Little engine hoist? or Cherry picker

[202mphbusa]

wondering is anyone had ideas on either a cheap hoist to put over the beams in my garage to lift my Busa motor
or a smallish cherry picker/engine hoist

I think most engine hoists are too large to fit between my motorcycle lift and the wall of my tiny garage

 

[sixpack577]

A Harbor Freight engine crane on wheels with fold-up legs will work,
I borrow a friends when I need it.
It works great, and when folded up doesn't take up much space, but the down side is that you need some room to manuver it around.
An overhead chain hoist is very small, if you have a good mounting point or beam overhead, and will easily lift the Busa engine.
You could attach chains at engine mount points, but a heavy nylon rope cradled around the engine, then a loop placed on the crane or hoist by a hook would easily lift the engine up through the frame.
The Busa engine isn't that heavy either, so a strong nylon rope will attach and hold it fine, without the bulk of chains, since there is little room between the frame rails, as you lift the engine up into the frame from overhead.
The hoist or crane aren't that expensive either.
I aslo got a Harbor Freight card last year too, as it lets you choose either 12 months no intrest, or 10% off.
So I bought my lift table at 10% off and paid it when the bill came in, saved me over $50 after taxes.

 

[202mphbusa]

A Harbor Freight engine crane on wheels with fold-up legs will work,
I borrow a friends when I need it.
It works great, and when folded up doesn't take up much space, but the down side is that you need some room to manuver it around.
An overhead chain hoist is very small, if you have a good mounting point or beam overhead, and will easily lift the Busa engine.
You could attach chains at engine mount points, but a heavy nylon rope cradled around the engine, then a loop placed on the crane or hoist by a hook would easily lift the engine up through the frame.
The Busa engine isn't that heavy either, so a strong nylon rope will attach and hold it fine, without the bulk of chains, since there is little room between the frame rails, as you lift the engine up into the frame from overhead.
The hoist or crane aren't that expensive either.
I aslo got a Harbor Freight card last year too, as it lets you choose either 12 months no intrest, or 10% off.
So I bought my lift table at 10% off and paid it when the bill came in, saved me over $50 after taxes.

Yeah one thing that worries me about a chain lift is my garage is pretty old and would want to put a beam lengthwise across a bunch of the supports
probably the way I will go, sucks getting old, I used to just lift the f'er onto my floor jack
by the time I lift it to there it is half way into the frame already

 

[Bumblebee]

Yeah one thing that worries me about a chain lift is my garage is pretty old and would want to put a beam lengthwise across a bunch of the supports
probably the way I will go, sucks getting old, I used to just lift the f'er onto my floor jack
by the time I lift it to there it is half way into the frame already

Yes the good old days of being young and strong...

I recall picking a GSXR1100 engine up and putting into the back of my pick up truck and the guy I bought it off mentioned to remind him not to piss me off....

Now I can barely lift my arse out of bed somedays.....

The overhead chain and pulley system would work pretty well and they can come with sliders to slide them left to right so you can maneuver the engine around...

 

[202mphbusa]

Yes the good old days of being young and strong...

I recall picking a GSXR1100 engine up and putting into the back of my pick up truck and the guy I bought it off mentioned to remind him not to piss me off....

Now I can barely lift my arse out of bed somedays.....

The overhead chain and pulley system would work pretty well and they can come with sliders to slide them left to right so you can maneuver the engine around...

when I was a auto mechanic working on Yugo's (stop laughing)
we would vise grip the hood vertical and stand on the strut towers and just bend down and lift the motors out

 

[Zerks]

I built a 4 post stationary structure about 6 ft high. Then put a pipe across the top to attach a come along wire rope rachet to. The stationary structure straddles the Busa frame. I already had the rear engine bolt inserted with the engine sitting on a furniture blanket. By picking up the motor with the hoist I could then place a floor jack under the engine so I could lift it to the point where I can line up the other bolts to secure it inside the frame.



I had 2 motors for my 750 Honda back in the 70s. That motor weighs 175 lbs... I use to be able to do it by myself though it was tricky with the exhaust studs sticking out. It was much easier with a helper to assist.

 

[202mphbusa]

If I tried to build that it would fall over under its own weight
I am a machinist not a carpenter

 

[sixpack577]

If I tried to build that it would fall over under its own weight
I am a machinist not a carpenter

Harbor Freight has rolling double A-frames with a center bar for their chain hoists too.
Would accomplish the same as that wooden frame.

 

[mabupa]

A Harbor Freight engine crane on wheels with fold-up legs will work,
I borrow a friends when I need it.
It works great, and when folded up doesn't take up much space, but the down side is that you need some room to manuver it around.
An overhead chain hoist is very small, if you have a good mounting point or beam overhead, and will easily lift the Busa engine.
You could attach chains at engine mount points, but a heavy nylon rope cradled around the engine, then a loop placed on the crane or hoist by a hook would easily lift the engine up through the frame.
The Busa engine isn't that heavy either, so a strong nylon rope will attach and hold it fine, without the bulk of chains, since there is little room between the frame rails, as you lift the engine up into the frame from overhead.
The hoist or crane aren't that expensive either.
I aslo got a Harbor Freight card last year too, as it lets you choose either 12 months no intrest, or 10% off.
So I bought my lift table at 10% off and paid it when the bill came in, saved me over $50 after taxes.

I’m with six, get the harbor freight engine crane if you have the space to maneuver it around. Mine stays folded up in a corner of the garage and has a very small footprint when legs are folded.

 

[mabupa]

when I was a auto mechanic working on Yugo's (stop laughing)
we would vise grip the hood vertical and stand on the strut towers and just bend down and lift the motors out

Yugo’s?!! Reading that brought back memories of the green one my friend’s mom had. Hardest steering wheel to turn on such small car.

 

[Zerks]

I’m with six, get the harbor freight engine crane if you have the space to maneuver it around. Mine stays folded up in a corner of the garage and has a very small footprint when legs are folded.

I simply repurposed it by putting shelves in it. When you work alone you have to get creative sometimes.

 

[202mphbusa]

Yugo’s?!! Reading that brought back memories of the green one my friend’s mom had. Hardest steering wheel to turn on such small car.

Surprisingly not as bad a car as their rep

As long as you change the water pump regularly, as the water pump was driven off the cam belt, so WHEN it went lots of work to be done to the motor
head work cylinder pistons and wet sleeves labor

 

[Zerks]

If I tried to build that it would fall over under its own weight
I am a machinist not a carpenter

I had help from Fred Flinstone... Barney was nowhere to be seen...

 

[Dnyce]

One of the main reasons I sold all my gs1100 stuff and started moving to a busa is that stuff was heavy! Like back breaking lol maneuvering in and out the frame.