Lifting engine to replace mounts

I'm going to be replacing the engine mounts on my 72 I6 and had a question about lifting the engine. Can the engine be jacked up from below? I was going to put a 2x6 under the oil pan and jack it up the few inches needed to pull the mounts. Will this bend or otherwise damage the pan? Seem's like I've done this with other cars and had no problems. Any gotcha's while doing this apparently simple job?

 

As long as the pan is solid you'll be OK. While maybe not ideal I have done it before and I am a professional :smash:. I would however loosen/take off the mount bolts before lifting to limit the time when something might happen while no mount is present which may be detrimental to you or your hand/fingers health.

 

You could think about your alternatives.

If you have an engine hoist, you could use that to lift the engine. That's likely the best way.

Or, you could put a block under the bell and cantilever the engine off of the bell. This would avoid crushing the pan, but will be more precarious than lifting directly under the engine.

I recall that I've lifted under the pan before to do this job, with no ill effects. The 258 has a skid plate on the pan that will help to distribute the load.

Yes, remove the motor mount through-bolt first, and and keep your fingers clear when the engine is supported on the jack.

 

Sadly most of us have done such things in the past. Remember working cars along the road using a bumper jack at the top of its lift?

 

No, I'd never do that, now R).

 

I've also done this on multiple vehicle. I'd suggest distributing the weight across the pan the best you can and position a jack stand somewhere as a safety precaution (just in case the jack fails, slips, whatever).

-Chris

 

Thanks, good comments. If I had a hoist it would be a no brainer but I have to make do with what I have. I'm a pretty safety minded guy but the safety reminders are well taken. I'll post a review in a few day's after I get the new ones in.

 

The motor mount replacement was a snap. No body parts were lost. The jack under the oil pan worked fine. The exhaust system caused that side of the engine to tilt a bit so be aware of this when you jack, some systems may be less flexible than others. The engine is now sitting tall and proud.

The best part of this exercise was the bargain price for the mounts. You can't beat $3.29 each at O'Reilly's auto parts! Buy some and keep them in stock.

 

$3.29???? I just ordered two from the same chain and they were $7.99. Still not a big price but $3.29, I fill cheated.

 

I wonder if there was a run on them from Jeep guy's and they raised the price? Like you say, they're still pretty cheap for Jeep parts. Watch your fingers when you put them in.