Engine/K member dolly

[Dino]

I'd like to install my engine. trans, and K member assembled so I need to build a dolly. I know US Cartool makes everything I need but I just don't have the funds for that. To lift the car I will be using the big bumper bolts on the frame. I'll get same J or U stock iron to bolt against the frame and then weld a bar across them connecting these. That'll give me something to grab onto with the engine hoist to lift the front of the car.

I've got 2x4s so I would like to make the engine dolly with those. I'll be doing this in my driveway which is pretty smooth, but once the engine is in I need to push the car into my garage which has a crappy floor so I'll need to use fairly big casters.

Has anyone done something like this before?

[timmycharger]

Hey there Dino, I used the US car tool mount to lift the car, but I am sure you can use something else instead if you needed to. Too bad you were not close by, I would let you borrow mine. 

Here are some pics of the wooden dollies I built for my use, it worked very well, the casters are kind of small, but I am sure you can use bigger ones. 

[66FBCharger]

Hey there Dino, I used the US car tool mount to lift the car, but I am sure you can use something else instead if you needed to. Too bad you were not close by, I would let you borrow mine. 

Here are some pics of the wooden dollies I built for my use, it worked very well, the casters are kind of small, but I am sure you can use bigger ones. 

TimmyCharger, can you post a picture of the US car tool mount to lift the car?

[timmycharger]

Sure thing 

[maxwellwedge]

I once used long bolts and big washers and used the shock tower holes to hook the chains to.....worked great and cost about $4.00

I used a wooden dolley with wheels from Home Depot (I beefed it up a little) with assorted 4x4's, 2x4's etc to put under the K-frame.

Since then I had a proper steel cart made and use my 2 post lift for the body.........but the low-tech method I first described worked well.

[66FBCharger]

Sure thing 

Thanks!

[Dino]

Thanks guys!   

I made the dolly out of a bunch of 2x4s and 4" caster and it seems to work fine. I figured I could lift the car by the stock bumper brackets but I'm going to look into using the shock tower holes. It seems like a lot of weight to be carried there but maybe that's just me.

I also bought some 5" caster so I can screw them to a 4x4 or something and place it under the front frame rails. I need something to get the car back on some wheels and roll it out of the garage.

[Reel R/T]

That looks much easier and cheaper then buying all the tools. You're a genius. I will be stealing your idea for my project.

[Mike DC]

By my figures, a totally bare 2nd-gen unibody weighs under 700 lbs. (This means TOTALLY bare.) 

The majority of that weight is at the rear.  A partially assembled car w/o a front clip, K-frame, and drivetrain . . . it shouldn't be taxing a hoist too much.  If you're lifting it by the shock towers then I would worry more about the deforming the shock bolt holes.