Broken Cinder Block Wall

OK, some of this might sound technical but it isn't really.

My sunken patio cinder block retainer wall broke a month ago.  I originally thought it was due to rain, but now I think it was just coincidence.  There was no flooding against the wall.  Even the soil behind it is not expanded.

I had a masonry guy come out and he said he would rebuild it in a trench all around for $16,000.  Um, no not what I needed.  A couple other people returned calls, but I couldn't understand a word they said.  So I gave up and considered how I could do it myself.

I tried levering the wall back in place.  Wood beams are not as strong as cinderblock weight.  They bent first.  I needed a better lever.  I came across a "motorcycle lift", basically a wide scissor jack like you might have in your car for lifting it to change a tire.  But wider and more stable and up to 1100 pounds lift.  You turn a large handle, and the lift slowly spreads.   Cost $80.

I bought one.  It took a few days to figure out an immovable object from which to push the wall.  The house foundation was obvious, but I didn't have anything long enough to reach the broken wall.  But there were 6'x6" posts concreted 3' down and anchored to the foundation above. 

And I had a 4"x4" post that just came a foot short.  Perfect!  But the angle from the deck post wasn't exactly at the angle of the broken wall.  So I used some scrap wood and a dozen serious clamps to make it so.  That left "just" enough room for the motorcycle lift to fit in.

Let's just say that to avoid any boards moving around, I also clamped some wood to the posts to prevent that.  No supporting structure could move.  So I started to turn the handle of the motorcycle lift.  And no, there was no damage to the deck posts or anything else.  I had all possible movements prevented.

The broken cinder block wall MOVED!  I actually jumped for joy...  I got it 9" of 12" back in place before the lift was fully extended.  But then the angle was changed and it slipped sideways under pressure.  Nothing sudden, just that the pressure sideways was greater the the pressure forwards. 

GRUMPH!

It's at the point where I only need to move it 3 more inches in order to use some masonry construction adhesive between the broken edges (stronger that grout, it claims).  But it only has a 20 minute window before hardening.  So I had to know I could push the 2 edges quickly enough.

And I don't have posts that match the distance!  Arghhh...  I have some ideas about using bricks, wood chunks, loose solid cinder block caps.  But until I'm absolutely sure there is no angle of pressure that won't cause them to suddenly pop loose dangerously, I won't proceed.

I THINK two clamped 2"by12" boards across the 2 deck posts with be strong enough (a 4"x4" post just bends), but I want to think of a stronger and safer arrangement. 

And I should mention that the handle on the motorcycle lift is just a small 6" metal rod attached to a hex drive that fits over the screw that turns the jack.  It hurt my hands to put enough pressure on it to turn it when things got heavy.  Well, it just occurred to me while writing this that I have a ratchet drive set with longer handles and sockets and one of them is for loosening/tightening the lug nuts of truck wheels (that I've never had need of before), so I can get more leverage...

But I'm getting there...  Half the fun of doing difficult things is figuring out HOW to do the things. 

;)