Cradle support sans Sky Hook?

About to pull Combat engine and gearbox out of cradle. Never did this w/o hanging frames from rafters but now has a broken old mower hanging in the way. Before I learn my hard way getting it pinched trapped and bound with just a jack & plank under frame, how do real Nortoneers do this? Or do they?

I usually strip engine down to crankcases and remove the gearbox to lighten the load but if you're not intending to strip the engine/gearbox I'd put the frame rails on axle stands and then lift out the cradle and engine - some help might be useful especially if your lifting the primary drive as well.

Sorry Al, this is a factory Combat so can't remove tranny till engine tipped forward or removed d/t fouling of the low down nasty breather baffle. I've got most everything removed to point only need to slip out one rear engine cradle bolt and the front iso bolt to remove engine so Cdo falls in half. Funny we don't think of our weak case engines as structural load bearing but dang it they sure are and likely part the reason so allergic to rpm and prone to leaks. Hope I only have to reseal from past ring blow by but will get to see if my last few year operating differently than anyone else is working out or not. Head still on and better check valve lash to get a sense of mileage on that too before off with the head to ease lifting engine. Coil pack gets removed out the way but carbs are still hanging by boots in air box with manifolds on as a little labor saver. Leaving seat on too.

I've been staring at the primary side of Trixie Combat pondering what will happen when I pull the last bottom cradle bolt out. The front of frame can't go lower d/t forks holding it up. The cradle can't drop as its held up by the center stand which is in front of the swing arm spindle, which is pivot point for the upward force through shocks would other wise push cradle down at front, as road going loads do for front isolastic to react too. Looks like can pull the pin w/o any clutter under neath. If ya needed to roll a Cdo w/o its engine in then would need a bridging structure for missing crank cases or cradle might drag. I'm constantly impressed with the ingeniousness of the stop gap Commando using engine as support in rubber mounted frame. I don't think even Harley's do it that way.

Here's online image of a lightened Commando to visualize pivots and supports.