How much does an engine weigh

"I have a 1958 Buchanan Rocket

"I have a 1958 Buchanan Rocket (6 cylinder, inline, gas inboard) engine in my boat. It was manufactured in Orillia Ontario and is in a 20 foot 1958 Duke utility boat. It has one eye-bolt in the top of the engine to lift it but I would like to know roughly what the engine weighs so I can figure out the best way to lift the engine out of my boat that's stored in my garage.
Any ideas on what this beast weighs? It looks heavy! Thanks.

Doug"

"Get a chain hoist, rated for

"Get a chain hoist, rated for at least 1-1/2 ton and you'd be surprised by how often you end up using it. Harbor Freight sells them for a low price and they work fine. If you need to make a frame (since most garages don't have the structure for things like this, get some 4x4 posts, 1/2" threaded rod with lock nuts and flat washers and build it so you can straddle the boat with it. If you want to put it on wheels, it makes life easier. If it's a one-car garage, you could put a beam across the top plate but make sure you add blocking under it to keep it from dropping and additional vertical support to transfer the load to the foundation. Loop the chain hoist over the beam and make sure there's enough clearance for the boat to move out with the motor in the air.

Your motor probably weighs 400 pounds. Cast iron is about 450 lb/cu.ft (7.3 Kg/L) and the crank shaft is the second heaviest part of a motor in most cases."

Thanks for the information. I

Thanks for the information. I don't have a hoist yet but I was planning to put one together and I'm trying to figure out if I should use steel or wood. Obviously the weight that I have to lift will dictate what I need to build but if it weighs around 400 pounds or so then it looks like wood (4 x 4 or 6 x 6) will do the job.
Thanks.
Doug

"If it's something you&#39

"If it's something you'll use for more than just this job and want it to be more than adequate, you could use 2 2"x6" with a 1/8" steel plate between them, through bolted every 6" in a zig-zag pattern. This is called a 'flitch plate' and is commonly used when an interior wall is removed from a house. The height is dictated by the load but it's very strong. I ripped a 2x12 microlam when I removed the wall in my house and made a flitch plate from that. I went into my attic and jumped on the beam after I installed it and it didn't deflect much at all, and it was also supporting the ceiling (rock lath and plaster) at the time.

If you use steel, go to a scap metal yard. Same for the steel plate."

"Don't use that eyebolt!

"Don't use that eyebolt! Use a heavy chain instead, bolted to a convenient pair of spots on each end of the motor. You'll have to experiment to get the load balanced right.

Jeff"