I've been thinking of constructing this "lift" - looks like it would be handy to sling the chassis to pull the rear axle or the engine. I have a single-reeve chain fall rated at one ton I could use with it. Comments ?

looks good but get the kind of castor's that you can step down on a lever to engage the castor and raise the "lift" so you can roll it out of the way in your shop. Is the top going to be channel iron so you can hang your chainfall from a trolley (aids in centering chainfall over load) or are you just going to suspend your chainfall from the middle?

excuse me I meant I-beam not channel iron

Cool design. Are you contemplating pulling the engine?
Rich

Thanks fellows ! Actually I reckoned on using a 3"x8" timber for the cross-beam - lighter and less co$t - rig the chainfall on center. I like the idea of casters, the outfit will be pretty heavy all told.

First job is to rebuild the rear axle and drive shaft. I'm loth to pull the engine, she runs sweet, but the mag doesn't have enough "oomph" to start on cranking and I'm suspicious of transmission noises and the crankshaft end play, so I'll be looking close at those things too. I may wait another year to get into the transmission if she looks healthy enough for another season. Much will depend on how quick the rear end overhaul goes. I have most everything for both, good used parts thanks to Dave Huson !

My late neighbors (two brothers that lived side by side) built a "swing set" frame out of heavy pipe to hoist engines. It can be very easily disassembled for storage.

The design is basically the same as what you are proposing. It also has four one foot pipe extensions that can be screwed on the bottom of the legs in order to increase the height of the ridge pole, if needed.

They originally built and used it to swap out a 1936 Ford V8 engine. (They did two swaps over the years.) They also used it a lot for hanging items when they were spray painting.

Years ago, my father and I borrowed it to remove and reinstall the engine on his 1917 Ford.

More recently, my neighbor gave the rig to me a few years before he passed away.

This is taller than your design, but similar.


Double 2 x 6 is more than adequate to hold the weight. The only steel I used was bolts, nuts, and washers.

My buddy built a new heavy wood "swing set" for his kids that also happens to be useful for gutting deer. Imagine that. It would probably handle an engine pull, too.

I would recommend more than six feet clearance. By the time you add a hoist or whatever, your vertical clearance gets eaten up quick. Even with my engine crane the end of the arm is frequently above six feet when pulling engines just on account of the hook and chain.

Thanks Walter, I can use advice on clearances ! Steve, if it's good enough for you, it'll sure enough do for me ! How wide is yours ? I'd be prone to limit the metal parts to fasteners too.

I have an engine hoist, it comes apart and takes up little shop space when not in use. I got mine at a yard sale, but HF has them on sale quite often One advantage over that set up is it is on wheels so you can lift the engine out and roll it away.
I have an old swing set someone gave me that I use for hanging parts. Because it's old, seldom used, and has no delicate parts, it 'hangs out' in the side yard, outside out of the way. It's light enough one person can move it around.
And YES, 6' isn't tall enough!

All with the assumption of having a concrete floor..., and a truck to pick up from the store!

If you watch when they have them on sale, and are able to use one of their coupons, Harbor Freight offers their 'Gantry Crane'. You will want to have a minimum 10' ceiling height, but can adjust (by the hand cranks & cables) much higher. There are safety lock pins, the lock-down rollers and a 1-ton rating. Very adequate! Mine set me back just a little over $600.

I further equipped the trolley with a 1-ton chain hoist and an engine 'leveler'. The unit can be easily rolled (even by myself alone) and positioned wherever needed in the shop.

If you do get one, have 3 or 4 'sturdy' other guys there to help assemble & to tip it up vertical. It is heavy!

I got a foldable shop hoist from Harbor freight on sale.
It does everything I need (pulling motors etc.) and was inexpensive.
The only issue is that it dosen’t do well when the garage is below 10 F because the seals won’t seal, but only idiots would work when it is that cold.
Don’t ask how I know about below 10F!

Rich, it measures a little over eight feet because those were the longest boards I had at the time. If I had it to do over I'd buy three ten footers to go across the top instead of the two eights, just because when my pickup is parked under the thing it's a mighty tight squeeze getting in and out of the truck. But I don't use the thing anymore...


...because I went to an auction and paid $125 for this. It's much handier.

I suggest an engine hoist for a couple of reasons:

• casters are always in play so it is easy to store and will allow movement in all directions which will make pulling an engine possible, fixed setup as shown make this almost impossible
• Hydraulic ram (jack) make lifting and dropping very easy, even small increments. A chainfall is fixed at 10:1 so you have to use 2 hands up and down, so you can't guide the engine in. I can install or remove an engine by myself- one hand working the engine one working the ram
• The engine hoist can get to the engine without obstruction but the chainfall will always have the chain scraping the car body, engine, and getting caught on parts
• They are inexpensive (mine was $125 on Craigslist)
• You can easily resell an engine hoist, not so much your proposed setup

Strongly agree with TH and Steve. get the engine hoist. there's always some on CL or Ebay. The rental yard is another option to check?

Everything has its place. Why limit yourself? Do both!

Whatever one builds or buys for lifting a safety factor of 5 to one should do.The quality real thing is more expensive but so are fingers and toes!! Bud.

Before I had electric hooked up to my new shop,it weren't done yet, I was looking over Craigslist and found a Carolina 2 ton hoist,basically like Steve's for 75 bucks. I use it a good bit for lifting lawnmowers,golf carts,engines,whatever. Only trouble I have is when I don't need it,it is like a hungry elephant in the shop,eating space!
Harbor fright sells folding 1's but I have no idea if they are as good. Even if the lift cylinder is defective on a shop engine hoist,those can be bought at Harbor fright reasonable.

Harbor Freight has an adjustable hoist such as your design, and its $695. On sale it will get down to $499. check it out on line.

just sayin,

brasscarguy