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Heavy Work


Dutch

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Some of us have shops with jacks, stands, engine cranes, and chain hoists. Some of us don't. How have some of you guys handled heavy work like pulling an engine or removing a BGB? Can you post photos of homemade or improvised tripods, cribbing, ramps, etc?
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Dutch, We changed the engine in my son's Mustang by making a hook that hooked over the lintel above my garage door. We then used a come-along to lift and lower the engines. Kinda crude but it worked. Sorry, but I didn't take pictures. I do have several bottle jacks and about three different size floor jacks, just no cranes or chain hoists. Got nearly everything else that I need.
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Herb, I'm kinda glad I don't have pictures of some of the spruce tree log 'A' frames I've hung come-a-longs from to change engines on a snow floor. One time I even covered it with plastic and had a wood stove in it to rebuild a 1970 Toyota engine. Don't have all the nicey's now but do have a floor jack and engine hoist. For blocking things up I perfer chuncks of 8x8 I've scrounged off jobs over them little jack stands, just don't feel save under them.
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Dutch, A friend of mine uses a very large branch of a tree. He will attach a come-along to the tree branch and move the heavy item either into the truck / trailer, or out of the same. I once removed a subaru engine out of the car but using a crude three legged engine hoist. The legs were made out of old pipe, but for a tractor I would bet 2X4 would be strong enough. The three ends of the pipe were connected (very crudely and loosely) with a tire iron. Two of the legs were placed on either side of the car (next to the fenders), the third leg was placed in front of the bumper. Next a come-along was attached to the tire iron holding the three legs together. A chain was attached to the motor. The come-along was used to raise the motor up out of the engine bay. Once the motor was above the radiator, the front leg was slowly moved away from the bumper. This allowed the engine to be lowered to the ground in front of the car. Very crude, but it worked. I did this a while ago and don't have any pictures sorry. Rick.......
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I have An I-beam attached to the ceiling in my garage and on that I have a 500lb (capacity) electric chain fall. Just used it about an hour ago, sorry no pictures.
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Last fall I swapped engines out of my 718H. Used a come-along that was hung on a chain around two 2x4's. The ends of the 2x4's were supported on one side by some very heavy duty 2x6 shelving anchored to a concrete block wall, on the other by a step ladder, with a piece of 2x6 on the top step to spread the load. It worked OK, but the next time I will try to have something a little more rigid. The 2x4's flexed a little with the weight of the engine. If anyone wants pictures, I could set it up again. Greg B
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For small engines I use the "Harley Davidson" method. Pick'em up and sett'em on the bench. For larger engines I have an old 1.5 ton Harrington chainfall hung from the house main support beam.
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BGB repair with two steel milk crates, odds and ends two by fours and a floor jack. Tongue was used alot as an instrument of expression to keep things all in straight and in balance when going back together.
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I installed a heavy duty sliding door track (used on pole sheds) and trolleys (with com-alongs) to the ceiling of the shop. This is heavy enough to pull a garden tractor engine out and then slide over to the bench or table. It also works for holding the up the middles of the tractor when I split it to get at the BGB. It works great, and inexpensive. I bought from Fleet Farm. If anyone wants a picture let me know.
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Before I had jackstands I worked heavy constrution around metal. Brought home some I-beams of diff. size and cut them into around 18"x18" chunks to use as cribbing. This sounds a little overkill for small stuff but I do a lot of truck, large ag equipment repair and it really works great. when i get home I'll post a pic. As for lifting, out in the field a loader or backhoe works great. But since I'm by myself most of the time I have realized there is no substitute for the right jacks, cribbing and hoisting to insure a certain safty level. I'd hate for my kids to be telling their friends 10 years from now what happened to pop while he was in the shop by himself when something fell on him. There are always ways industrious people can get things done, but very few of use to do them. Lets all be safe and enjoy our hobby. This is begining to sound like an add for OSHA, which I don't mean to sound like. If all else, just ask for some help from a friend.
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I do most of mine manually when it comes to the tractors. :D As far as bigger stuff, I have access to a cherry picker and chain hoist for engines. For holding stuff up or jacking heavier things, I have 2 15 ton railroad jacks and a pair of homemade wheel ramps built for dumptrucks. Theres not much I cant hold up with those 4 pieces.[:0];) I have 2 sheds to move this spring, the rail road jacks will lift them both for me. One is 10 x 10 and the other 8 x 12. Those jacks have lifted (2 corners at a time) a 19 x 24 building with a wooden floor. ;):D
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For garden tractors I just reach over and lift them up. The 16 hp tumper is a little heavy but it is not that bad. For automatic transmissions that I work on just reach over and lift just don't do it to offten.Quite a few years ago (in my young days) I did a clutch job on a subarau and 2 of us just lifted it out.I am a lot lazyer now I get my old bobcat out and hook a chain fall on the bucket works for most jobs. Bob
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I spiked together 2 2"x10"x12' boards and hung them with metal straps from the trusses in my shop (4 trusses). On little stuff, GT engines and GT front ends, I use a comealong. When I pull a car engine or something heavier, I use spiked together 2"x's to support the ends of the 2x10's so the trusses aren't overloaded.
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When I take engines out of garden tractors I just lift them up. For removing a BGB I just use a hydraulic bottle jack and safety stands.To lift anything heavier I use my Ferguson 35 with industrial loader.;) Karl
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This is kinda funny.. Back when I worked on Simplicitys full time, I wouldn't take time for jacks etc and the come-a-long i did use for a while had a swaged end come loose and nearly kill me. So, I put a chain over a timber and had a padded hook on the end. I would pick up the front end of the tractor by hand and set it on the hook. Until I got hurt I never though much about an engine lift. Now I use my ditch witch as a lift. (the trencher arm ) LOL Poor people have poor ways...
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I use a floor jack and my 18 year old son:D As far as my tractors Ive been blessed with alot of good luck and havent done a fraction of what ive seen and heard done in this forum. I havent had to change an engine in a car for years. Trannys yes, floor jacks and jack stands.
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About 40 years ago I changed engines in the first car I owned, an old side valve Morris Minor. Being young and foolish, I took off the hood, undid the transmission,rad. etc. and put two 2x10s on the front for a remp. I then tied a rope around the engine, put my feet on each side on the fenders, slipped two hockey sticks under the rope and lifted it out and somehow got down the ramp. Did the reverse to get it back in, with some blocking underneath at approximately the proper height. It worked. My mother said I was lucky not to get a hernia - mothers are usually right. I have a few more tools available now, like a 15 ton bottle jack, a 2 ton come-along, chains and hopefully enough smarts not to hurt myself. Haven't tried another engine, but I did move a 250 gal steel tank about 50 feet up a steep hill behind the cottage for water using the come along, ropes, logx, plywood (to slide on in the bush) and a helper.
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I just got done pulling the motor from my 7016, and since I am a small fellow lifting it was out of the question. So I put a 4x4 across three of my rafters in front of the garage doors and braced both ends up. Then I put the come along around the 4x4 and pulled the motor up real slow. Just when I had it far enough up to clear the tractor, The wife pulled up in her car and using her remote began opening the garage door. I had to jump over the tractor and over my tool boxes and hit the button to send the door back down just as it was hiting the cable from the 4x4 to the motor. Then as I walked back around to the other side, a metal Piece leaning by the door fell over by the electric eye and up went the door again! I just made it to the button again, that was close! You can never be to careful.
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