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Recommendations for engine hoist and stand? |
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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He beat me to the punch on those thoughts. Get as strong as you can afford, and a folding unit. Three wheels? Really? They make such a thing? What idiot thought of that design? I made my own back in the early 80s. Back then there was no Harbor Freight, no discounters selling Chinese imported hoists for a hundred bucks, a cylinder alone was over $100 a pop, and a hoist even at the lowest cost would be $200 to $300 at least. So I went to a metal vendor, bought the stock, used plans from a magazine I had from the 70s and made mine. I'd make some design changes if I were to do it today as the thing does not fold and the spread on the front could allow tipping on very heavy loads lifted really high, but I've pulled the large IH V8s with it (thus I added a truss thing on top of the boom after seeing it bow under the load of that huge hunk of iron lifted out of the IH truck) I can't count the number of engines I lifted with it, let alone the other things unloaded from my truck and so on. I used a hydraulic cylinder bought from a farm sale and a pump from a porta-power I bought when they closed a local school and bus shop since the long cylinders were just too expensive at that time. As costs for those came down, I eventually bought one and converted to that instead of the porta-power pump and cylinder. (although that rig was very nice as I could pump it up or let it down from the front end of the hoist and not have to be at the back! However long the hose was was how far away I could be from the cylinder to run it up or down.) Here's a picture of the engine stand I made about 1980 when engine stands were made in the USA and cost a small fortune. People getting into this hobby now are crazy lucky as they can buy these things at less than a fraction of what they used to cost, and get some nice ones to boot. It would cost me a fraction of what I've spent over the years to set up shop these days with all new stuff and not home-built. Seriously, guys are so lucky to be able to get some decent hoists, levelers, stands and what-not for 1/3 or less than what it used to cost when I was starting out. If you account for inflation and such, the real cost is probably 1/6 of what it cost me back then. Here's a picture of the engine stand I made about 1980 when engine stands were made in the USA and cost a small fortune. I'd also change this in that I'd give it a wider stance at the outboard end, the front, as it's prone to instability if the engine is a bit top or bottom heavy after assembly. I made "outriggers" for it that slide in the front to widen it when in use. This pic was taken several years ago - when the shop was clean and not full. Standing room only in there now. Engine hoist - I'd to the base differently today and probably make it fold up for storage. You can see the hoist I made, and then another tool I'd not be without - the gantry crane and chain hoist. It will lift a small car off the ground but I don't have strong enough chain hoist for that on it now. |
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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Yes - the dollys when those are on sale. You can use a dolly and a couple of 4x4s and set an engine on it for storage. I've got a couple of 6s and a V8 or 2 stored that way. Then when Northern has them on sale for 30 bucks, I pick up an engine stand - made for SBC but can be rigged for AMC engines as well. I've got pictures somewhere of the engines sitting in my shop and how they are held. Fuzzface's rigs are pretty cool, too! |
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purple72Gremlin
AMC Addicted Charter Member Joined: Jul/01/2007 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 16614 |
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for engine storage, Ive bought 3 wheeled engine stands for as low as $10. I have rebuilt engines on 3 wheeled stands, but 4 wheeled is better. I now have one 4 wheeled stand which is used only for engine building now. I now have 4 3 wheeled engine stands and all 4 have engines on them. I like to store engines this way because they keep engines off the floor.
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bruceg
AMC Nut Joined: Dec/24/2007 Location: Marietta GA Status: Offline Points: 388 |
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For bolts to mount the engine to the stand, I would need 3/8" 16 thread. My spacers are 1.5", so I'd need to pick up 2.5-3" long 3/8" 16 thread bolts, right? I've read comments about Grade 5 and Grade 8 - will probably go grade 8.
Just want to make sure I have what I need on hand when I go to mount the engine. ******************** Editing post to show my ignorance. Hey ignorance is bliss except when it comes to large heavy things dropping on your feet! Spacers are 2.25" from end to end. So I need at least 3" long 3/8 16 bolts. Maybe 3.25". Using 2.5" bolts would be way short. And might hurt.
Edited by bruceg - Aug/27/2013 at 5:11pm |
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RamblinMan
AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/26/2007 Location: Port Charlotte Status: Offline Points: 1237 |
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Great investment:
Harbor Fright also makes an air over hydraulic cylinder for engine hoists. AWESOME! It makes it so nice. I also bought a similar upgrade for my 20 ton press. Also a great upgrade.
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The Right Reverend of Blessed Acceleration
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tojwalk
AMC Fan Joined: Jan/10/2014 Location: 65775 Status: Offline Points: 25 |
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I'm needing to jack up my 88 eagle wagon, and I want to use jack stands to hold up the car while I do some rust patching on the frame in the engine bay area, and brake and axle work. I'm concerned on the locations to put them.
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6768rogues
AMC Addicted Joined: Jul/03/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 6241 |
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I have an engine hoist from Harbor Freight, the light duty model that costs about $100 with a coupon. It has folding legs and easily lifted a 4.0 with automatic tranny attached.
I have one cheapie engine stand and one good one. The cheapie is very unstable with a 6 cylinder engine mounted to it but works ok with a V8. The 6 is about 8 inches longer and won't balance well. The good stand works with a 6 or V8. |
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Located usually near Rochester, NY and sometimes central FL. |
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pacerman
Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jul/03/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9061 |
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If you get an engine hoist keep it out of sight or your neighbors will want to borrow it. It's not the kind of thing that many people want to own and it's just too much trouble for some of them to think about renting one. Joe
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Happiness is making something out of nothing.
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401harry
AMC Addicted Joined: Sep/27/2011 Location: Clearwater,Fl Status: Offline Points: 758 |
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Sounds like everyone has good suggestions. I bought a HF hoist in 98 as well as a 2 ton press and both are still working great except for a ram replacement in the hoist I had to get from northern tool. My hoist has removable legs as opposed to the folding style and compacts really great. As a sidenote I recently pulled an engine and realized as I was getting it out that all my stands and dollies were in use. A quick craigslist search turned up a HF 4 leg stand literally a quarter mile from my house...20 bucks some pb blaster and a half hour later the engine was on the stand.
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warweapon762
AMC Apprentice Joined: Jan/27/2014 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 153 |
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You can get 3 wheelies super cheap these days just for this reason. I use one just for working on cylinder heads since they aren't very stable with a large load on them. But if you are overhauling a cylinder head they make a great work stand for valve jobs and what not, but that's about the max I would use one for.
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