Engine hoist...

[Morris]

I am planning on turning my garage door frame into an engine hoist. I already have a block and tackle (and no room for a hydraulic hoist and no $$). My plan is to strengthen the frame with two vertical 4X4s. The top of the door frame is constructed of a stack of 2 2X4 studs and a 2x6 "trim" piece. To hang the block and tackle, I will drill through the wood, place a scrap piece of aluminum bar on top of the wood, and bolt a u-bolt to the aluminum.

Would you do this? Does this sound like a stupid idea to you?

 

[Trevor Jessie]

How tall is your garage door?

 

[lesingepsycho]

I'ld call that overkill! I've pulled many a 1275 with less than that. We've always used a come-along off of a doubled up 2x4 collar tie. In my garage the ties span 13' so I pull the car in, hook up the come-along, and then I wedge 2x4 supports on either side right up close to the fenders. Then I jack up the engine and roll the car back out of the garage. My dad used to use an old rickety metal swingset that was built A-frame style and then later we tried once making a wooden free standing a-frame but it was too tippy side-to-side. It should have had more side-to-side bracing but it was plenty strong enough... just 2x4 legs and a 4x4 cross.

JACK

 

[Billm]

I have many times used the 2x4 uprights but I use a 2x8 bolted between them, works great. I ALWAYS bolt the 2x4's to the garage header for all lateral support but the vertical 2x4's hold the weight just fine.
BillM

 

[RickB]

BillM and I have pulled my Nissan 1500 and trans a couple times just using three 2x6's and a come along.
The 2x6's bolt together to form an upside down |_| kind of structure with an eye bolt in the center to hang the come along from.
We cram that into the garage door opening tightly and have at the engine. I do like a dedicated hoist better but in a pinch this works, is cheap, unbolted it stores very nicely and the come along can be used for other stuff.

EDIT>
Ah I see you posted just before me Bill - I thought they were 2x6's. Oh well, they work that's all I know.

 

[sqbsprite]

I would think even a cheap engine hoist would be a good investment if you own an LBC and are going to work on it yourself. It really helps having a tilting mechanism also to make it easier to get the right angle going in or out without damaging anything. $200 is good insurance and a good investment.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Usually, it is not the cost of the hoist, it is the lack of space to store it. I suggest borrowing a hoist from a friend.

 

[DrEntropy]

I am planning on turning my garage door frame into an engine hoist. I already have a block and tackle (and no room for a hydraulic hoist and no $$). My plan is to strengthen the frame with two vertical 4X4s. The top of the door frame is constructed of a stack of 2 2X4 studs and a 2x6 "trim" piece. To hang the block and tackle, I will drill through the wood, place a scrap piece of aluminum bar on top of the wood, and bolt a u-bolt to the aluminum.

Would you do this? Does this sound like a stupid idea to you?

My "hoist" at th' hovel is two 2"x8"x12' planks, bonded with construction adhesive and through-bolted with "carriage bolts" at 18" intervals, propped on edge across 4"x4"s and attached to the trusses of the roof. Steel angle iron over the top edges with a chain looped to hold the 1.5 ton chain come-along. Works fine (twenty five years) for any LBC or Alfa engine. What you describe sounds stout enuff, Morris. Engine and box can't weigh more than 350~400 pounds, max (I'm bettin' less)! I'd use steel instead of aluminum, tho.

One friend and I hoisted a 1275 outta a Midget with a piece of 1" angle iron through a chain attached to the engine and toted into his townhouse apartment for a rebuild once-upon-a-time. I concede we were both about 24 but not "bruisers" by any stretch. May have gone 130 soakin' wet, the both of us.

 

[ChrisS]

Morris, If you have access above the ceiling in the garage I've used double 2x4's on edge perpendicular to the framing and looped a chain over the double 2x4's dropped the chain through a small hole in the sheetrock. Also, Sunbelt rental off of I-35 has them for $36 a day - let me know if you need my truck.

 

[Morris]

Thanks Chris S. There is another grungy rental place on Congress around the corner from the house that rents one for about $30 a day. The problem is they close at 1:00pm on Saturdays... and I usually don't have Saturday mornings free anyway. If I am going to pull this thing, it will probably happen at 2:00AM on a Wednesday which makes renting inconvenient.

Having a cheapo home built set up that does not take up any more of my very small one car garage is the best option for me at this time.

BTW... I meant to put a question mark on this post... not a thumb's up. D'oh!

 

[aeronca65t]

I have a similar "engine hoist". I've pulled the Spridget engine in and out with it at least 20 times.

Some years back I used three 2X4s (8') lashed together with a rope at the top (like a tee-pee). Tied the bottoms with rope too so they wouldn't "splay". Hung a come-a-long at the top of the tee-pee. Yanked out a 1098 with trans (and rolled car backwards).

This was is a remote location where a normal setup was not available. Probably shouldn't try this at home.

 

[jlaird]

One peice of 2x4, some rope and son and I. I was about 40 at the time. No sweat.
In and out same evening.

 

[bthompson]

I got a HF cheapo folding hoist, the smallest they had. Without a garage to suspend a block'n'tackle from, it was my only option when I had to pull my engine. Less than $100, IIRC, and the legs fold up to tuck it away in a corner -- or lay it on its back and slide it into a crawlspace! The convenience of being able to pull the engine anywhere and then roll it around made it well worth the investment.

 

[Morris]

Cheapest HF has right now is around $160 and it's freakin' HUGE even folded up.

 

[SilentUnicorn]

I have a "folding" hoist. i find the best place to store is at whoever wants to borrow it's house. Or i store it outside and keep the cylinder inside.

m

 

[rlwhitetr3b]

Someone said they had a non-folding host that they took apart to store it. It was smaller than the folding one folded.

 

[Guest]

That aint a hoist, that's a garage retention device in these parts b/w June and November.

 

[mightymidget]

hang a mailbox from the hook and use it for a mailbox post when not using.

 

[Morris]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]hang a mailbox from the hook and use it for a mailbox post when not using.[/QUOTE]

It would also make a great jungle gym for my kids!

 

[Guest]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]hang a mailbox from the hook and use it for a mailbox post when not using.

It would also make a great jungle gym for my kids![/QUOTE]

They outgrow the roll bar?