I installed my T5 and subframe connectors with the car lifted on two stacks of cinder blocks in my one car garage.  Got the job done but I won't do that again unless I had no choice.  

If ever buy into a house with a 3 car garage a lift is definitely going in the budget.

You are not alone for doing questionable things when it comes to safety. I can stand in that circle with you, but it wasn't from using cinder blocks to support the car. I've spent countless hours under a car on quality jack stands.

Have you checked the back of the intake to make sure it wasn't coming from there? 

There's nothing inherently wrong with supporting a car on cinder blocks, provided you use the blocks the way they were intended.  The blocks  must be placed so the you see the core holes looking down at the blocks, as that's how they are strong.  Then you should place something atop the top block to distribute the weight across the entire blocks top surface (a piece of 2x8 or 2x10 works well).  Where I see people potentially kill themselves is standing the block up on end, or with the core holes sideways.  The blocks are NOT strong that way, and likely to fail and collapse. 

Cost wise, $85/hr isn't really a bad shop rate anymore.  Dealerships are north of $100, and even good local guys are charging $75-$100 anymore.  Thee may be some regional variation to that, but around here that's what people pay. 

I'd add checking the valve covers for the leak as well.  Its not uncommon for them to leak and the oil to migrate down the rear of the block and look like a RMS leak.  Oil moves all overt he place as you drive making leaks hard to pinpoint. 

TKOPerformance wrote:

There's nothing inherently wrong with supporting a car on cinder blocks, provided you use the blocks the way they were intended.  The blocks  must be placed so the you see the core holes looking down at the blocks, as that's how they are strong.  Then you should place something atop the top block to distribute the weight across the entire blocks top surface (a piece of 2x8 or 2x10 works well).  Where I see people potentially kill themselves is standing the block up on end, or with the core holes sideways.  The blocks are NOT strong that way, and likely to fail and collapse. 

Cost wise, $85/hr isn't really a bad shop rate anymore.  Dealerships are north of $100, and even good local guys are charging $75-$100 anymore.  Thee may be some regional variation to that, but around here that's what people pay. 

I'd add checking the valve covers for the leak as well.  Its not uncommon for them to leak and the oil to migrate down the rear of the block and look like a RMS leak.  Oil moves all overt he place as you drive making leaks hard to pinpoint. 

Wash it real good with some sort of de-greaser and then use the proven MS method of leak locating...spray it with Jock-Itch and then follow the trail.

TKOPerformance wrote:

There's nothing inherently wrong with supporting a car on cinder blocks, provided you use the blocks the way they were intended.  The blocks  must be placed so the you see the core holes looking down at the blocks, as that's how they are strong.  Then you should place something atop the top block to distribute the weight across the entire blocks top surface (a piece of 2x8 or 2x10 works well).  Where I see people potentially kill themselves is standing the block up on end, or with the core holes sideways.  The blocks are NOT strong that way, and likely to fail and collapse. 

Cost wise, $85/hr isn't really a bad shop rate anymore.  Dealerships are north of $100, and even good local guys are charging $75-$100 anymore.  Thee may be some regional variation to that, but around here that's what people pay. 

I'd add checking the valve covers for the leak as well.  Its not uncommon for them to leak and the oil to migrate down the rear of the block and look like a RMS leak.  Oil moves all overt he place as you drive making leaks hard to pinpoint. 

  
I'm with TKO on this.  I was sure I had a seal leak.  Even looked at the back of the valve covers and saw nothing.  It was at my mechanic's for something else and I had him put it up on the lift and change out the seal.  He dutifully changed it, but told me afterwards that as long as it was torn apart he put a new one in.  The old one was not leaking, it was the valve cover.  He, too, thought the leak was at the seal.

As to cinder blocks.  I have always feared supporting the car on anything that can crush or tip.  Wood, too.  Always use good quality jack stands. with wide bases.  But now at my age, (i'm pushing 80?!?) I leave to my mechanic anything that requires getting under the car.

Reminds me, reading other posts...  that $400 seal job did NOT fix the actual problem that turned out to be a simple valve cover issue.  Also could be rear intake manifold seal.

Given the track record of HF jack stands I think I feel safer with cinder blocks...

Joking aside, definitely good jack stands are preferred over other methods.  There were times when jack stands were not tall enough though.  In those case I would stack wood under the stands.  I kept some scrap 11-7/8" squares of LVL that are very, very tough for this.

If you've got the room for a lift, its the best $1,500 I ever spent on my shop.  The reduction in time and wear and tear on your body is well, well worth it. 

I thought my rear main seal leak was leaking and like others have posted found out it was the rear of the intake manifold (passenger side).  I cleaning the area w/alcohol and added RTV (several times) to finally stop the small leak.  I'll also note that this didn't start leaking until after I had driven to car for quite some time.

Cinder, or cement blocks, be there done that.  As a teenager, we changed the transmission on my father's 61 Galaxie with screw jacks and muscle.  When I was a little older, I bought a hydraulic jack and jack stands.  Much better.

Screw it.  I'm going to do this myself.  These shops make me paranoid.  Even the good ones make me feel like I'm going to end up paying for an entire rebuild.

Money I'm saving on labor I'm going to go ahead and buy an aluminum drive shaft.  Got to come out anyway when I drop the transmission.  Might as well.

TremendousWand wrote:

Screw it.  I'm going to do this myself. 

 
That's the ticket. As my dad used to say, what's the worst that can happen? If you wind up with a component that doesn't work, you had one before that didn't work. And you gained some education.

I just bought the seal, micro sleeve, and install tool from Amazoon for $47.  Do check out some videos on installing that sleeve...it is very easy to wrinkle it and then it is guaranteed to leak.  Prolly worser than what you have now.  I stepped up and got two...just in case.

BB1

Last edited by Bullet Bob (2/10/2021 8:51 PM)

Steve69 wrote:

I did mine 2 times with 2 piece seal and it still leaked.  What a PIA.  I have a rack in my 69 and I had to drop it.  Dropped the crank down to get the seal under the crank.  After it leaked I said I would never do it again. If I rebuild or replace the engine that's when it will be fixed....LOL  

Yep!.....can buy A -LOT of oil for the 700-800 dollar repair build that may still leak afterwards.
Jus say'in
6sal6