A usful bit of kit.

[rotrax]

I needed to raise our Yanmar 4JH4-HTE 110 HP engine to gain access for removing the Bosch Rotary Injector Pump.

All sorts of things were considered including a scaffold tube, two hydraulic bottle jacks and even cutting a hole in the pilothouse floor to allow the block and tackle through.

First Mate had just read on the Island Packet owners facebook site that American owners were using Air Jacks to lift their engines for changing engine mounts. For £89.00 from Amazon, one turned up the next day. It could be inflated with exhaust gas or compressed air. The exhaust gas option was not used. I removed the Schrader automotive type valve core, fitted a metre of high pressure pipe with another schrader type valve in the end. A test inflate was amazing! 4.5 tons was the rated lifting weight, .8 of a metre the height.

I had to remove the Alternator and Water Pump from the front of the engine before squeezing it down the front and then under the sump. The foot bolts of the engine mounts had been removed and replaced by six inch ones so the lift would be constrained by the eight bolts, no tipping over.

Once ready my 24 litre compressor provided the air and BINGO! she was up five inches at the front, three at the rear. Prepared wood blocks were ready, the front starboard mount removed and both front mounts chocked. Pressure was released, the air jack deflated.

The mount now out of the way I could remove the water cooled oil filter housing which gave access to the two bolts that could not be reached with that and the engine mount in place.

Pump now ready for cleaning and then taking to the Diesel Specialist, along with the injectors, for testing and repair. I suspect the primary regulator valve is worn or out of adjustment - it does not provide enough pressure to crack the injectors when hot.

So, if a convenient method of lifting a heavy engine is needed, consider an air jack. The one we have is meant for 4WD cars wheel changing on soft or uneven ground.

It worked for us!

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I was about to ask could you get an engine hoist in the available space, now I am wondering about how an exhaust would create enough pressure to inflate it to lift 4.5 tonnes.

 

[rotrax]

The engine is fitted under one of the single beds in the central guest cabin. Hight is a problem as there is a dropped ceiling area above the forward end. A scaffold pole, 1.9 metres long and two hydraulic bottle jacks might have done it. Otherwise I would have used the supports for a crosswise scaffold pole through the open pilothouse windows and a hole in the pilothouse floor above the units lifting points. I am glad the air jack was sucessful.

The instructions show the exhaust connector being tightly pushed over the tailpipe and held in place by hand. The other end has a simple valve of the inflatable dinghy sort. Three metres of heatproof connecting tube join the two.

There are illustrations of exhaust pressure lifting a large 4X4, several testamonials say they work, so perhaps they do.

I think it would take some time to inflate with exhaust gas fully to lift a car. It needed almost 50 litres of compressed air at 8 bar to inflate fully unloaded, and about twenty litres in its compressed under the sump state to lift the donk six inches.

Well pleased with the result, First Mate needs a pat on the back for a great idea that worked.

 

[DownWest]

Very interested, linkey ?

In the past I have seen advertised air bags to lift cars with exhaust connection.

 

[rotrax]

Loads on ebay or Amazon if you search 'air jack.'

Ours is bright orange and has the compressed air inflation option.

I read on an American site that a guy was successful in using two basketballs after he extended the inflation tube for changing his engine mounts.

 

[Dellquay13]

Someone very PBO minded might see an emergency buoyancy or reflotation use in there too

 

[Saltram31]

I used my fenders with a tyre compressor to change my engine mounts.

 

[rotrax]

I used my fenders with a tyre compressor to change my engine mounts.

Great stuff! Proper PBO initiative, well done.

A big fender might have lifted our engine but would have required an extention tube to pressure it - absolutely no access under the sump.

A big enough fender might not have been flexible enough to get in place either.

Your tip is tucked away in the memory banks in case it is needed in future!

 

[Skylark]

There was a thread a while back where someone used an air bag to lift the engine, re sail drive membrane change, hence my interest.

Any concern about the sump supporting the weight of the engine?

My engine is a 2013 3 cyl Yanmar.

 

[rotrax]

There was a thread a while back where someone used an air bag to lift the engine, re sail drive membrane change, hence my interest.

Any concern about the sump supporting the weight of the engine?

My engine is a 2013 3 cyl Yanmar.

Our engine is a large 110HP four cylinder with turbo, intercooler and large heat exchanger.

No worries about the sump taking the weight of any engine in my experience.

If you ever lift an engine out, what do you do with it, leave it supported by the block and tackle?

Of course not.

You lower it onto the sump......................................

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I was about to ask could you get an engine hoist in the available space, now I am wondering about how an exhaust would create enough pressure to inflate it to lift 4.5 tonnes.

The average 4x4 in these islands has an engine of between 2.0 and 3.0 litres, with a compression ratio of perhaps 8:1 . I think that will shift a considerable amount of gas into an Air-jack pretty quickly. No use for the OP's purpose, of course, as he was not in a position to run his engine.

 

[ibbo]

I changed mine on Sunday, using wooden wedges, and a car wind up jack. I do wish you'd posted this last week!

And fenders, why didn't I think of that. Nice one.

 

[Skylark]

Our engine is a large 110HP four cylinder with turbo, intercooler and large heat exchanger.

No worries about the sump taking the weight of any engine in my experience.

If you ever lift an engine out, what do you do with it, leave it supported by the block and tackle?

Of course not.

You lower it onto the sump......................................

Many thanks.

I’ve not removed that many (car) engines but each time I have I’d always move it from block and tackle to holding fixture, hence why I asked the question. Pressed sumps don’t seem particularly strong to me so I appreciate you passing on your experience.

 

[mil1194]

Our engine is a large 110HP four cylinder with turbo, intercooler and large heat exchanger.

No worries about the sump taking the weight of any engine in my experience.

If you ever lift an engine out, what do you do with it, leave it supported by the block and tackle?

Of course not.

You lower it onto the sump......................................

Whenever you buy a 2nd hand engine it always comes on a pallet resting on its sump in my experience as well.

 

[ean_p]

There was a thread a while back where someone used an air bag to lift the engine, re sail drive membrane change, hence my interest.

Any concern about the sump supporting the weight of the engine?

My engine is a 2013 3 cyl Yanmar.

I might be inclined to be circumspect as to where the lifting bag contacts the hull fabric if it works its way between frames and / or bearers, though I think that the surface pressure is quite low per unit area, there's just a lot of area....!

 

[Habebty]

Lidl sell air bag jacks occasionally, not sure of the lift capacity though.

 

[rotrax]

I might be inclined to be circumspect as to where the lifting bag contacts the hull fabric if it works its way between frames and / or bearers, though I think that the surface pressure is quite low per unit area, there's just a lot of area....!

It came with thick felt sheets which can be inserted top and bottom to protect from sticky out bits that might puncture the material.

The air jack was only under pressure and lifting for a few minutes. I removed one engine mount and then blocked the mounts at a height which allowed me to reach the fastnings that were unavailable when mounted normally.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Many thanks.

I’ve not removed that many (car) engines but each time I have I’d always move it from block and tackle to holding fixture, hence why I asked the question. Pressed sumps don’t seem particularly strong to me so I appreciate you passing on your experience.

Many years ago I had an ancient Opel (Vauxhall) Kadett which gave frequent starter-motor problems. To remove the starter necessitated first removing the adjacent engine mounting. To support the engine I used a bottle-jack. Didn't do any damage whatsoever to the sump.