Engine in the back?

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:58 pm

I have been offered a complete low mileage 1.9D engine but I have to travel some way to collect it and I would rather put it in the back of the car than tow a trailer ( this would limit my speed). In my mind this seems possible but I've only ever seen these engines installed not free so to speak.
Would it fit in the back of a BX hatch (my TRD) with the seats still in place? The seats split 70/30 but I've got to leave one for my daughter in her baby seat as we'll be going visiting too, not just collecting BX bits!

Also, can two men lift this engine up into the back as I've got no idea what it weighs apart from heavy? Has anyone done this?

Cheers

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:18 pm

Yes. It will fit with no problems, also you should be able to lift it with two people. The easiest way I've found without a hoist is to get a hefty bit of wood that's wider than the car, loop a strap around the lifting eyes and left the engine with the wood to save your backs. I'm guessing about 150-200 kg fpr the weight...

I'm disappointed after reading the thread title - I had pictured you fitting a second engine! Is it a spare, or are you worried about the engine in the yellow beast?

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:16 pm

Thanks Mat - that's good to know. Yes, the title was a little bit misleading - a bit like those leaders that you see on the cover of Kwality magazines like Look! Anything to get the punters in, bums on seats. I was going to call it : Engine in the front/ engine in the back.

I'm getting it in because it's there and the pump will come straight off and go onto the TRD.
As for the yellow one, I was under it today ( removing the Catalyser) and it's a horrible place to be - it needs help. This 'new' engine has a third of the Kms and doesn't weep oil like the one in the yellow . Basically the yellow one, despite its deceptively shiny yellow paint, is a restoration project now, if it wasn't a Mk.1 estate, I would sweep its rustiness into the bin.

This 'new' engine is also in the city of Wuppertal which has the only overhead monorail in Europe, built in 1898 - I've always wanted to see it and have a ride, so it's a good excuse as well as there being family up there.

Post by **Tim Leech** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:37 pm

Weird but funky, I like!

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:11 pm

Did they build it over a river by coincidence

Mike E (uk) · Post by **Mike E (uk)** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:59 pm

The engine unit is very heavy (and surprisngly big) with the gearbox connected.
Used engines are normally very dirty.

Watch out for the smelly gearbox oil too.

Put plenty of wood under the motor to spread the load and protect the inside of your car. The BX boot floor is very thin, and you don't want the motor moving about if you stop suddenly.

Personally, I would choose the trailer option as safer and easier.

May make a longer journey, but it's easier than cleaning and/or mending your car's interior.

Mike

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:59 am

I'm very much in agreement with Mike E - personally I wouldn't consider doing this with one of my nearest and dearest in the car too.

I haven't always though this way - I've been a serial heavy-load carrier in my BXs, but a couple of things made me change my mind and try to look at each case more carefully (I'm not an advocate of overzealous "Health and Safety" culture, by the way).

Firstly, I saw a TV prog which gave details of a real-life case of fatal injury to a small back seat passenger caused by movement of a medium-heavy boot load (a new computer & its CRT monitor) during a relatively minor shunt. The car in question had both sides of the split-back seat locked in an upright position, but it didn't stop the load from forcing them open.

Secondly, while transporting a washing machine to the tip in a hire van, I had to make an emergency stop and learnt first-hand why the back of the front seats were both boxed-in and reinforced - much more so than any car. I was so, so glad to have that solid barrier behind me!

However well lashed-down the XUD lump is,each split seat upright is only held on by one pretty flimsy catch, and life is a more precious commodity than a spare motor that can be collected by another means or at another time.

Apologies if this seems rather blunt.

mnde · Post by **mnde** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 1:46 pm

No, I'm fully in agreement with DLM and Mike E here.

I remember watching a programme which showed slow motion replays of crash tests of various cars with loads in the back (seats up), using exterior and interior mounted cameras from various angles. It wasn't pretty. Anything in the boot became a high speed missile, punching through the split/fold rear seats with ease. Anything on a parcel shelf became a potentially lethal weapon.

It certainly made me think again, when I had to move house last year, as to how exactly to stack all my stuff in the back of the GSA (seats down).

Mark.

Philip Chidlow · Post by **Philip Chidlow** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:12 pm

OT - sorry: A friend's car was written off when another car behind his was rear-ended by a people carrier with a roof box. The heavily-loaded roofbox shot over the top of the car that had just been hit and smashed into my mate's Alfa, ending up embedded in the rear hatch. I don't know if that's mildly amusing or not (no-one was seriously hurt)

But it goes to show that impacts and objects not securely fixed down don't mix.

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:19 pm

I would point out that I have usually (but not always) strapped the engine down with ratchet straps to the lashing eyes, but in the light of what’s been said would question the ability of the straps and fixing points to restrain an engine given the forces involved in a crash. Food for thought anyway…

Hopefully a crash is an extremely unlikely scenario, but the consequences don’t bear thinking about.

toddao · Post by **toddao** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:43 pm

Thankyou for the thoughts everyone. I suppose I'll take the trailer then!

The inside of my TRD used to be immaculate after 20 years ownership by the pensioner Wilhelm but I've changed that in the last few months by using it partially as a builders van! Well, mostly hauling cement and plaster and clearing building waste from the building sight in which we live. It still looks pretty good though and I don't want to wreck it further.

The safety of my daughter is the major consideration of course so I'll trailer it.

I've got to say though, I'm glad I don't watch TV - fills ones head with all sorts of scenarios!

Ken wrote re the Wuppertal monorail

Did they build it over a river by coincidence

It follows mostly the river Wupper then goes over one of the major roads through the city. It used to be considered one of the safest public transport systems in the world - it carries thousands a day - til its first crash in 1998, when it actually did fall into the river. An overnight work team, in the rush to finish before the first train of the day, left a claw attached to the track.. oops!
It only has those old carriages pictured above for special occasions, the current trains are from the 1970s