Need advice and ideas.

The best and easiest method I've heard of is to put it in cardboard box. Put a piece of 1/2" plywood in the bottom and double the walls. Put the engine in a plastic bag, and place it on the plywwod. Shim it so it rests more or less centered, and fill the rest of the box with expandable foam. They have kits for larger volumes like this, since I think it would take quite a few of the insulation type cans.

UPS and FedEx will take up to 135 lbs. and the GS engine will squeek under if you keep the packaging light.

If you don't ship via UPS or whatever (If you do get ALOT of insurance on it....like at least for the amount that a salvage yard charges for an engine..)

Anyway if you go the truck method...here's how I ship engines...

Two pallets...smallish with one being smaller than the other...center the smaller pallet on top of the bigger one..screw it down.. get a crap car tire from somewhere...screw that down to the top pallet...set your engine inside the tire..(it will cradle the  engine and act like a shock absorber)..Take a piece of webbing or something and strap the engine to the tire...then build a box around the engine using the small pallet to screw to...

Two pallets insures against a forklift blade coming up through the slots in the pallet...(hey i worked at a shipping company for awhile...it happens)..The tire acts like a shock and the box protects it all...

This is mainly for shipping the inline 4's and V engines.. (what I've shipped before)...

If you Trust UPS (pronounced OOPS)...go that route

Quote from: JaredIf you don't ship via UPS or whatever (If you do get ALOT of insurance on it....like at least for the amount that a salvage yard charges for an engine..)

Anyway if you go the truck method...here's how I ship engines...

Two pallets...smallish with one being smaller than the other...center the smaller pallet on top of the bigger one..screw it down.. get a crap car tire from somewhere...screw that down to the top pallet...set your engine inside the tire..(it will cradle the  engine and act like a shock absorber)..Take a piece of webbing or something and strap the engine to the tire...then build a box around the engine using the small pallet to screw to...

Two pallets insures against a forklift blade coming up through the slots in the pallet...(hey i worked at a shipping company for awhile...it happens)..The tire acts like a shock and the box protects it all...

This is mainly for shipping the inline 4's and V engines.. (what I've shipped before)...

If you Trust UPS (pronounced OOPS)...go that route

Sounds like an "overkill" , but I'm sure it gets motors there safe! Will OOPS shipp 150# or so? Or what should one expect to pay for truck service? I'm selling a motor out of my XS650 and need to ship it from Ohio to Oklahoma.

Well...knowing how things get handled at shipping/ trucking companies...it's not overkill.... an engine was sent to us (me and a friend) sitting on a pallet wityh a motorcycle tire under it and a cardboard box sitting over it... it looked like someone had stepped on the cardboard box and they actually broke the sub-case where the output shaft for the sprocket was...then denied that it happened because of them...

As I said I've shipped bigger engines (too big for OOPS to ship)

If the engine is light enough and UPS will do it...go for it. Good luck ( no sarcasm there..)

Call them and ask them what the weigth  limit is....remember it's one guy on a truck that gets to deliver the engine...

Quote from: JaredWell...knowing how things get handled at shipping/ trucking companies...it's not overkill.... an engine was sent to us (me and a friend) sitting on a pallet wityh a motorcycle tire under it and a cardboard box sitting over it... it looked like someone had stepped on the cardboard box and they actually broke the sub-case where the output shaft for the sprocket was...then denied that it happened because of them...

As I said I've shipped bigger engines (too big for OOPS to ship)

If the engine is light enough and UPS will do it...go for it. Good luck ( no sarcasm there..)

Call them and ask them what the weigth  limit is....remember it's one guy on a truck that gets to deliver the engine...

I also know alittle about shipping buisness. I'm a truck driver for a major trucking co. I chose to stay off the dock, because that operation is totaly insane. I've also seen some of the shipping "methods" that will frighten anyone with common sence.
Thanks for the input!
What trucking co did you use? My employer doesnt have employee discount and the rate they quoted me was $180. I thought that was much, but its the first time I had to ship a motor...

Overnight a few times (the company) and I've used Forward Air...One other company ...Watkins (they were the damaged engine....ironically thats who I had worked for about 11 years ago..)

Forward air does not do anythig but terminal to terminal... so you take it to their terminal and whoever you send it to must pick it up at their terminal. That's why they are a bit cheaper...

Don't dismiss using a Bus Co. I shipped a V65 Sabre frame from Seattle to Detroit and Greyhound would've been the cheapest quote I received, (about $65, if memory serves). I couldn't use them, (went with ForwardAir - $80), because my box ended up being too large to fit in the "basement" of the bus but that shouldn't be a problem with an engine.

Thanks for all the help and ideas, guys!

I think the max weight UPS will handle for one package is 140lbs.  That's the weight we use at work to route orders.  Anything over 140lbs goes via truck.

Got the best price from Forward Air. 200lbs frome Cleveland Oh to Tulsa,Ok for under$70.