DIY - How to ship a motor across country

hotaccord243

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Hey all. Since I went through the drastic learning curve of learning how to ship a motor (not knowing a single thing about how to do this) to someone across the country, I thought I'd share my experience in case anyone else ends up doing this themselves. It's actually surprisingly easy once you figure it out.

Shipping Costs
I searched endlessly online to find the best quote to ship my motor palletized. It was ranging from $300-$600. The F23 motor is approximately 225-250lbs bare. This weight is head/block together assembled, including all front accessories brackets and oil pan but without the intake/exhaust manifolds mounted on the motor, or distributor mounted to the motor itself. After palletizing (depending on pallet weight, amount of wood used, type of wood, fasteners used and how many etc.) It should come out to be about 300-320lbs. Mine came in at 310lbs.

I used www.Engineshipping.com and they are a freight broker who looks for the best cost for you. Door to door pickup with using their liftgate on the truck, and their pallet jack came out to be just over $400 by a few bucks.

If you want to save some money, drop it off at the freight shipping center, and have the receiving party pick it up at the nearest shipping center. This can save you around $150-$200 for about half the cost. But requires some buddies, a truck, and a way to get it on a truck..... I went for the easier route and had them pick it up at my house, and drop it off at the receiving parties house cause it's easier on both ends.

Prepping the motor for shipment

Supplies you'll need -
- Sturdy Pallet
- Some 2x4's (about 20' tops)
- Fastners (I had a framing nailer I used that I have to make it easier)
- Some plywood (optional)
- Some miscellaneous lagbolts or throughbolts if you want
- Saw (Skill Saw would make things easy or a miter saw. I had both, but you can do it by hand if you want)
- Tape measure
- Carpenters angle (Optional but helps you draw straight lines on the wood for cutting everything)

1. Remove the motor from the car. Remove the crank pulley from the block so the crank doesn't go out of balance from might be a lot of bouncing during shipping.

2. Drain all fluids from the motor as best you can

3. Clean up the motor as shown here (just makes it easier to handle, cleaner, and easier to work with, not required but makes everything easy to do in the next steps):
IMG_20150425_101539694_zpstaqudivx.jpg

IMG_20150425_113739468_HDR_zpsbgkla71a.jpg

IMG_20150425_121717660_zpsiiw2yyca.jpg

IMG_20150425_121733002_zpslrjqjy29.jpg


Palletizing the motor

1.Find a good sturdy pallet (I work in construction so this was pretty easy to pick one up for free quickly) You may have to hunt for one if your looking for a free one, or search craigslist for a cheap one. Here's mine with the block on it:
IMG_20150425_113713084_zpskn2ce0qu.jpg


2. Measure the overall width and length of block (If I remember right it was about 28" x 18") and cut a piece of plywood to the block size. Center on pallet and nail down. (I used cut down 2x4's for further support at the middle of the pallet so i'd have something to nail to, but probably overkill. THese were pushed/hammered in between the top/bottom of the pallet prior to nailing down plywood). Here's how I cut my plywood:
IMG_20150425_122907771_HDR_zps9tmtpucv.jpg


3. Measure approximate area where you can cut and nail down 2x4's to support the block off of the bottom of the pallet so it is not resting on the oil pan and the pan is in the air and get to work. It took about 1.5 2x4's nailed vertically to get enough height to keep it in the air. Shown below:
IMG_20150425_131122046_HDR_zpsw79okrwh.jpg

IMG_20150425_133704176_zps4kxcowwp.jpg


4. Now that you got the oil pan in the air. Buy some industrial stretch wrap from somewhere. I got mine off Amazon for about $18 and only needed like 50' of it but it worked great here's the link to what i used: Clicky.
Assemble the motor as a whole and wrap the whole engine in this so if there is any remaining fluids in there, they aren't going to go anywhere. You will see large charges from freight if fluid leaks from this thing. Here's what it looks like when it's done:
IMG_20150425_150619744_zpsknlge4vt.jpg


5. Next take your 2x4's and measure to build a box around the block. Keep in mind where existing solid part of the block has existing holes in it. This is where you would stick a bolt through that hole, through the wood and tighten down to prevent anything from moving during shipping. Secure the wood to your base and frame as well so it's 100% solid. Here's what I did:
IMG_20150425_154030266_zpsks4y1f5x.jpg

The part where you see a short piece of wood attached to the tall piece (pictured closest to you) is where I screwed the block to the wood frame so it wouldn't move. I built a frame around it tight to the block so no movement could happen. I had leftover lagbolts from building my deck so i just used those Shown here and it worked just fine.

6. Wrap the whole thing with whatever you want to use. In my case I used cardboard and drywall screws (had some leftover from house project) to secure it to the wood so it wouldn't fly/fall off shown here:
IMG_20150425_162213908_zpsipralgxn.jpg


7. I used packing tape to tape the whole thing together as well for added security. WHile your using the packing tape adhere labels to the amazing creation you have just made as well:
IMG_20150427_130641306_zpsfvm4zq1h.jpg


8. Make sure you adhere a DO NOT STACK label to the top of your creation for shipping. I was told by the driver that's actually huge and does make a difference. This was supplied to me by engineshipping.com but incase you find another broker to use I highly recommend you do this regardless

9. Set up the pick up time, meet the driver and off it goes to it's destination. Should only take about a week to get there.

That's pretty much all it is to it. It's really not that difficult. Since I just sold my motor (which if your reading this and need parts see my FS thread HERE and go buy something now. I won't be part of the forum much longer, but thought this may help someone in the future at some point and thought i'd share this information in hopes it helps somebody out at some point in the future.

Cheers! :cheers:
 
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hotaccord243

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nice write up! This definitely should be added to the master list!

Thanks twofast4u! Hopefully it will help somebody down the road, as when I was trying to find information (within the past year) there was only outdated shipping costs and photos.

I also added the note about removing the crank shaft pulley to make sure the crank stays balanced during the likely bounciness of during shipping that could throw it off too....
 

Varnell

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Very nicely done. I work for a shipping company and this looks better than 90% of the palletized engines I see. Most just have bolts through the motor mounts to the pallet. Most are just laid on their side and banded.
 

hotaccord243

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Very nicely done. I work for a shipping company and this looks better than 90% of the palletized engines I see. Most just have bolts through the motor mounts to the pallet. Most are just laid on their side and banded.

Thanks Varnell, better safe than sorry in my opinion. Work in construction so had the tools and nails already at home, and wood was easy to come by. I'm surprised that people just band their motors and lay it on a pallet....
 
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