and the walls). Just go slow, little by little, inspecting all sides (bottom too) between each little lift. Dropped it back in the same way except without the third chain and without the girlfriend. just a hair at a time, checking, lowering, checking, lowering. Didnt take too long either, went smoother than I thought.

Also, when removing, plan out where you want things positioned throughout the process. We rolled everything into the driveway, lifted motor up, rolled car back in garage, then lowered the motor down and rolled it into the garage to attached to the stand. Thought this was safer than rolling the hoist around with the engine high up in the air as it would have to be to clear the fenders.

 

Since I'm doing this presently...like dropped it in this morning...I thought to take a picture. I wouldn't say this arrangement is "perfect" but it makes getting it back in much easier. I wish it was held flat side-to-side and the leveler worked straight fore-aft.

 

Yet somehow thousands of pulls and inserts have been done with 2 chains.

If the issue was so large, we'd be buying them from roger for $300 and the gold version from Greg for $700, and the some assy required version from Carl for $850 that was 1/2" off.

But..neither sells one.