Engine Hoist Mod

[Slednut]

Sometimes I hate the swivel.

 

[Mike.ASC]

Brilliant and simple solution , well done.

 

[chipjumper]

Great idea I’ll be doing the same to anything that swivels. I just made this rack to park and plane in sideways to save space and the swivels are driving me crazy.

 

[Chevy-SS]

Interesting mod. I've used similar hoist many times, but never been annoyed with the swivel wheels.

 

[BonzoHansen]

nice mod, i will note this for future use

 

[5.9Jon]

good solution, those swivels can be annoying in some/most situations

 

[Slednut]

Found out today you only need to do one side.

 

[sberry]

That is really good, one side better. I had considered something like this but didn't come up with an easy way, this is it.

 

[srr]

Awesome!

 

[whateg01]

Sometimes I hate the swivel.

Just beware of side loading on those thin web casters if you are doing more than just lifting engines with it. I made the front casters on one of my 2T engine hoists fixed and when lifting what I estimate now to be somewhere around 1800#, one of the casters shattered, the load swung a little to that side and when the leg reached the floor, it bent at the crossmember the mast attaches to. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=446996

I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but I would choose different wheels because I still use my other engine hoist for moving 2000# machinery.

Also, a buddy put 4" kingpinless casters on his engine hoist and said it made a world of difference in how easy it was to steer, and since the casters are of far better quality, there is little chance they are going to shatter like these did. Seriously, take a look at reputable 3" casters (about the size of those on the engine hoist) and their ratings, usually around 300# and a near solid web that is thick, versus these engine hoists, where even if the load was evenly distributed among the 4 wheels, that's 1000#. There's no way these would be rated at that by a reputable caster company. Anyway, YMMV.

Dave

 

[whateg01]

Oh, I did that same thing when I built the stand for my bandsaw and it's a joy to move around now. Swivels when I want them to be. Fixed otherwise!

Dave

 

[Slednut]

Just beware of side loading on those thin web casters if you are doing more than just lifting engines with it.

Honestly I got this idea from looking at your thread. Yesterday when I set the engine in my car I steered it into position, pulled the pin and adjusted the hoist to line the motor mounts up. As you know it was a lot easier and just having to do one wheel was also a plus.

A few years ago I built a steerable pneumatic wheel conversion so I could pull the hoist over grass and gravel. I think it would be easy to do this on the legs only and maybe put a wheel on both sides of the leg so there would be no twisting of the legs.

 

[whateg01]

This doesn't work great because I can't get under things that are low, but I wanted to see how well a set of pallet jack wheels would work since on the pallet jack, they roll over everything with relative ease. They do here, too. The rear casters still ****, so steering is still a pain.

I looked at how much using a set of the large wheels on the back like a pallet jack is set up would narrow the footprint, and since the rear wheels aren't even on the ground when there's a load on this thing, the answer was "not much". Where the load hangs at the 1500# mark, the width becomes about an inch narrower on each side. One of the goals with better rolling is to reduce the amount of swinging caused by trying to get the machine to go the direction intended. With it being easier to move, the swinging is reduced a lot. With heavier loads, maybe the tricycle attachment could be removed and the normal casters used since the load would be further back.

Dave

 

[Lucky13driver]

For me I wanted to stiffen up the truss, ad material to the end to prevent tearing, and added a receiver tube so I don’t have to take it apart every time I take it somewhere.

 

[whateg01]

For me I wanted to stiffen up the truss, ad material to the end to prevent tearing, and added a receiver tube so I don’t have to take it apart every time I take it somewhere.

I like the mods, but I would need an engine hoist to lift the engine hoist into the receiver!

 

[Oldsmobile]

Receiver tube on a hoist is brilliant. I love that idea! Mine doesn't have to be portable, so I can't see doing it for myself, but I can definitely see the advantage.

 

[whateg01]

I guess you tip it up into the receiver, huh? Aside from that, the issue I would have is that I usually need it to unload the trailer I'm pulling. I guess I need to add a receiver tube to the trailer now

 

[marinusdees]

That is really good, one side better. I had considered something like this but didn't come up with an easy way, this is it.

I thought you were banned. What does this mean??

 

[whateg01]

I thought you were banned. What does this mean??

You are quoting a 3 year old comment. I don't think he's going to hear you.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I have found having a swivel caster on each corner of a heavy machine makes moving with control nearly impossible.
My fix was having a swivel-lock caster on opposite corners. The locked caster steers the other swivel caster.
The casters wee mounted under external pods to reduce the tendency to tip.

 

[Lucky13driver]

I guess you tip it up into the receiver, huh? Aside from that, the issue I would have is that I usually need it to unload the trailer I'm pulling. I guess I need to add a receiver tube to the trailer now

No sir I use a floor jack.

 

[mogandave]

This doesn't work great because I can't get under things that are low, but I wanted to see how well a set of pallet jack wheels would work since on the pallet jack, they roll over everything with relative ease. They do here, too. The rear casters still ****, so steering is still a pain.

I looked at how much using a set of the large wheels on the back like a pallet jack is set up would narrow the footprint, and since the rear wheels aren't even on the ground when there's a load on this thing, the answer was "not much". Where the load hangs at the 1500# mark, the width becomes about an inch narrower on each side. One of the goals with better rolling is to reduce the amount of swinging caused by trying to get the machine to go the direction intended. With it being easier to move, the swinging is reduced a lot. With heavier loads, maybe the tricycle attachment could be removed and the normal casters used since the load would be further back.

Dave

Last plant I was in we configured most everything that was not bolted down such that it could easily be moved with a pallet-jack. Got rid of most all the f'n castors.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I have found having a swivel caster on each corner of a heavy machine makes moving with control nearly impossible.
My fix was having a swivel-lock caster on opposite corners. The locked caster steers the other swivel caster.
The casters wee mounted under external pods to reduce the tendency to tip.

I have owned my shop/engine crane for 45 years. I have always wanted to do something to make the crane more controllable. I think the locking casters on the lift end might be what I need. I added a temporary cross handle for better advantage. I am using one of those pipe clamps.

 

[The Cobbler]

I thought you were banned. What does this mean??

the strike thru on a username indicates a member is banned ( temp or perm)