Author Topic: 1 Ton engine picker, is good enough?  (Read 1221 times)

Offline iNTP

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1 Ton engine picker, is good enough?
« on: July 08, 2010 - 08:20:08 PM »
I gonna do a 318 to 340 swap, I wondering if a 1Ton Crane Harbor Freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-capacity-foldable-shop-crane-93840.html is good enough?

I also plan use this Crane to replace engine for my family car like 96 Camry, 92 Accord later(when it need to), should I buy a 2 Ton: http://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-capacity-shop-crane-7620.html for both job? Or the 1 Ton should be fine for these car?

I like the 2 Ton but it more bigger and I dont even have a gagare, so if the 1 Ton is work, I'll take it.

Thanks in advance!




Offline 72hemi

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Re: 1 Ton engine picker, is good enough?
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2010 - 08:25:20 PM »
I have that 1 ton and it has worked fine with 440's. A 440 weighs less than half a ton so you will be fine, plus the 1 ton has the advantage of being collapsible.
1972 Dodge Challenger 340 6 Pack 4-speed
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Offline Jim

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Re: 1 Ton engine picker, is good enough?
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2010 - 09:50:10 PM »
Lifting capacity generally isn't the limitation. It's reach.

On my folding 2 ton (which looks exactly like that one ton, only silver), the boom needs to be extended out to the 1/2 ton position to make the reach into a B or E-Body engine bay. That's about a 42 inch reach and I need every bit of it. Probably wouldn't be able to use on on a gen 3 Charger.
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Offline 72bluNblu

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Re: 1 Ton engine picker, is good enough?
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2010 - 01:03:40 AM »
Lifting capacity generally isn't the limitation. It's reach.

On my folding 2 ton (which looks exactly like that one ton, only silver), the boom needs to be extended out to the 1/2 ton position to make the reach into a B or E-Body engine bay. That's about a 42 inch reach and I need every bit of it. Probably wouldn't be able to use on on a gen 3 Charger.

:iagree:

I have a folding 2 ton hoist (not HF) that I use on a regular basis. I almost always end up using it with the boom fully extended (1/2 ton position) to get the reach I need, even without pulling stuff out of an engine bay. So the length of the boom will be just as, if not more important, than the hoists weight capacity (as long as its rated for the weight you're lifting).

Also, I've found that with HF stuff, the weight limits aren't as important as the stability of the stand/hoist. I have one of their 2,000 lb folding engine stands. Its completely overkill for the weight I need supported, their 750 lb stand would have been enough. But the 750 lb stand isn't very stable, so moving the stand in the garage with an engine on it, or repositioning (rotating) the engine while on the stand are a little frightening, since the stand feels pretty top heavy for its footprint. The 2000 lb stand, on the other hand, rolls around easily with an engine on it and feels very well planted.

Offline mojavered

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Re: 1 Ton engine picker, is good enough?
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2010 - 01:56:35 AM »
I got a 1 ton (for free) folding unit and it does the job, but you really need a couple guys there when getting that engine in to give you that extra push to clear the front end.  It just does not have the reach required. 
Jason

Offline oh58dscout

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Re: 1 Ton engine picker, is good enough?
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2010 - 03:47:58 PM »
I am in the middle of an engine swap and have the  1tn HF hoist. Bottom line, if you are doing this alone, get a different lift. It does not have the reach. I bought about 3.5 ft of 2.5 square stock to replace the boom. It worked then, but I would measure the 2 ton and spend the extra 30 bucks if it is longer.
Jason