Big Block Low Deck engine install in 68 Dart

AndyF said
In my old shop I would just lift the front of the car off the ground with my bridge crane. Then I would roll the big block and transmission under the car, and then lower the car down over the engine. Lift the engine into the car, lift the k frame up to the car and you're just about finished. I could do the whole job by myself in just a few hours.

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I followed your lead and lifted a small block/4-speed on the k-frame into my Duster using a cherry picker and juggling jackstands. I put the car on a pair of tall jackstands before I dropped the k-frame out to begin with (no engine, had elephant ears), hooked on to the k-frame and dropped it to the floor.

Going back in I had to pick the car by the rad support to go up a few inches more to get the unit underneath. Then I took those tall stands out, put low stands under it, and had about an inch between the k-frame and the frame rail so I picked the engine up a little bit and bolted it all in place. Don't get in a hurry because I ended up having to stop and figure out why my transmission mount wouldn't bolt up and realized I shouldn't have tightened up the motor mount brackets so soon.

I just built off a $12 cart and a rolling transmission jack both from Harbor Freight. I stood 2x6s on edge on the cart and sandwiched them between 2x4s and screwed 2x4s across the top of the 2x6s. I stuck a jackstand under the drag link to keep the engine from falling off backward until I had the transmission installed and supported on the rolling jack.

It took more than a couple of hours all in but I did it alone and it wasn't a big deal.