Anyone care to give a recommendation? If I can buy a high quality one locally in SoCal, that'll be best. Otherwise I see these mail order 200 lbs units that arrive on a crate on freight truck and are made of pig iron from China.
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Need engine hoist in SoCal
- Thread starter myhui
- Start date
Mine is from Harbor Freight. I hauled out a Chevy Big Block weighing 600-700lbs with it.
You're free to borrow it if you don't want to buy one. Also check Craigslist.
You're free to borrow it if you don't want to buy one. Also check Craigslist.
I have the Torin Big Red from Northern Tool. I think I got it on sale and then used a coupon for about $220 after tax. Read the reviews and Q/A's here:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200305213_200305213
It's worked great for me dropping the engine cradle and then lifting the rear body up to clear it:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1517551&postcount=94
I think it is a quality unit. The welds look good and everything fit together nicely (unlike my engine stand). I recommend this hoist!
Oh, Hot Rod magazine did an article on the cheap no-name engine stands. They loaded them WAY beyond their rated capacity and watched them fail. Interesting read.... It's on their website.
Dave
Dave
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200305213_200305213
It's worked great for me dropping the engine cradle and then lifting the rear body up to clear it:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1517551&postcount=94
I think it is a quality unit. The welds look good and everything fit together nicely (unlike my engine stand). I recommend this hoist!
Oh, Hot Rod magazine did an article on the cheap no-name engine stands. They loaded them WAY beyond their rated capacity and watched them fail. Interesting read.... It's on their website.
Dave
Dave
Thanks guys.
Now that's a good idea: use the hoist to lift up the body to clear the engine, after you used it to drop the engine onto the cradle.
You used a wooden cradle? I thought that's this nice welded steel unit from Daly Racing that's custom fitted to the NSX's engine mounting points.
Now that's a good idea: use the hoist to lift up the body to clear the engine, after you used it to drop the engine onto the cradle.
You used a wooden cradle? I thought that's this nice welded steel unit from Daly Racing that's custom fitted to the NSX's engine mounting points.
Thanks, although I can't take credit for the idea!
From searching on this site, I found just a few had done this on their own and fewer had written about it. Even less described some basic steps how they did it. There were a few random pictures, and then voila! - You see an engine stripped on a stand
If you follow my link, it shows the wooden dolly I made for the rear engine/transaxle/suspension using Coz's suggestions. The thread in general shows how I went about taking everything out and then stripping the engine down to the block.
It's not quite step-by-step, but hopefully it is helpful to a few people that (like me), didn't have any experience doing something like this before. I just followed the SM step-by-step until it got to the actual cradle lowering.
Good luck! LMK if I can help or explain something in more detail. Also, if you see a better way to do it, please mention that in my thread so it will help us all out!
Dave
From searching on this site, I found just a few had done this on their own and fewer had written about it. Even less described some basic steps how they did it. There were a few random pictures, and then voila! - You see an engine stripped on a stand
If you follow my link, it shows the wooden dolly I made for the rear engine/transaxle/suspension using Coz's suggestions. The thread in general shows how I went about taking everything out and then stripping the engine down to the block.
It's not quite step-by-step, but hopefully it is helpful to a few people that (like me), didn't have any experience doing something like this before. I just followed the SM step-by-step until it got to the actual cradle lowering.
Good luck! LMK if I can help or explain something in more detail. Also, if you see a better way to do it, please mention that in my thread so it will help us all out!
Dave
shawn110975
Suspended
yeah same here I got mine from Northern Tool.
works like a champ.
MacAttack
how were you lifting your chassis?
in the pic it looks like there is a bar.
when lifting mine I used both the rear shock tower holes with huge hooks.
have any better pics of your lifting method?
works like a champ.
MacAttack
how were you lifting your chassis?
in the pic it looks like there is a bar.
when lifting mine I used both the rear shock tower holes with huge hooks.
have any better pics of your lifting method?
On a safety note, when you were undoing the engine brace bolts, you know that wide-U shaped piece, was there any danger of the loose piece dropping onto you as you're on the creeper?
Hey Shawn,
I have more pictures in the thread I linked to above. It shows the chain paths and how I hooked onto the chassis. I routed my chains through the holes and down below so the hooks connected at a beefy point on the chassis. I thought about hooking it directly at the shock towers, but was worried about too much localized stress bending the area. Glad to hear it worked out for you, I may consider doing that when it goes back together!
Good point to bring up! I was the only one doing this. I lowered everything about half an inch at a time initially, checked everything from all angles, then lowered a little more, checked again ,etc.
It would help to have another person watching. But to answer your question, there is no need to get under the car to loosen anything just before it's ready to lower. The final loosening bolts holding the assembly to the frame are on the sides so they are easy to get to.
Never go under a suspended load!
Sorry - I have a hard time picturing what wide U-piece you're talking about. The only wide U-piece I can think of is the piece that goes along most of the suspension carriage bottom. If so, that should be one of the first things you remove so there is no danger of anything else heavy falling on you as the engine and transmission mounts are all still in place, and the cradle is bolted to the chassis. I actually used that u-piece as a template for my rolling wood dolly per Coz's excellent suggestion.
Can you mark up one of my pictures and put it up here?
Have you had a chance to look through the SM on the engine removal section? I just followed those steps in exact order.
Dave
shawn110975
Suspended
I was told that the shock tower holes ( area ) is the strogest as it designed to take some abuse as the shocks are constantly pushing and pulling from that point so its always the best place for this kinda of situtation
but its really what ever works. LOL
but its really what ever works. LOL
Just picked up a new unit from an estate sale advertised on craigslist. It is all broken apart but is easy to reassemble. I still need the load stabilizer bar though, since it is rather crude to run a short chain from one corner to the other corner of the engine and hook it up in the middle.
About the wide-U piece, I just realized it is the horizontal brace that does not carry any vertical load, but is just used to stiffen the chassis in the horizontal dimensions. That thing can drop on you if you are not careful when removing it.
I plan to test the safety and capacity of the hoist by having it lift the engine while the engine mounts are still attached. If it can support the entire weight of the rear of the car for one hour without drooping, then it is safe to use.
About the wide-U piece, I just realized it is the horizontal brace that does not carry any vertical load, but is just used to stiffen the chassis in the horizontal dimensions. That thing can drop on you if you are not careful when removing it.
I plan to test the safety and capacity of the hoist by having it lift the engine while the engine mounts are still attached. If it can support the entire weight of the rear of the car for one hour without drooping, then it is safe to use.
I am actually using my 2001 Prelude as a practice car, so I'm working on that now, not the NSX. But, yeah, next will be the NSX.
I popped the lower ball joint with this simple tool I bought at O'Reilly's:
Item 25262: OEM Pitman Arm Puller
It was very simple, and not nearly as difficult or violent as others have mentioned in the past. Pulling the drive shafts out from the differential was kinda scary though, since I was flat on my back on the cement floor and those heavy shafts were right over my chest.
I popped the lower ball joint with this simple tool I bought at O'Reilly's:
Item 25262: OEM Pitman Arm Puller
It was very simple, and not nearly as difficult or violent as others have mentioned in the past. Pulling the drive shafts out from the differential was kinda scary though, since I was flat on my back on the cement floor and those heavy shafts were right over my chest.
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