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Engine Hoist Recommendations

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  • Christopher R.
    Extremely Frequent Poster
    • March 31, 1975
    • 1599

    Engine Hoist Recommendations

    In the next few months, I've got to replace the engine in my 1962. I've done this twice before. But that was a very long time ago. I've got some apprehension. Trying to decide what to use for the hoist. Rental or made-in-China-cheap-stuff. I'm trying to determine if anyone has used these cheap hoists for engine removal.

    When I last did this, the local tool rental place would rent you a hoist. It was a jobby on wheels that had an arm controlled by a hydraulic jack. Seemed to be a rugged piece, but I'm no expert. Of course, this time around, the rental place may be renting the same cheap piece I'm thinking of purchasing.
    I seemed to remember it cost around $20-$40/day. For this job, I don't care about cost.

    Since then, I now see that Harbor Freight, Pep Boys, and those guys at the swap meets sell cheap stuff from China. My practice on cheap tools are not to use them for critical applications. But that they're great for occasional use. I'd prefer to buy a hoist so that I'm not in a hurry to return a rental. But I'm concerned about quality.

    If you look at these tools, the hydraulic jack is levered such that a little movement there translates into lots of movement on the end of the arm, where my 500 lb. engine is dangling. When I did this job the last time, I remember that getting the engine (and attached transmission) was a close fit requiring many small adjustments of the hoist. It's important to be able to control the movement of the engine within fractions of an inch. If you don't, it'll bang into your expensive paint job. Do you think that the hydraulic jacks on these cheap hoists are capable of fine adjustments? Any experiences?
  • Michael L.
    Expired
    • July 31, 2005
    • 562

    #2
    Re: Engine Hoist Recommendations

    In Reno, a hoist rents for 89 bucks a day. Assuming a day to remove and a day to install after the motor rebuild, I was in 170 + tax on something I did not own. Bought 2 ton hoist from Harbor Freight for slightly over 100 bucks with a discount on a sale item. Worked just fine. I hear the gripe on cheap tools, but on something I'll use once or twice, I did not have an issue with it. I pulled a cast iron Powerglide and the engine at the same time.

    Comment

    • Steve Wallach

      #3
      Re: Engine Hoist Recommendations

      Yup, Harbor Freight..... I did the same thing as opposed to renting one.

      Steve

      Comment

      • Joe L.
        Beyond Control Poster
        • February 1, 1988
        • 43193

        #4
        Re: Engine Hoist Recommendations

        chris------

        The notion that Chinese-manufactured tools are always inferior is, at this point, an anachronism. SOME Chinese-manufactured tools are quite "junky"; some are quite nice. It USED TO BE that stuff made in Japan was a joke. Now, some of the the finest things made in the world are manufactured in Japan. I absolutely LOVE Japanese-manufactured bearings, for instance.

        The Chinese have imported some of the finest steel manufacturing equipment in the world. A lot of it has come from Germany. In some cases, I understand, entire state-of-the-art German steelmills were dismantled and shipped to China for re-erection.

        I have an engine lift that I got at Pep Boys. I think that I paid about $120 for it. I think that it's a BEAUTIFUL PIECE in all respects. I used it to install the "ZL-1" engine (with transmission) in my Corvette. It worked PERFECTLY. This lift is a "Big Red" or "Torin" brand. I think you will find them at Pep Boys throughout the country. I looked at the Harbor Freight lift. It looked a little "cruder" than the one I have. However, I have no doubt that it works perfectly.

        A friend of mine that helped me with my engine installation was so impressed with my "Big Red" lift that he offered to purchase it from me since, as he said, I would probably not use it again, anyway. I liked it so much, though, that I refused to part with it. Instead, I purchased him one and gave it to him as a gift for helping me.

        I find that the hydraulic rams works just fine. Might an American made one work better? Perhaps, a little. However, if that's your problem, simply buy an American made ram. It'll probably cost you twice as much as the whole Chinese lift, but you'll be able to easily install it in place of the original one supplied with the lift. After you use the one that comes with the lift, I think you'll decide that you don't need another.

        One problem of note: Corvettes have long noses. Most standard engine lifts are not designed to work with these long noses. It might be less of a problem with a C1, but it is a problem for C2 and it's a REAL BIG problem for C3. So, you may have to use the lift from the SIDE rather than "straight-in". In order to get a lift that will work on a long nose, you have to get a VERY expensive one and there's no Chinese-manufactured unit available that I know of (believe me, I checked into this). Most rental places don't even have these long-reach lifts.
        In Appreciation of John Hinckley

        Comment

        • Eric J.
          Very Frequent User
          • March 1, 1980
          • 771

          #5
          Re: Engine Hoist Recommendations

          Bought a cheap one at "The Price Club" (now Costco) in 1989. I love it. Mine is orange and works great. You would be supprised how handy they are to have around. Make sure you get a chain designed to pick engines though. They work great and can be adjusted to balance the engine properly. I also did a couple of one/two man body lifts with it. (And the lift didn't drink any of my beer!) Eric

          Comment

          • Rob A.
            Expired
            • December 1, 1991
            • 2126

            #6
            Re: Engine Hoist Recommendations

            Chris,

            On my '67, I measured the distance I needed to clear the front of the car and remove the engine. I don't know if your '62 would be more or less. Harbor freight had one with a boom long enough to use it from the front. It worked fine. I think some hoists don't have a long enough boom to use it from the front.

            Comment

            • Joe T.
              Very Frequent User
              • October 25, 2006
              • 304

              #7
              Re: Engine Hoist Recommendations

              Hi Chris:
              I just pulled the 427 out of my 69 (witout the transmission) with a borrowed lift similar to the ones described here. It looks JUST like one of the $200 or so lifts in the Northern Tool catalog. I lifted the engine alone and without removing the hood. My very limited experience showed this lift fo be more than up to the task. It also allowed me (again alone) to wheel the engine away from the car and mount it on an engine stand. It seemed plenty solid The one I used had an adjustable boom up to 2 tons. Good luck...Joe
              PS: I have pictures and I will post them here or email them to you...jt

              Comment

              • Joe T.
                Very Frequent User
                • October 25, 2006
                • 304

                #8
                Re: Engine Hoist Recommendations

                BE CAREFUL!@!@!
                Attached Files

                Comment

                • Tracy C.
                  Expired
                  • July 31, 2003
                  • 2739

                  #9
                  wish sombody wanted my "Big Red"..

                  So is the ZL-1 alive and kick'n yet?

                  Comment

                  • Joe L.
                    Beyond Control Poster
                    • February 1, 1988
                    • 43193

                    #10
                    Re: wish sombody wanted my "Big Red"..

                    tracy-----

                    No, it's not "breathed its first breath" as of yet. But, it is installed.
                    In Appreciation of John Hinckley

                    Comment

                    • Tracy C.
                      Expired
                      • July 31, 2003
                      • 2739

                      #11
                      Re: wish sombody wanted my "Big Red"..

                      I think most of here are nearly as excited as you to hear the roar. You will need to post some video links with sound when it does.

                      tc

                      Comment

                      • Patrick H.
                        Beyond Control Poster
                        • December 1, 1989
                        • 11608

                        #12
                        Re: wish sombody wanted my "Big Red"..

                        I just want to see a picture of it installed.

                        I've seen it in real life. Now I just hope to see it running by the time of the NCRS San Jose Nationals.

                        Or, I might just have to take a special trip to CA to see it before then. That, too, would be OK.

                        Patrick
                        Vice-Chairman (West), Michigan Chapter NCRS
                        71 "deer modified" coupe
                        72 5-Star Bowtie / Duntov coupe. https://www.flickr.com/photos/124695...57649252735124
                        2008 coupe
                        Available stickers: Engine suffix code, exhaust tips & mufflers, shocks, AIR diverter valve broadcast code.

                        Comment

                        • Joe L.
                          Beyond Control Poster
                          • February 1, 1988
                          • 43193

                          #13
                          Re: wish sombody wanted my "Big Red"..

                          Patrick-----

                          It's going to be done WAY before the 2008 National Convention. Yeah, I know you've heard things like this before, but this time I mean it. My goal is to have it up-and-running by spring. I can't go to Death Valley without it and I REALLY want to go back there; it's been WAY too long.
                          In Appreciation of John Hinckley

                          Comment

                          • Joe L.
                            Beyond Control Poster
                            • February 1, 1988
                            • 43193

                            #14
                            Re: Engine Hoist Recommendations

                            Joe-----

                            After reading your first post you had me really wondering. In fact, I was wondering until I saw your last picture. There's no way that you'd remove the engine with this hoist if you had used it from the front of the car and there's certainly no way that you would have done it that way with the hood on, either.

                            Removing the engine from the side as you did is the only way that you can do it with this sort of lift. With the transmission and bellhousing "pre-removed", I can see how you could do it with the hood in place-----you just have a "straight up" pull until you're clear of the fender and then roll the lift back. You'd never be able to do it with the hood installed without the transmission and bellhousing removed. Actually, I don't think that I would have attempted to do it with the hood installed, even the way you did it. It's just not that hard to remove the hood.

                            By the way, the lift you used looks like the same Torin "Big Red" that I have.
                            In Appreciation of John Hinckley

                            Comment

                            • Joe T.
                              Very Frequent User
                              • October 25, 2006
                              • 304

                              #15
                              Re: Engine Hoist Recommendations

                              Yup Joe...You're right. Like I had said before, this car came back to me in a state of severe disassembly. I wanted to get started on the engine re-assembly over the winter with the engine in my basement (wait till yousee THOSE pictures!) So I just yanked the engine out in the most expeditious way possible. I left the hood on since it is less likely to get dinged on the car. Even with the engine in this condition, it was a tight fit with very small adjustments being made during the lift. The engine hoist performed very well in letting me make those adjustments. Now I understand why the "body drop" was done the way it was at the factory! I am not even sure how I am going to put the engine back in the car at this point (with exhaust manifolds etc installed). Its making a "body-off" restore more attractive. It even looks like this hoist might facilitate a body lift? I should just buy one. Thanks for your response and deepest regards...joe

                              Comment

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