grumpyvette
Well-known member
http://www.southern-tool.com/store/hydraulic_shop_crane.html
heres a decent minimal choice (id pass)
http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedpr...cription.asp?95
heres a MUCH lower quality
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=35915
notice this LOOKS similar to the top model but weights about 60 lbs LESS
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=45200
this is a JOKE for a serious tool
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=41187
this (ABOVE WITH THE 12 TON RAM) is VERY SIMILAR to what I bought and its been a great value, yeah I know your thinking why the extra lift capacity.. well I learned long ago that if your under something it damn well better be able to hold the weight with a large margin of safety and that tools working anywere near there max capacity have a much higher failure rate than those working well under there max strength limits, remember youll be under that engine at some point and a single failure could kill you
theres a BIG differance between the cheap parts store, made in china $120-$200 engine hoists and the better ones costing $300 and up, look at the TOTAL weight and the hydrolic rams lift rates , while its not fool proof its a start at telling junk from a real tool
keep in mind here that an engine hoist is LOW TECH! and the COMMON AUTO engines SELDOM EXCEED 1000-1200 lbs in weight even with a transmission attached
the larger capacity engine hoist will get the job done, and theres not alot to be gained in the tools functional ability by paying extra for a name brand over the BETTER off brands , but the really cheap off brand hoist are DANGEROUS in MY OPINION simply because they are prone to having lower quality steel and welds than ones manufactured by a company thats got a reputation to up hold
like I pointed out above the hoist with the 12 ton ram has the strength, weight and EXTRA steel at a reasonable price
should you use a plate or leveler for engine swaps
WELL PERSONALLY I think its a NO BRAINER!
Ive used PLATES in swaps done at some of my friends shops, in my opinion they flat out are dangerous and very difficult to use compared to a good engine tilter like this one below, while the plate seems attractive at $8 compared to $25-$30 or more for a tilter/leveler I have seen the plates destroy manifolds on two occasions by cracking carb mount pads and bending carb studs, especially if the intake is old with coroasion on the stud threads, (4)1/4" or 5/16" studs into aluminum intakes of questionable depth are no comparison to (4) 3/8" bolts into the cylinder heads, and the (4)head mounted 3/8" bolts are under shear and tension while the studs in the intake rely on the thread strength only
I now bring my own tilter/leveler when going to a friends to do an engine swap and have YET to find anyone who after useing one that did not go out and by one!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...itemnumber=5402
LOOK THEY ARE ON SALE FOR $25, they are rated at 4000lbs vs 1250 lbs for the plate and they make life far easier durring an engine install at $25 they are a GREAT DEAL[/b]
adding a swivel like this between the leveler and crane GREATLY AIDS THE ENGINES REMOVAL, DON,T GET STUPID or CHEAP, GET THE 3400lb rated one MINIMUM not the 1200lb size (REMEMBER YOULL BE UNDER THAT ENGINE SOMETIMES)
youll need two of these rated at similar load strength
heres a decent minimal choice (id pass)
http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedpr...cription.asp?95
heres a MUCH lower quality
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=35915
notice this LOOKS similar to the top model but weights about 60 lbs LESS
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=45200
this is a JOKE for a serious tool
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=41187
this (ABOVE WITH THE 12 TON RAM) is VERY SIMILAR to what I bought and its been a great value, yeah I know your thinking why the extra lift capacity.. well I learned long ago that if your under something it damn well better be able to hold the weight with a large margin of safety and that tools working anywere near there max capacity have a much higher failure rate than those working well under there max strength limits, remember youll be under that engine at some point and a single failure could kill you
theres a BIG differance between the cheap parts store, made in china $120-$200 engine hoists and the better ones costing $300 and up, look at the TOTAL weight and the hydrolic rams lift rates , while its not fool proof its a start at telling junk from a real tool
keep in mind here that an engine hoist is LOW TECH! and the COMMON AUTO engines SELDOM EXCEED 1000-1200 lbs in weight even with a transmission attached
the larger capacity engine hoist will get the job done, and theres not alot to be gained in the tools functional ability by paying extra for a name brand over the BETTER off brands , but the really cheap off brand hoist are DANGEROUS in MY OPINION simply because they are prone to having lower quality steel and welds than ones manufactured by a company thats got a reputation to up hold
like I pointed out above the hoist with the 12 ton ram has the strength, weight and EXTRA steel at a reasonable price
should you use a plate or leveler for engine swaps
WELL PERSONALLY I think its a NO BRAINER!
Ive used PLATES in swaps done at some of my friends shops, in my opinion they flat out are dangerous and very difficult to use compared to a good engine tilter like this one below, while the plate seems attractive at $8 compared to $25-$30 or more for a tilter/leveler I have seen the plates destroy manifolds on two occasions by cracking carb mount pads and bending carb studs, especially if the intake is old with coroasion on the stud threads, (4)1/4" or 5/16" studs into aluminum intakes of questionable depth are no comparison to (4) 3/8" bolts into the cylinder heads, and the (4)head mounted 3/8" bolts are under shear and tension while the studs in the intake rely on the thread strength only
I now bring my own tilter/leveler when going to a friends to do an engine swap and have YET to find anyone who after useing one that did not go out and by one!
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...itemnumber=5402
LOOK THEY ARE ON SALE FOR $25, they are rated at 4000lbs vs 1250 lbs for the plate and they make life far easier durring an engine install at $25 they are a GREAT DEAL[/b]
adding a swivel like this between the leveler and crane GREATLY AIDS THE ENGINES REMOVAL, DON,T GET STUPID or CHEAP, GET THE 3400lb rated one MINIMUM not the 1200lb size (REMEMBER YOULL BE UNDER THAT ENGINE SOMETIMES)
youll need two of these rated at similar load strength
