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Recommendations for engine hoist and stand?

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billd View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/26/2013 at 7:16am
Originally posted by amxdreamer amxdreamer wrote:

get the highest weight rating you can afford. You won't regret it down the road. As for a hoist, I would recommend one that the legs fold up to reduce storage space.

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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/26/2013 at 7:25am
Originally posted by bruceg bruceg wrote:

Thanks for the recommendations. I checked out a few places, then went for a slightly bigger stand from Northern Tool. The Harbor Freight 4 wheel unit looked good, but I went with something that looks like it stands a little wider. Looking forward to messing with my 195.6. Might go pick up the Harbor Freight unit as I also have a 232, and I don't want to just stick it on a pallet. 

Thinking a band saw, a drill press and some channel iron would be fun for building a custom non-movable stand for storing whatever I'm not working on - might talk with a tool and die friend to see if he still has toys. Unless anyone has suggestions for storing a 232 or 195.6 when it's not on the stand?


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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote purple72Gremlin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/26/2013 at 9:41am
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bruceg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/27/2013 at 2:34pm
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RamblinMan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/27/2013 at 3:41pm
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tojwalk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/24/2014 at 1:24pm
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 6768rogues Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/24/2014 at 4:09pm
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pacerman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/24/2014 at 4:49pm
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 401harry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug/25/2014 at 7:08pm
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote warweapon762 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/10/2014 at 11:13am
Originally posted by dkrtgood dkrtgood wrote:

Regarding engine stand, try to get a 4 wheel version instead of 3 wheel. They tip over too easy and the extra wheel helps balance the stand.

Harbor freight has two

Three wheel version 750 lb cap for 46.99
Four wheel version 1000 lb cap for 59.99

I know your doing a six but best to be safe...I had a Pontiac 350 on a three wheeler and it tipped on me and I had to catch from crashing into a car...It takes up no more space and will for sure be better.

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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