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Engine hoist...

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Morris

Morris

Yoda
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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?
 
How tall is your garage door?
 
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
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Morris said:
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?
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
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!
 
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. :nonod:
 
One peice of 2x4, some rope and son and I. I was about 40 at the time. No sweat.
In and out same evening.
 
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.
 
Cheapest HF has right now is around $160 and it's freakin' HUGE even folded up.
 
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
 
That aint a hoist, that's a garage retention device in these parts b/w June and November. :jester:
 
<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!
 
Morris said:
<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.
Click to expand...

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

They outgrow the roll bar?
 
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