[5twenty]

I had my engine on a cherry picker getting ready to drop in the car. I still don't know what happened but before I knew anything was happening I realized the cherry picker was beyond the point of no return and falling over, with my brand new motor on it. Now I'm working in a small garage and there are only a couple of places it could have gone. Into my car. Into me then into my car. Into the garage door. Into me and into the garage door. Or into a 6 foot high set of shelves I was using to store spare parts and tools including my polished Kenne Bell supercharger, my polished Kenne Bell manifold/intercooler, my fuse box, my car's computer, etc.

The engine crashed into the shelves smashing them into a millions pieces like an F1 car hitting the wall at Hockenheim. I briefly looked at the carnage. I could see recognizable pieces, like my supercharger snout, sticking out of the rubble like a human hand from a train wreck.



I ran screaming into the house like a little girl who had just seen the space shuttle crash in the front yard. I just knew the engine was gone, and probably the supercharger, too. At least. I was crushed.

But my wife made me get off my butt and go look at the carnage. I was difficult but I could see the engine under the pieces of twisted wreckage. I pulled away some of the broken shelving and could see that only one corner of the engine actually made it to the concrete. I pulled the toppled cherry picker off the pile of wreckage and righted it, hooked it back up to the engine and started lifting it out. Again, I could see that it almost didn't make it to the concrete.

I lifted the super charger. Not a scratch.
I lifted the s/c manifold/ intercooler with my new fuel rails. Not a scratch.
I pulled up the engine out of the pile. At first glance, not a scatch. The chrome valve covers (were covered in plastic wrap for protection) were totally OK. There is no indidcation the balancer or the clutch (read: crank) hit the concrete. The fuse box took the worst but looks like only a couple of fuses and relays need replacing. The computer didn't seem to take a hit.

It seems the honeycomb shelving that exploded too the brunt and settled the engine and everyting else down as easily as I could have ever imagined.

Upon further inspection I saw that one corner of the oil pan and a tiny corner of the oil filter adapter took the brunt, putting a golf ball size dent in the oil pan.

The only visible damage is here, it looks worse than it is as the paint is coming off where the damage is, making it look really worse than it is.

I could have tipped that engine over 1000 times and 1000 times there would have been more damage, including my death. I was lucky on this one.

[05FLStangGT]

Wow man, you are so ready to get your car done. Like you said it could have been a lot worse. Cant wait to see your "Its finished" thread.

[EagleAutosports]

And that's the only damage? Cool. Got lucky on that one. I had a similiar thing happen to me, I had to move an engine from my deck to the front of my car about 75 feet away. I put the engine on a pallet and got my brother to help me move it. Either he went too fast, or I went too slow (I say he went too fast... he snatched it up while I was being careful) but the engine came my way. The screen froze for a second; I could jump out of the way and be fine or hope it misses me totally. Then what am I doing, I paid $XXXX for this thing and I'm not letting rocks, gravel, dirt, whatever get in it so I'll hold it... one of the head studs got me in the right forearm, and in the process of putting it down on the ground it went down the length of my arm. This was in 1994 and I still have this 8 inch long scar on my right forearm but the engine went in cleanly. Call me crazy I guess...

[Thereaper]

You are very lucky. Glad to here that all is well.

[$teve]

Wow Buy a lottery ticket, luck is on your side.

[gphasagt]

You lucked out man. I can't wait to see pics of it finished and installed.

[bigwilly43729]

Man, I just read the title and cringed. Glad to see that all is well. Talk about one tough engine.

[pfiandra]

I can just see it. Oops Crash, bang, thump, dingle dingle dingle dingle. Seriously, I'm glad you didn't get hurt. Just spray some blue paint over the dent and you got yourself custom oil pan.

[gphasagt]

I can only imagine the profanities that must have been uttered that day....

[CrzyHorse]

Close call. I could only imagine what that must have felt like.

[ZSTAANG]

Wow! I'm glad that the damage was as minimal as it was. How long will the oil pan set you back on getting it in now?

[JudisStang]

I can't believe that was the only damage... That's amazing - very lucky, indeed! Glad you came out of this!

[bodyman]

Glad to hear the only damage to your motor was a dent in your oil pan. After following the threads and posts about your rebuild I know you have alot of heart and soul (and money) In your motor. happy to read you and the motor are ok.

[kruzzzn]

Glad you're ok.I also had a problem pulling my old 327 out of my 36 Dodge.I had a load leveler bar and chains and the chain broke on one end of bar.Luckily only thing happened was broke the distributure cap when it hit the fire wall.First time used,must have been from China.Threw away and got lift plate.

[tw0scoops123]

Dayum, dude. You musta felt like you got a shot of adrenaline to the heart and a kick in the junk all at the same time when that happened. Glad to see the damage was minimal.