Drewdog
Eww not the southside! Only kidding
Have an engine crane and stand here you're welcome to if it helps keep the costs down and gets another car back on the road.

Hey at least I’m not from the Golden Triangle!!!
 
Thank you so much, think I’m going to buy an engine stand but not sure I want to spend cash on a crane just yet. Would prefer to spend that £££ on the car so thank you for the offer, I might just take you up on it!!!

An engine crane is one of those "share between friends" tools, last one to use it gets to store it, a bit like a cement mixer! Sooo helpful when using them but a pain to store.

add a rollover jig to that list, although I dont know anyone with one.
 
I have a scaffold that goes between mates.
Its funny, because it seems to always be in use, something about stupid people who buy weatherboard houses...

Progress update: 
 
Moved the car to the new house, parts ordering and some minor stripping of the engine before removal. Also been getting set up in the new place so I have somewhere to clean and build, missus wasn’t keen on me using the kitchen for this task.
 
Also been having a brake issue. Pistons seem to have seized but can hardly blame them after being sat idle for seven years! 

Engine out, took me longer than planned to get around to it. Looking to take the engine out of my other escort this weekend as not all that pleased with the amount of gunk in this one. Surprised it lasted as long as it did! 

That gunk is nothing to worry about ! I had a pinto which came from a country owner, high miler and the only thing stopping it leaking was the gunk forming a layered skin between the seals and gaskets ! Another motor I pulled down was a 2.8i Cologne v6 and that was terrible, it was caked an inch thick in the sump, tappet covers , on the crank, looked like vegimite spread hehe

martymexico
looked like vegimite spread hehe

that’s exactly what it looked like and the tappets were awful, really caked in thick vegimite hahaha. Figured I’d grab the other engine as it wasn’t that big a job and then make the best from both and the new parts I’ve ordered. 


 

Engine out and safely in the back of the runaround. 


Bloody tough moving an engine crane around in sand! 

Progress update.
 
Engine is now rebuilt and back in the car and most importantly running ok! 


Did have a few little troubles. When I first filled it with coolant it weeped out of the water pump gasket. Thought I would check the bolts again (had torqued them as specified), torque wrench hadn’t clicked and the bolt sheared. Fortunately there was enough thread to get some vice grips on and remove. 


Had also set the static timing to about 6-8° BTDC and figured I would adjust once I got it running but on first start up it sounded quite a way out. A bit of a search through the forum and I found that the Bosch electronic distributor I had installed needed to be static timed around 14° BTDC. Something I’ll be sure to check carefully in the future. 


Also temporarily fitted some gauges just to keep a reliable eye on the vital signs. Proper instal for these coming in the next few weeks. 


All seems pretty good, some minor adjustment to the mixture I think is needed and the check over the valve clearances as I think a couple are marginally out but otherwise pretty happy with it and learnt a lot from my first engine rebuild. 


Now just waiting on some brake parts from the uk and then she shall be back on the road

Awesome work mate, your a lot more handy then me.

Will be awesome to get it back on the road cruising again!