Removing engine while on the hard

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by sailingunity

Thanks. I'm mainly concerned about something crazy like the boat tipping over.



Removing the coolant tank/manifold, alternators, transmission and intake manifold is easy. I could remove the head also, as it weights about 80 lbs, but would prefer not to!

In my experience, marina hardstand managers won’t allow engines to be swung out on the boom. I know it’s tempting to try it but the consequences if you fail are unpleasant at best and life threatening at worst. If something goes wrong with the lifting arrangement and the engine gets dropped and terminally damaged, that’s just annoying and expensive BUT if the stands collapse or the keel slides on the blocks and the boat actually topples over while you’re on deck, you’ll be riding it to the ground. If you have other boats nearby the domino effect could cause even more damage, far better to abandon the idea of swinging the Beke out on the boom and get the appropriate machine in to do the hoist.
PeteJ

[capt jgw]

If your marina has rack storage service for small power boats, thier "Marina Bull" forklift has about 20 foot long forks. No problem reaching inboard with that, even over the stern. And they go like 30 feet high so height's no problem either. I've done it that way too.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

In my experience, marina hardstand managers won’t allow engines to be swung out on the boom. I know it’s tempting to try it but the consequences if you fail are unpleasant at best and life threatening at worst. If something goes wrong with the lifting arrangement and the engine gets dropped and terminally damaged, that’s just annoying and expensive BUT if the stands collapse or the keel slides on the blocks and the boat actually topples over while you’re on deck, you’ll be riding it to the ground. If you have other boats nearby the domino effect could cause even more damage, far better to abandon the idea of swinging the Beke out on the boom and get the appropriate machine in to do the hoist.
PeteJ

About 20 years ago one of the marinas here in Muskegon (the one that had the big fire last week) played boat dominoes when a DIYer pulled one too many jackstands to paint the bottom. Around 12 boats got knocked over. Huge mess. Yeah, don't be that guy. When I pulled my engine there wasn't anybody near me.

[sailingunity]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

About 20 years ago one of the marinas here in Muskegon (the one that had the big fire last week) played boat dominoes when a DIYer pulled one too many jackstands to paint the bottom. Around 12 boats got knocked over. Huge mess. Yeah, don't be that guy. When I pulled my engine there wasn't anybody near me.

Yikes!

We plan to do it when the boat next to us goes in the water. Partly because we can drop it into the bed of the truck.

I'll talk to the marina. They do have a forklift but nothing with big forks. Their travelift has a small crane on it, but I don't think they can get it over our center cockpit.

[JPA Cate]

Could they get to it in the cockpit if you take off the boom and drop the back stay?

Ann

[SailingHarmonie]

Most yards I have been in have a crane that costs about $150 an hour. The whole process could be done in 15 minutes from engine mounts to resting on the ground. No risk to your boat, and huge savings in your time rigging up something you are worried about.

Somethings ARE worth paying for.

[sailingunity]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

Most yards I have been in have a crane that costs about $150 an hour. The whole process could be done in 15 minutes from engine mounts to resting on the ground. No risk to your boat, and huge savings in your time rigging up something you are worried about.

Somethings ARE worth paying for.

The boatyard I'm at now does have a crane on their travel-lift. Once the boat next to me goes in, it might be able to reach.

If they say they can do it, then that is my first options as it's the least risky.

[phorvati]

One more point in Jackstands. They are not meant to lift the boat or support it any more than just keeping the boat vertical. Boat is meant to sit on its keel and jackstands support very little weight. If hull is sandwich structure, and you lift the boat by jackstands alone, for instance to paint the bottom of the keel, you could risk de-laminating the hull in area where jackstands are. At the very least make sure you are placing jackstands in area where strong bulkheads are. This may not be possible.

[OS2Dude]

At the yard here they use a travel lift to haul boats and it has a small crane for lifting masts off/on boats. I watched them pull a small engine directly from the inside of a boat and into the bed of a pickup. Find out how your yard lift masts and ask if that would be able to lift your engine out.

You can lighten the load by removing parts like the transmission, header, pumps, etc.

[marcjsmith]

Originally Posted by Sailor Sailor

A cherry picker would do the job and less expensive than the crane.

do not do this.... most cherry picker(aka manlifts) are rated for one man which is around 250lbs. even the large 2-3 man one are only rated for up to 1000lbs. lifting cargo is not their purpose.

[Wayne Bostow]

Would you have second thoughts about lifting a grand piano over the side? That would be about 200-300 lbs lighter. Has Murphy's law been repealed? Be sure to keep the gawkers away.

[peter loveridge]

big engines are put in fishing boats around here every day of the week. Get the boom truck. Here it's $75-125/h. I would guess if you've done all the preparation, it would be easily done in 2 hours . Much safer and I'd be pretty sure they have insurance if something goes adrift

[MicHughV]

Logic sez to get the yard to remove it with the forklift. That would be the simple and safest solution, at any price.
Also the quickest.

I once removed an old engine and replaced it with a new one, while the boat was in the water. I'm guessing the weight was around 500 lbs. Engine only.

Used the boom, with the main halyard tied just above the engine, and then a block and tackle arrangement to lift the engine up to clear the cockpit. I had the boom reinforced with a 4x4 wood post as well.

While the operation was successful, I had my heart in my mouth the whole time. I had several friends assist me as this would not be a one-man job.

My boat heeled over quite bit during this operation. Not sure how that would affect the stands up in the yard.

I would not do it again. Anything breaks, or moves, etc, you'd be in the deep doodoo.

You will off course, have to get the engine back in as well.

Hands down, you'll be doing yourself a big favor to get forklift assistance. It will be safer, quicker and simple.
I see no value in trying to do this yourself.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

If your marina has rack storage service for small power boats, thier "Marina Bull" forklift has about 20 foot long forks. No problem reaching inboard with that, even over the stern. And they go like 30 feet high so height's no problem either. I've done it that way too.

That’s what we did when we repowered. Fork over cockpit. Straps/chains- then lift and remove. We had new one put into boat at same time to minimize fork time

[MicHughV]

I should add that a forklift can also move the engine to any location you want. Doing it yourself, you might get the engine out...and then what ??? Just leave it next to the boat ??
If you have truck handy, the forklift can place it in the truck bed for you.
Lastly, you'd be surprised how much 500 pounds weighs. Even with several people, you'll find out very quickly, what a challenge that would be.