Big Block Low Deck engine install in 68 Dart

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I did mine the only way I could, from the driver's side with a hoist and really had to get creative since my garage door channel was in the way.
I can't fit my front plate from underneath yet.

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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.
 
Yeah it works great if you have the right tools. Taking your time and figuring out the next move is a smart idea the first time around. I had the engine in and out of my Duster more than a few times during the build process. Each time I improved the process and decreased the time.
 
The 1 ton bridge crane allowed me to "cheat" on a lot of stuff. I could pick up the front of the car and lower it back down over the engine and trans or I could lift the engine and transmission up into the car from below if the car was sitting on high jacks.

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AndyF said:
Yeah it works great if you have the right tools. Taking your time and figuring out the next move is a smart idea the first time around. I had the engine in and out of my Duster more than a few times during the build process. Each time I improved the process and decreased the time.
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One pickle I got caught in was needing to pick up the front end after the K-frame was bolted in but before I had the engine off the cart. The cart was in the way of using a floor jack so I lifted the car up engine and all like this - pucker time but it held no problem to raise it up just enough to get the cart out.

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I also proved that the cheap little HF cart will hold up the front end of the car and engine for at least a little while.
 
Nice builds here.
On my Valiant with B Engine, the only Plug i hate to change is no. 6.
I drilled a "service hole" in the Fender to reach it. But its just because i used B-Body Headers and that thing is routing direct in front of the plug.
All others are easy.
 
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