Shipping Engine

One option is to get one of those cheap engine stands and bolt it to a sturdy pallet. I had a boat engine rebuilt and the builder shipped it across the country like that. All worked fine.

Alternatively look around at the large plastic totes you can get at hardware stores or Walmart. I shipped the block out to the builder in one, it was cheaper than crating and a lot less time/hassle. Not sure if you'll find one to take a fully built engine, but worth a shot.

Julian

Strap it to a pallet. Tape up all the ports with duct tape.

This is the safest way to package it.

It would take a heck of plastic tote to ship a long block or complete engine with one. I’ve had mixed results shipping with plastic totes but have shipped ZF transaxles and heavy induction systems with them successfully. I always add some wooden structure inside to reinforce and mount/suspend the item being shipped in the tote. On the transaxle box, I also added cleats so it could be easily forked or moved with pallet jack. I’ve also shipped bare engine blocks in them in the similar manner but they were aluminum blocks and the reason was to use UPS instead of common carrier. When using UPS, I would say more than half of the toughest totes I’ve used have been damaged and not reusable with corners bashed off of them, but the wooden internal structure was always sufficient to protect the item inside.

I bought a long block a few years ago and it was mounted on an engine dolly that was attached to a standard 40x48 pallet, and then completely boxed in with chipboard. When I removed the plywood, I was dismayed to see the engine stand had been mounted straddling the center section of the pallet instead of bearing across it, had fallen through the flimsy pallet wood, was sitting on the ground, and the 10qt Pantera oil pan mounted on it was now about a 7 qt pan!

I’d suggest you make your own pallet by doubling up a couple of pieces of ¾” plywood and then attaching three 4x4 cleats on the bottom so it can be easily forked or managed with a pallet jack. I think this is wise because it lessens the likelihood some dock-jockey sticks a fork into your engine. Then either use an engine stand to attach it to the base or build up a stack of 4x4s on each side of the engine, then hang the engine on them with the motor mounts making sure all is anchored well to the pallet. Then just wrap the engine in plastic or tarp so the engine can’t be easily viewed and well enough that you’d be OK if it got rained on. Or, if you have a lot of components on it, I’d say box it in with plywood to prevent theft in route.

If you are anywhere near someone who does a lot of kit car completion, make a phone call and see if they have a shipping container from a factory crate engine.

Good luck,
K

same as above.alot of the engine builders have metel stands made up that bolt to both engine and pallet and then are in a crate. ie crate motors, any custom houses in your area that you could contact. or if you are handy with a welder you could make a basic frame. angle iron for the motor and the pallet and uprights.
good luck

x2 on bolting to a pallet. I recommend cutting some support pieces out of 2x10 or similar and fastening with steel strapping. Then cover with cardboard or even thin plywood. As Panterror mentioned, shippers are not known for being gentle with shipping containers.

I would build a wood crate on top of a pallet, use rachet straps, wrap it in plastic, because it could end up this time of the year sitting ona loading dock and ship it FOWARD AIR ... i have shipped many large HVAC equipment and never had an issue ...they are set up to ship and use forklifts ... they usually ship airport to airport ... but it think they might deliver to a business.

dallas, Can you provide more pictures? Beautiful setup by the way.
accobra, Good point about wrapping it in plastic.

The items that get enclosed on a pallet are the ones that get banged around.

Pallets are going to be oversized for an engine.

Put the engine in Moroso engine bag and strap it down to a pallet.

These things are going to go door to door (NY to ST.L) in 24 hours on an enclosed trailer.

If you have a fork lift it makes it easier to load but I've run them up planks on an engine dolly.

If your buyer is willing to go for a few hundred extra dollars to build it a house, that's another thing all together.

quote:

Originally posted by Husker:
dallas, Can you provide more pictures? Beautiful setup by the way.

Thanks. It's on it's way back to me so I'll take some better photos when it arrives later in the week (hopefully). It's the method Ford Racing uses to ship their crate motors so it's pretty secure.

John

Absolutely do NOT ship a complete engine with Webers mounted unless the thing is solidly crated and nailed/bolted shut. Guaranteed, if they're visible (bags get 'torn' by the curious) the Webers will not be on the motor when it gets to its destination. The shipper will claim 'damaged in shipment- unknown cause' and you will spend Christmas, New Years and probably 6 months besides in company of a lawyer trying to reclaim anything, even if insured. The rocker covers might also 'disappear'.... Voice of experience here.

I would add that nothing should be left exposed that is removable such as a distributor, alternator, compressor or any carburetor. Best to ship it with a disposable oil pan and valve covers as well.

Boss, Doug, Excellent points. Never would've thought about removing the easily pilfered parts.

Insurance on shipping is a technical point. All shippers now use a third party to settle.
It is their job to discredit the claim.
There is a rule book for shipping. You need a law degree with a specialization in shipping.
If you need to place a claim, you're a dead man walking. They ain't gonna' pay you no money. Forget about that.

quote:

Originally posted by Bosswrench:
Absolutely do NOT ship a complete engine with Webers mounted unless the thing is solidly crated and nailed/bolted shut. .... Voice of experience here.

x2! I posted the picture of the pallet only to show the support pieces. It was then crated and the plywood sides and top screwed on. I would never ship an engine that was not fully crated.

Doug, It was also recommended that you take pictures of the inside and outside of the crate to substantiate any claims.

There is a new specification in the "shipping regulations" that says that if the item is over 100#, it needs to be packed with "engineered cushioning materials".

By this they mean hard foam molded to fit both the item on one side and the inside of the packaging on the other.

If it doesn't, then you didn't pack it "correctly" and if so, they are not responsible for damages incurred in shipping.

It's just a catch 22 in their favor of course.

Best way to ship freight is to ship it door to door. It goes virtually immediately and doesn't lay on a shipping dock waiting for a ride.

So, what you're saying is it would be easier to find someone going to Cal. and pay them to carry it along.

quote:

Originally posted by Husker:
So, what you're saying is it would be easier to find someone going to Cal. and pay them to carry it along.

I don't know about that. Check with Yellow Freight, I've used them a couple of times to ship motors. Here is the website to get an on-line quote. I've found them very easy to work with.

http://www.yrc.com/

Last engine I shipped was Yellow also. No problems. Went out Monday at noon. Was in St.Louis next day at noon.

Crate the thing and there shouldn't be a problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Husker:
dallas, Can you provide more pictures?

Got the engine back yesterday. Here are some pictures:

Wrapped in plastic

Front bracing

Rear bracing

Hope that helps.

Dallas, Thanks. Helps a great deal. Hadn't thought about strapping it down as in the picture from the rear.