Engine crane question

[John Gervais]

I might have found an engine crane that'll fit in my garage, an AC Hydraulics WJN5 engine crane. 

The footprint when folded is small, only 14" x 16" and something which I could find space for in my tiny, low-ceiling garage (161 sq. ft.), but I'm mostly curious about the legs when extended and if it is necessary to have a typical engine crane's boom extended a fair distance to lift over the bodyshell.  My ceiling is low, so I'm hoping that with a short chained load leveler and a short boom, there'll be space enough.  The last time I removed or installed the engine my friend had an overhead winch.

How practical is it to use an engine crane from the side of the car, over the wing such that the legs straddle the wheel and give space for the floorjack from the front?

This is what I'm looking at - http://www.ac-hydraulic.dk/en/products/workshop-cranes/wjn5-wjn10/

[Willie_B]

If you go at it from the side you will need to lift higher than from the front. Depending if you have rod or remote shift will change how much you have the tilt the unit also.

[John Gervais]

Interesting; it's a rod change gearbox which will help, but I see what you're saying - longer reach and higher starting point needed to clear the wing. 

I just looked up the front wheel tracking width on TMF which seems to be approx. 1230 cm, so it looks like the crane could slide in from the front, but with only about 1 meter semi-free floorspace in front of the car, it might not be possible to slide the floorjack under a subframe rail from the front (the jack isn't long enough to get in from the side).

[MiniDave]

Why would you need the subframe jack?

I use one of those and it can be a bit of a challenge, I have a lift in my garage and very low ceilings too. The crane legs barely fit past the outer parts of the lift, so I have to extend the arm as far as it will go to hook the engine. That said, it works just fine. If I didn't have the lift I would set the car on jack stands, then it would go under easily.

Are you planning to pull the motor out the top or drop it and the subframe out the bottom? I've done it both ways....

On my E-Type, I drop the engine down onto the floor (actually, onto my creeper) then hook the crane onto the body and lift it up and roll the engine out from underneath....you could do the same if you wanted to drop the subframe too.....

This is the one I have...it's 2 ton capacity which is extreme overkill for what I do....



One of these with a chain hoist would probably work better in my shop, but spendy.....

[John Gervais]

Oh, I would love one of those...

The reason I'd need to be able to jack under the subframe is so that I could put the wheels back on and roll it backwards, at least far enough that I could drop the engine onto the workbench (If I ever clear some space on it) or a small plastic pallet on the floor.  Thereafter I'd need to fold the crane up, put it away and move the mini forward such that the door could close.  The apartments in front of the garage don't like work to be done with the door open.

As you can see, I haven't much width or depth, so a compact ½ ton crane is most sensible, and this one is about as compact as I've found.  I do like that overhead unit though - might just search for one tomorrow and see how it compares price wise - this WJN5 is pricy.

[MiniDave]

I take it the wheels come off so you can get the axles out of the transmission?

A half ton is plenty for these little engines, and I wish the one I had was smaller, it's a bear to move it around in my small shop, but then I'll bet the legs would be too short to go under the lift far enough to snatch the engine out....so I'd be dropping the subframe every time I removed an engine, which is really not that bad an idea, as then it's mobile, but wouldn't work for you if you have to roll the car around.

Maybe you could build a small dolly that the car could rest on with the wheels off? Just a box with casters....heck, one of those furniture moving dollys would work since the car is so light.

Telescoping gantry cranes like this one are spendy but a fixed one wouldn't have to be. In fact, I've seen plenty of them made from wood, as long as it's on casters so you could roll it forward and back it should do the job just fine.

[John Gervais]

I haven't removed my engine in many, many years, but I need to remove the front wheels every time I need to get something done - release exhaust manifold from gearbox, cut the pot joint clamps, loosen the extra stabilizers, so I figured it'd be just one of those things - take them off, get the lump out, put the wheels back on, push shell, drop engine, tinker, pick engine up, push shell, remove wheels, fit engine, fit wheels...

I might be able to get a friend's help and use his garage (and crane), but if the job isn't finished in 1 day, then I'm without wheels and can't get to and forth from his garage. 

The job - change from duplex to simplex timing set (yes, even though I just bought a new Rollmaster duplex vernier set with IWIS chain, I'm getting a big-pin IWIS simplex chain from KC which will be lighter) & re-adjust cam timing, install the cross-pin diff.

[94touring]

Gantry or go home!  Probably a bit involved for what you're doing, but as Dave suggest it can be made of wood.  Since I scored free steel mine was no more than any engine hoist and 10x easier to yank heavy objects with.

[jedduh01]

A neighbor of mine  this past weekend = pulled the engine out of his SUV ---  using the kids swing set.... Like a gantry right?? :-\

Don't ask me why hes working on a 80's Mitsubishi montero, but to each their own.

[MiniDave]

I think I would turn that car around so I room to swing the engine hoist, then just get the motor out while the door is open, then close it again while doing the repairs, then open again just long enough to drop it back in. Surely the neighbors can't complain about a couple of hours with the door open?

I also find that when working on a classic - something not seen everyday - they tend to be a little more forgiving as they're interested in seeing how the old car is made. Of course, that just slows you down!  ::)

You definitely are pressed for space John, and I think my garage is tight!

[pbraun]

Best one I used was borrowed from a pal!

[John Gervais]

Thanks for the feedback guys - I spent the day today looking into gantry cranes, something not easily found over here.  Most of the ones I've found use a ratcheting block at the top to drop a cable, are far too tall (could possibly be cut down)and I can see this type taking more space than the li'l engine crane since I'll need to find storage space for the block. 

So, with space in my cave being a primary consideration, I think I'm forced to clean and organize the garage, sell some parts (coil, 45D dizzy, carb, plug leads, and who knows what's in the storage boxes for brakes, clutch, cooling and 'body/interior'), throw out some stuff that nobody will ever want or use and buy the small crane in hope that I'll actually be able to use it.

Otherwise, I'll try to find someone who will offer his garage for pizza and beer - I know a couple of guys who like beer...

[Willie_B]

If you have access to the ceiling you can just use the top beam of the crane bolted to the ceiling, self storage when unused. It is just a basic I beam. All you need then is the lift part.

[John Gervais]

I thought about that.  I have no idea what's holding the roof up.  These garages are pretty old - the ceiling is plaster, not sheet rock, and there's a layer of straw between the plaster and the roof.  Assuming there's some sort of structure above that, it's likely to be fairly light weight 2 x 4's and some plywood for the heavy tarpaper roofing.  I don't think it'll hold much, and bolting legs to the wall would probably get complaints that I'm potentially compromising the structural integrity of the neighbor garages - the 'community' is funny that way.

[John Gervais]

The AC Hydraulic engine crane was delivered yesterday and wow, it's compact. 

Hyacinth gave me a ride up to the garage yesterday which gave me a few minutes to clear a space on the floor at the end of the shelving unit where the crane would stand.  I then walked the couple of miles home and waited for the freight company's phone call.

The phone rang and when the freight driver arrived at my apartment, and I was able to ask him to bring it up to the garage instead of here at the apartment.  I hitched a ride in the truck's cab and we drove up to the garage, I pulled the mini out into the snowy weather while the palatalized box was unloaded.

I wish I'd had a camera with me.  The crane's footprint is very small, probably around 12" x 15" when it's folded up.  To set it up, it's a simple matter of removing 2 heavy R-clipped pins from the 'storage position' holes, dropping the legs down and re-inserting the pins in the 'assembled position' holes.  That's it.  I oiled the pump and boom hinge pins as per the instructions, and smeared a bit o'grease on the pump lever plunger pad.

I almost can't wait to use it.

[MiniDave]

The two ton that belonged to a friend but was being stored in my shop went home to it's owner recently, and my buddy Don decided to buy one but again, no room to store it at his place so it came to my shop. Timely, as we used it to do the repairs on his Pup!

The unit he bought is the lighter 1 ton unit and I learned a few things using it on the Pup, because it's made from lighter material it's easier to move around (good thing) but the lift arm is considerably shorter (not a good thing). I wound up moving the Pup as far forward on the lift as I felt safe so that I could get the legs of the lift under the engine far enough that the lift arm would reach the engine. Another issue, the spread between the legs is narrower too, so when I picked up the motor out of the subframe and tried to put it in the engine stand, the engine stand would not fit between the legs. I wound up setting the engine stand on top the legs and then siting the engine in the stand. It worked but it was a bit of a PITA as I had to work around those legs. I think the larger 2 ton unit was much easier to use ultimately.

The real solution would be a new, large shop with nice smooth floors and a 2 post lift!  ::)

So John, did you get your repairs done this summer too?

[joakwin]

I have the smaller 1 ton engine puller from hf, I wish I would have got the bigger one, the top arm is on the short side

[MiniDave]

Yep, I found the same thing......