Gear time - need to lift fuse

I've got my engine already mounted and the panel area almost complete, gear legs are installed but no wheels on them. I very generously padded and protected the leg ends to protect the threads and left the wheels off to keep the height of the panel and FWF area down a bit while working on it, but now it's time to put the wheels on the legs. Wings are not on yet, I didn't want to fit them until I had the gear finished.

What's the best way to lift the fuse now with the engine mounted? Towstrap on the engine mount? Blocks and jacks under the wing spar box? Something else entirely?

Id say the best way is to use the avery jack here: http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=561-1

I suppose you could choke the gear leg with a nylon sling or tow strap and lift it that way too, one leg at a time.

I recently switched out the casters on the front of my fuse cart, with the engine on. I wrapped a tow strap around the top hoop of the engine mount and raised the fuse off the cart using a cherry picker. This worked fine too. Sine your gear legs are on already you have little risk of it flopping over on you.

Greg, if you have an engine hoist handy, I would just use it. I used it, as you can see here, to install my gear legs. I didn't have the engine on yet, but I don't see that that would prevent you from doing it this way. Obviously, the mounting holes in the motor mount aren't open, but you can somehow use a nylon strap wrapped around the motor mount.

One side at a time with a jack and plastic bushing bolted on the gear leg. I made mine out of plastic decking, 2"x6" and bolted it together with two 1/4" bolts. The jack fits right under the bushing. It takes less than 1 hour to make.

Jim

Photo of bushing.

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Lift fuse.

We used the tow strap around engine mount and engine hoist to install wheels/brakes. Worked perfectly and was easy to do.....