Steve: in a word; DON'T! There was a thread here a few months ago, started by a guy who had taken someone's advice to do the 'lift with wood from the oil pan' thing, and, having followed that advice wrecked his engine. Whatever you spend on renting a hoist will more than be made up by the fact that you'll be able to drive your car when you've finished the job. That thread also started a long number of 'disclaimers', most to the effect that 'just because someone else said it, doesn't make it right, true, or good for your car, and if you don't know good advice from bad, don't do the job yourself', etc. Engine hoists exist for the simple reason that there is a good way to take an engine out, or lift it, and that's from the top. Put another way, have you ever seen an engine jack? (Okay, okay, maybe there is such a beast, probably in a very rural setting, probably a LONG way from Detroit or Gotheburg....it's probably the only one ever made, too.....). Do it the right way. It's much more fun to read about a success than it is to hear about a failure.----PD.