Engine hoist buying advice

[Robin]

Looking to buy a foldable engine hoist to lift my Vitesse engine - any advice or recommendations on what to buy?

thanks

 

Robin

[RogerH]

This works well - https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cfc100-1-tonne-folding-workshop-crane/

 

Roger

[mark powell]

That's very similar to my Draper one.  When I bought it, there should have been a levelling device included, but they were out of stock and I never chased it up.  Worth getting possibly, but I've never missed it..

The only downside is that the spread of the front wheel supports don't quite fit between the Herald front wheels. But I've always managed somehow.

[Robin]

Great ! Thanks both.

[68vitesse]

Decided against an engine hoist, have an I beam across my double garage with a rolling trolly, chain hoist and load leveller. Have to roll the car back as you lift the engine out, but then with a hoist you have to move it with the engine etc. attached.

Always removed the engine with the overdrive gearbox attached, much easier to reassemble out of the car.

Regards

Paul.

 

 

[Mark B]

Same Machine Mart folding hoist as I bought probably 20 years ago. Removed Vitesse, Spitfire engines with ease.  Most recently used, single handed, to lift a Spitfire tub up 4' onto some tressals. Very usefull, folds up nicely so reasonably easy to move around and store.

[JohnD]

Very much agree with Paul:

NB: To close the bonnet so that the car can be pushed back, the engine must be lifted as high and close to the windscreen as possible.     The floor cloth, with a double layer of bubble wrap beneath, protects the glass from an accidental swinging blow.

However, my garage roof is supported by an enormous, double, 12x4 wooden beam that you could lift a battleship from.   I fear that modern garages have much lighter roof trusses, so a crane is needed.

I recently bought a Chinese engine crane, to lift my engine rig into the TRansit.     As suggested above, I measured the clearance underneath the van, the height of the side door and the depth of the rig, to work out what lift and reach capability was needed.    That sort of research should ensure that you get one to suit your needs.      Most cranes are more than capable of lifting the six cylinder engine which even with the gear box weighs less than 300kgs.   Apart from crane extension, which reduces the safe lifting capability, they are all very similar, so look out on eBay for a used one - there's not much to go wrong!

John

 

[68vitesse]

With an engine hoist you have to remove the bonnet, from John's and my pictures we leave the bonnet on the car. No bonnet storage problems with the big plus you don't have to disconnect all the wiring to the front lights.

I welded a big nut to the load leveller in place of the handle and use a battery impact driver to adjust the angle of the engine as it is removed.

Regards

Paul.

[KevinR]

Beware the ratings, a 1 tonne crane is only rated to lift 1 tonne at the shortest extension.  For each step of extension the rating is marked on the crane.
On the Clarke CFC100 crane, it’s only rated at 250kg at full extension, so only just enough for a 6 cylinder engine on its own, it’s not sufficient for a 6 cylinder engine with all the ancillaries and a gearbox attached.

[Neil Clark]

I rented one last time  My wife got fed up with it only being used once every few years.  Wasn't expensive and was delivered and collected.

[Colin Lindsay]

You got the engine gearbox and chassis out through the body with that one!! Excellent!!

[Unkel Kunkel]

I bought one of those folding ones.

It was a few years ago.The price was so low price  £115, it was more attractive than renting.

No makers name.

Capacity given as  1000kg.

An important point  to consider is how well it folds up.

This one folds  up really well - so it really takes up remarkably little room.( a bit  unstable folded so needs roping and securing) 

I have used it for all sorts of tasks - but not  as yet, to lift an engine!
for example,  working on my own it  allowed safe removal and re- fitting of car body from chassis and related tasks.

Not a use that I could have ever imagined   but it proved very useful  loaned out to help in the restoration of a Napoleonic War era  Blomefield pattern 4 pounder cannon !

They aren’t huge,( 3” bore ) but much heavier than they look and very unwieldy until they are mounted on the newly made carriage. 

 

[NonMember]

4 hours ago, 68vitesse said:

have an I beam across my double garage with a rolling trolly

I, too, have an I-beam with a rolling trolley chain block. It's over the pit, and the first thing it was used for (in this garage) was to lift the pit metalwork off the delivery lorry and lower it into place. Because it was specified during the build, the ends of the beam are supported on the walls directly, so plenty of load capacity, and the trolley allows me to lift an engine out of the car then place it on the work bench.

[iani]

4 hours ago, 68vitesse said:

With an engine hoist you have to remove the bonnet, from John's and my pictures we leave the bonnet on the car. No bonnet storage problems with the big plus you don't have to disconnect all the wiring to the front lights.

I welded a big nut to the load leveller in place of the handle and use a battery impact driver to adjust the angle of the engine as it is removed.

Regards

Paul.

Not quite correct Paul, you can certainly remove the engine in a GT6 with an engine hoist without removing the bonnet, it's all a matter of getting the angle right. I have the hoist legs going under where the N/SF wheel would be (removed), raise & separate engine, then angle hoist and withdraw engine so that it passes over the battery, doesn't go near the bonnet or it's stay.

[Colin Lindsay]

39 minutes ago, NonMember said:

I, too, have an I-beam with a rolling trolley chain block. It's over the pit, and the first thing it was used for (in this garage) was to lift the pit metalwork off the delivery lorry and lower it into place. Because it was specified during the build, the ends of the beam are supported on the walls directly, so plenty of load capacity, and the trolley allows me to lift an engine out of the car then place it on the work bench.

Mine's an H-beam, but similarly I specified it when the garage was built so it's right through the walls. Being effectively a one-man garage it gets a lot of use.

You can remove the engine and gearbox with the bonnet on, I did it in both Heralds and the GT6. My attachment for the hoist doesn't slide along, so I just lift the engine and gearbox, turn it sideways and slide the car away on a trolley jack or two.

 

[PeteH]

I`ve already had the engine (solo) hung on the 9x2" Beam in the garage. I put in to suport the "Crap" stored up there. (most is being stored for Grandkids) the rest is Herald I have a couple of "Acrows" which I can put in as a precaution, probably not needed but?. Time will tell if it works!. Not planning to lift too many engines. So the cost of a Crane is not justified. (Machine Mart £379) Best "offer" on E-Bay £190 currently. The one @ £80 it in Devon would probably cost an arm and leg to freight!.

Pete

[Neil Clark]

3 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

You got the engine gearbox and chassis out through the body with that one!! Excellent!!

For a small fee I can explain how it's done!

[Sandy Gibson]

I got a Sealy PH5.  It’s not foldable but the vertical and horizontal bits unbolt easily and quickly so it’s easy to stow away.

Only issue is it is a couple of inches short of ideal reach. Vertical post touches the front cross member on my Mk 3 so that when the engine/ box starts to lift, they swing forward a bit.  Not a big issue but annoying.