execman Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 hi, around the middle of March last year I bought an XE coilpack type engine off Ebay, as a backup, but when it was dropped off to me it was ridiculously heavy; ie it took 4 men to lift it off the van and to my mate's garage as it was so heavy. question: why is this standard GM Coscast engine so ridiculously heavy? I thought the Redtop engine was mainly aluminium as opposed to the cast iron CIH so I assumed I could lift it on my own-imagine my shock when I tried to lift it!! it manually turns over via a socket on the crank pulley nut which is a good sign, but its lain untouched up till now. it will be pulled out and inspected once the weather gets warmer. any help would be appreciated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 I can man handle a cih alone, or redtop, cant remember any struggles, but I do like my Weetabix, but no gym member. Didn't mention if it was on a pallet, or something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
execman Posted April 12, 2023 Author Share Posted April 12, 2023 it was on a pallet and dropped off to my front yard by the courier; I'm a 62 year old man, and reasonably fit, so was shocked to find I couldn't move it on my own, so had to call in reinforcements. the engine is complete minus the top hat airbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cam.in.head Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 hey were all not as young as we used to be ! back in the day me and my then girlfriend could easily lift a complete engine out ( one lift to the front panel on top of floor mats ,then climb out and lift down to floor. not tried that recently thou and im on my way up to 60 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 Probably better to buy or find a castor platform, see them up in Lidl some time, some bakery's have them, even a disused shopping trolley with basket removed. Apparently in and around 100kg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
execman Posted April 12, 2023 Author Share Posted April 12, 2023 i've given the engine to one of my best mates who needs it for his Manta, which has been off the road for some time due to the lack of a redtop engine. advised him to to buy a heavy duty engine support stand off Ebay when he's ready to work on the engine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 They are still a cast steel block, and if it had all ancillary bits + pallet you would be looking at 200kg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanG Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 1 hour ago, cam.in.head said: hey were all not as young as we used to be ! back in the day me and my then girlfriend could easily lift a complete engine out ( one lift to the front panel on top of floor mats ,then climb out and lift down to floor. not tried that recently thou and im on my way up to 60 ! I’m 63 and had a wake up call trying to move a double bed an mattress up the stairs. Would have been a piece of cake 10 years ago but now I really struggled! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonmonkey Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 (edited) As Jess says it’s only the head that’s aluminium, and it’s quite a big lump. The XE head is about 17kg with cams and valve gear, a 2.4 CIH is 31kg(just weighed each, although the bathroom scales are not traceable to national standards🤔) I always had it I’m my mind the XE built up installed was about 30-40kg lighter than a CIH That said my teenage son and I lifted the XE onto the engine stand ok (minus ancillaries) but he does eat Shreaded Wheat rather than Weetabix😊 Edited April 12, 2023 by Moonmonkey Spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 33 minutes ago, Moonmonkey said: As Jess says it’s only the head that’s aluminium, and it’s quite a big lump. The XE head is about 17kg with cams and valve gear, a 2.4 CIH is 31kg(just weighed each, although the bathroom scales are not traceable to national standards🤔) I always had it I’m my mind the XE built up installed was about 30-40kg lighter than a CIH That said my teenage son and I lifted the XE onto the engine stand ok (minus ancillaries) but he does eat Shreaded Wheat rather than Weetabix😊 Yeah, your about right with it been lighter than the boat anchor of CIH 😂 and 30kg would be about right as iirc it’s 220kg for the CIH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 (edited) I'm sure health and safety would have something to say about logging an engine about now a days, remember lift from your knees 🤣🤣🤣, back straight 🤔. Thanks for the heads up, hopefully I will be well past engine lifting at 60 odd, think at that age I will be director of operations, and let the young fellas show me how its done 🙃 Edited April 12, 2023 by ®evo03 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutty2006 Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 100% not the engines fault. we as humans were not designed to lift that kind of weight. Don’t get me started on how a CIH landed me in hospital. The back pain was that kind of pain I’d never experienced before, and thus made me immune to any pain afterwards….. hardens you up! But needless to say, I don’t lift anything heavy now. My XE was a lot lighter than a CIH but still need a good engine crane to move them about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealExile Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 Managed to lift a 1100 cc mini Clubman engine out with the wood and rope method but not a chance with a CIH! Replaced it with a 30 quid 850cc from loot which kept it going (albeit very slowly) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 25kg is the most we should be lifting unaided 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmscher Man Posted April 13, 2023 Share Posted April 13, 2023 I've lifted a few engines about in my time and like Sutty, the CIH is probably the one that has given me the most trouble. The XE and related SOHC engine are not so bad - and at least lifting the head off them is a doddle compared to the CIH. Not so long along I bought a complete CIH home in the back of the Tiguan and thought I would be okay lifting it out of the back and onto the floor - sure I've done this loads of times in the past. Turns out the 50 year old me cant do things that the 25 year old me could do......a gentle life lesson there. I did it but it wasn't as easy as I remember. I don't mess about now and get the Engine hoist out, even for short motors. Back injuries are the worst and the older you get, the longer it takes to get over them (and you never really get back to normal again). I lifted a washer/dryer that was seriously heavy a while back when I was helping someone move house and it was actually my left knee that gave out, not my back and I am still suffering from that 10 years later, so lesson learnt......don't offer to help people move house! 🙂 and remember....none of us are getting any younger (voice of my mum in my ears there). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
execman Posted April 13, 2023 Author Share Posted April 13, 2023 thanks for all the input on this guys; the XE block being cast iron would go some way to explain it, but I remember me and my best mate carrying his 2.2 CIH from outside off his house to his front door many many years ago, and it dont recall it being as heavy; must be an age thing I guess. after all that I hope the engine is in reasonable shape once the head has been removed for inspection. I bought it from vauxpartsukltd in Gravesend Kent; does anyone have personal experience of them? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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