Engine Hoist

[backfocus]

Anyone used the Harbor Freight 1 ton hoist to remove an engine? I can get a good deal on one, but am unsure if it is tall enough or will extend far enough.

If not, what hoist do you suggest and have used, brand and size?

 

[93project]

I have a powerbuilt 2 ton lift I bought at checkers a while ago. 1 ton is ok I guess but the majority of good ones are 2 ton. Granted your engine and tyranny aren't 2 tons but it doesn't hurt to have more support.

 

[faststang90]

we buy things from Harbor Freight and we get about a 50/50 chance that it works all the time. i have one like that and it works good to get the motor out easy

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I have one. Mine works fine. If you use it like the majority of us do, (as a hobbyist) It's perfect. It lives 99.99% percent of it's days folded up in a corner of the garage. I used it 3 months ago ( it's .1% ) to install the 4.6/3650 combo in my project. It got high enough to get the combo over the saddle w/o incident.
@ 199.00-149.00 ( or whatever your deal is) , doubt that you'll find ANYTHING new built out of steel with a hydraulic ram for less.

But like faststang 90 advises you might go back to them w/ a defect
( you might wanna consider the extended warranty)

Course there's still the cedar beam and chain hoist option.

 

[NIKwoaC]

Is it THIS one? My only thought is that at full extension, it can only do 500lb (1/4 ton) which is not quite enough for a full weight V8. So, that last notch is useless for most jobs, IMO.

Other than that, I've been buying a lot of HF stuff lately, and I've been pleasantly surprised with the quality, oddly enough. It's by no means custom fabricated aerospace high tech stuff, but for as cheap as their stuff is, it gets the job done.

 

[backfocus]

Thanks guys. NikwoaC, that is the one that I was looking at. I have bought a few thing at Harbor Freight and it has been hit and miss on the quality of it. I was more concerned on the hoist not going up tall enough to clear with the car up on jack stands. I am to the point where I need to start putting my motor back in to test fit for the turbo piping and checking clearances, so I will have it in and out a few time before I paint the bay. I borrowed one when I pulled it out, but my friend sold it so I am looking for one to buy now. I can get that one for $89 plus tax with this crazy discount code I have, so that is why I was looking at it compared to the 2 ton model, which is what I used to pull it out with.

MadMike, did you have to have it fully extended? I have a new Ford Boss 302 Block so it will be slightly heavier.

 

[backfocus]

Last post edit, fingers couldn't keep up with the thoughts.

Thanks guys. NikwoaC, that is the one that I was looking at. I have bought a few things at Harbor Freight and it has been hit and miss on the quality of it. I was more concerned on the hoist not going up tall enough to clear, with the car up on jack stands. I am to the point where I need to start putting my motor back in to test fit for the turbo piping and checking clearances, so I will have it in and out a few times before I paint the bay. I used a friends hoist when I pulled the engine out, but my friend sold it, so I am looking for one to buy now. I can get that one ton hoist for $89 plus tax with this crazy discount code I have. So that is why I was looking at it compared to the 2 ton model, which is what I used to pull it out with.

MadMike, did you have to have it fully extended? I have a new Ford Boss 302 Block so it will be slightly heavier.

 

[Mustang5L5]

With an engine hoist, it would prob sit unused 99.99 % of the time.

So for the 0.01% of when I have used one, I just rented one from local tool rental company. Was maybe $30 for a day or so. I think I've rented 2 times, so still cheaper for me than buying one and finding space to hide it

 

[tannerc91gt]

I've always gone by the "borrow don't buy" method purely because it's something most weekend warriors rarely use.

To me,It's like a boat. I'm happy to use one but what the hell am I gonna do with a boat when I'm not fishing?

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Last post edit, fingers couldn't keep up with the thoughts.

Thanks guys. NikwoaC, that is the one that I was looking at. I have bought a few things at Harbor Freight and it has been hit and miss on the quality of it. I was more concerned on the hoist not going up tall enough to clear, with the car up on jack stands. I am to the point where I need to start putting my motor back in to test fit for the turbo piping and checking clearances, so I will have it in and out a few times before I paint the bay. I used a friends hoist when I pulled the engine out, but my friend sold it, so I am looking for one to buy now. I can get that one ton hoist for $89 plus tax with this crazy discount code I have. So that is why I was looking at it compared to the 2 ton model, which is what I used to pull it out with.

MadMike, did you have to have it fully extended? I have a new Ford Boss 302 Block so it will be slightly heavier.

yes.

If you can buy it for 89.00 it could sit for 11 months and 30 days in a 31 day month, the whole time blocking the path around the car, tripping you twice weekly, and it'd still be worth it.

 

[NIKwoaC]

With an engine hoist, it would prob sit unused 99.99 % of the time.

So for the 0.01% of when I have used one, I just rented one from local tool rental company. Was maybe $30 for a day or so. I think I've rented 2 times, so still cheaper for me than buying one and finding space to hide it

This would normally be my attitude, but my local tool rental place charges $37/day to rent a hoist. A typical engine build requires MINIMUM three days use of a hoist. If you work REALLY fast, you can pull the engine out of the car, put it on the stand, tear it down, lift it off the stand and put it in the back of your truck for the machine shop on the first day. When it comes back from the machine shop, you'll need to rent the hoist again to take it out of your truck and put it on the stand, that's day two. Engine assembly takes a weekend or three, so then once it's put back together, you need to rent the hoist again to put it in the car, that's day three.

3x$37=$111. If he can get it for $90, I say hell yes, do it!

 

[Mustang5L5]

If you don't have the heads on, two guys can easily lift it in and out of a truck.

When we did my friends motor, we pulled the motor out and put it on a stand. We then tore it down at a later date and just lifted it into the back of a truck. When it came back, we lifted it out of the truck. We then got the hoist again for putting in back in several weeks later.

They just opened a harbor freight near me...gonna take a ride and pick up an engine stand. I find they are great for working on t-5s. Bolt a spare bell housing on, and then bolt the case on and it makes assembly nice and easy.

 

[backfocus]

Looks like I will go look at it and measure it on Monday and probably get it. Seems there are a few people that have used it and had good results. There is only one place to rent a hoist from locally and it is expensive at $70 a day for a 2 ton hoist. I really don't have the room to store it in the garage, but I can dolly it back to the storage shed while I am not using it so it won't be in the way.

If I don't use it after I finish the project I will probably sell it for a $100 and still be come out on top.

 

[backfocus]

Looks like I will go look at it and measure it on Monday and probably get it. Seems there are a few people that have used it and had good results. There is only one place to rent a hoist from locally and it is expensive at $70 a day for a 2 ton hoist. I really don't have the room to store it in the garage, but I can dolly it back to the storage shed while I am not using it so it won't be in the way.

If I don't use it after I finish the project I will probably sell it for a $100 and still be come out on top.

 

[NIKwoaC]

If you don't have the heads on, two guys can easily lift it in and out of a truck.

Yea, that is true. My statement was for a single person doing it.

They just opened a harbor freight near me...gonna take a ride and pick up an engine stand. I find they are great for working on t-5s. Bolt a spare bell housing on, and then bolt the case on and it makes assembly nice and easy.

Hey, that's a good idea! My engine stand is from HF, and I was wondering what I'd do with it in between engine builds. I guess that's one option, though hopefully I'm not rebuilding a T5 anytime soon, haha.

If I don't use it after I finish the project I will probably sell it for a $100 and still be come out on top.

If I don't use it after I finish the project I will probably sell it for a $100 and still be come out on top.

Dayum, stop double clicking the "post" button!

 

[Mustang5L5]

Hey, that's a good idea! My engine stand is from HF, and I was wondering what I'd do with it in between engine builds. I guess that's one option, though hopefully I'm not rebuilding a T5 anytime soon, haha.

Always good to have a spare!

I actually had a spare, but a friend needed it so i sold it to him dirt cheap. He gave me the busted t-5 as part of the deal. The gears are trash, but everything else is fine so one of these days i'll pick up a 2.95 z-spec gearset and build that.