DicemanX
Brain of Cthulhu
Wouldn't the old step up entry for hoiks that was originally used when only up hoiks were available allow the old man to be hoiked? I've had zombies using my hoikevator on their own on several occasions and their entry is classic without actuators... It was a bit annoying since I was still at the top of the hoikevator constructing it at the time!
Of course actually making the old man enter the hoik is relatively easy if one limits his options to only that direction.
Yes, should work so long as you do it during the daytime - hoik the old man to the temple and wait until night, making sure the old man never leaves your sight.
This would take a lot of hammering but might be faster than hunting down life crystals to spawn the goblin invasion, then finding the tinkerer to be able to craft boulders.