I was wiped. I was just about ready to clean up shop, wash my hands, grab some couch and channel surf between college football games. Then I hear this loud rolling metal sound in the alley. I scooted out from under the car just in time to see my wife Mary with our neighbor Mike, who just happened to be Mike the guy down the street with an engine lift.
Now I hadn't really planned yet for the engine lift portion of the weekend. I knew Mary mentioned a guy down the street who had one, and I figured at some point soon I'd be looking for one, and most likely renting.
So not being one to ruin a good thing, I kept on working with Mike's help for the next hour or so and we lifted the hunk o' iron without too much effort.
I've since been told by a couple of more experienced car-engine-lifter-dudes that it would've been a better idea to yank the engine and transmission together (and even Mike hinted at this), but by the time the lift showed up the bolts connecting the trans to the engine block were already off, so (as you can see in the above photo) the torque converter came with the engine.
What was quite the surprise was the engine block's red color. I did not recall (of course it WAS 25 years ago) that the engine block I slapped in there 25 years ago was red. All I remember was getting it in, getting it to run, and painting it good old Ford Engine Blue. But obviously there was lots of red that I just couldn't get to with that can of 1982 spray paint.
Oh, did I mention that it's actually a JET engine?
Mike the neighbor was full of surprises that afternoon, especially when he just so happened to have a 'spare' engine stand that he would sell me for $50. I shelled out the fifty, and later tipped him with a couple of six packs.
An engine lift and an engine stand. Two key pieces of equipment that literally just showed up when I needed them most on a Saturday afternoon.
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