I want to give UP !!

[kcfirstbuild]

Today I was attempting to put my rebuilt small block on my frame. I went and borrowed a cherry picker that i used to pull it out with. We got it three feet from where it needed to be and WAM ! The bolt on the cheery picker stripped out and my motor fell to the concrete floor. Smashed the oil pan up GOOD. My question is how screwed am I ? Will that cause any internal damage ? Two good things came about, we didnt get hurt and it missed the frame by an inch.

[nightmare]

how complete was the engine? probably messed up the oil pump, or at least the pick up tube. have you taken the oil pan off?

[hugger6933]

As one that had had and rebuilt hundreds and hundreds of wrecks, I'd say that the oil pump pickup maybe the oil pump too if the pickup was welde to the pump. If the pan was'nt dented really bad , the pickup and pump may be ok as well

[heeroyue2002]

pictures!

[kcfirstbuild]

I took the time to put the motor back on the stand put after that I felt. Just a bit upset about the ordeal. The only thing I have left to do was put on the valve covers and I was done. THe pan has a really good size dent and flattened out. THe pick up tube was welded on yes.

Do you all think everything else will be ok ? Main bearings and everything else ? I know some on that has an engine dyno. I think im just going to take it to him and have him fix it and dyno it to make sure nothing else is wrong. I dont even want to touch it at this point.

THis is my first build and its not working out well.

[Boog]

Yes, always keep hands and feet clear from under engines on lifts. It happens so quick you could lose a digit or worse. Pull the pan off and look it over. Try to turn the engine over with a wrench on the crankshaft.

[hugger6933]

Don't give up ! maybe take a day or two off the project , try not to think about it[I know that is hard]. Time will heal some of that hurt. Also all will be better when you fire it up and hear it roar for the first time. After all of these years I still get goose bumps on the first fire of a project.

[litew8]

Always check your hardware beforehand. Ensure you have strong enough bolts, chains etc... on the cherry picker.

[67chevy1series]

my older brother gave up on his first truck and now his young 16 year old brother has built a truck from nothing and its running and now hes jealous and he wishes he could have kept going on his first truck. so what im really trying to say is DONT GIVE UP

[litew8]

What do you mean by this exactly? "We got it three feet from where it needed to be and WAM !"
Do you mean that the engine was 3' from the engine stand? Meaning, in the air 5' or so, and that's where it fell from?

[treveiger]

Hey man there's a reason I call my truck miss hackjob. The PO really got stupid on something's, felt the same as you, I wanted to crush the truck but kept plugging away an finally last Friday me an my girlfriend went for a drive an it was worth all the busted head an knuckles, I'm still not done but the hard stuff is done!
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[kcfirstbuild]

The motor was hanging on the picker just between the front of the frame. I would say it fell three feet.

[litew8]

If you don't see anything obvious, you'll prob. be OK. Guessing the pan absorbed most of the impact.
And hey, don't feel bad. Making mistakes is a guy's life - just as long as you learn from them and are better prepared NEXT time!

[special-K]

Back up a minute. What do you mean a bolt stripped on the cherry picker? Do you mean it sheared? What bolt? I just don't understand where a stripped bolt plays in. Did it have a nut on it?

You need to pull the pan and look. Have you spun the motor? It should be fine.

[eagleuh1]

Get over it. **** happens, nobody got hurt. Take the pan off and inspect it. Get a new pan, new bolt for Cherrypicker and put it where it belongs. Oil pan prbobly protected the rotating asssembly, maybe not the oil pump pickup or pump. Just inspect it good, repair and move on. Don't give up, nobody likes a quitter, Oorah.

[MacGyver72]

Everyone is right. As long as the pan didn't dent deep enough to hit the crank assembly, you're only looking at a new oil pump, pick up tube and pan. Glad no one get hurt. First reflex is always to try to catch it. When heavy stuff starts to fall, run away. Fix it later.

[treveiger]

^^^ I've learned not to try an catch things after some knives and razors dropped an I caught them .
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[71sierragrande]

Give up...for about 24 hours, and then head up town and get the new stuff you need. I doubt that will be the biggest problem you have on a rebuild.

[CTENTA1]

Best thing is to walk away and do some stuff to clear your mind. Once you get motivated in a day or two go back with full force. It works every time. Incidents like this always burn me out quick. So I just stop and go at it later after a break.

[Mike Bradbury]

Had a chain break on a small pinto engine when I was in high school and it scared the heck out of me. The engine fell back into the engine compartment, fortunately it fell directly back onto the mounts so nothing got damaged. From that point on I learned that spending a couple more dollars on grade 8 hardware, and the single bolt where it attaches to the cherry picker is always bullet proof.

Except for the main pivot bolt on the head of the cherry picker their should be at least two chains connected to the motor so in the event one blows the other is there to at least hold it from falling. I just pulled my motor this weekend and it was the first time I used one of those load levelers. they really keep the load from shifting or hanging at crazy angles and stressing out the rigging.

What ever you do don't give up on your build. Frustrating things happen all the time it is just part of the stories you get to tell when you are at the truck show with your newly completed project.

[litew8]

Very cool Mike! I actually considered finding your post (read it the other day) and providing the link here. Nice setup.

[gearheads78]

Trying to picuture what happened but am I reading it right that the motor fell 3 ft and hit the concrete? If so DO NOT install the motor with out pulling the crank out to have it checked. Not what you want to here but a drop like that will usually break the crank shaft. I watched a buddy do it with a 396 he was about to put in a Nova. They put a pan on it and visually inspected while together and it looked OK The motor came apart with a broken crank in less than 50 miles.

[Autoblueprint]

Originally Posted by kcfirstbuild

I know some on that has an engine dyno. I think im just going to take it to him and have him fix it and dyno it to make sure nothing else is wrong.

Overkill !

Originally Posted by eagleuh1

Get over it. **** happens, nobody got hurt. Take the pan off and inspect it. Get a new pan, new bolt for Cherrypicker and put it where it belongs. Oil pan prbobly protected the rotating asssembly, maybe not the oil pump pickup or pump. Just inspect it good, repair and move on. Don't give up, nobody likes a quitter, Oorah.

X2. Make sure you use GRADE 8 bolts/hardware for the engine crane.

[litew8]

Originally Posted by gearheads78

Trying to picuture what happened but am I reading it right that the motor fell 3 ft and hit the concrete? If so DO NOT install the motor with out pulling the crank out to have it checked. Not what you want to here but a drop like that will usually break the crack shaft. I watched a buddy do it with a 396 he was about to put in a Nova. They put a pan on it and visually inspected while together and it looked OK The motor came apart with a broken crank in less than 50 miles.

I said "probably". It'd be a great idea to just go ahead and switch it out with another one if you've got a spare. But it's also good he's going to have it checked out either way.

[GASoline71]

Originally Posted by gearheads78

Trying to picuture what happened but am I reading it right that the motor fell 3 ft and hit the concrete? If so DO NOT install the motor with out pulling the crank out to have it checked. Not what you want to here but a drop like that will usually break the crank shaft. I watched a buddy do it with a 396 he was about to put in a Nova. They put a pan on it and visually inspected while together and it looked OK The motor came apart with a broken crank in less than 50 miles.

I also agree. The first thing I thought of was the cranckshaft as well. Having it checked is cheap insurance. rebuilding a rebuild is no fun (and really expensive).

Gary