Steam Driver

I was at Harbor Freight today looking for low dollies (i.e. furniture) to roll my SC's powertrain around on when I get it pulled and ran across what might be a great engine removal jack and dolly combined.

It's an aluminum motorcycle jack. Wide track for stability. The maxiumum height is 19 inches (with the top things installed), 17 inches with them removed. Minimum height is 4.5 inches with the top things removed. (By "top things" I mean the raised rails/platforms above the main platform.

Thoughts?

rusnak

That's the El Cheapo harbor freight knockoff of the Craftsman ATV jack. I think it'll work very well. I don't like the look of those front wheels, but you can always change them out for aluminum wheels later.

AMG_only

This is what alot of people are using.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb...art-69148.html

Ed Hughes

That thing doesn't look too robust. I'd stick with a Craftsman ATV jack. I guess at the end of the day, it all comes from China, but at least Sears has steel wheels, and a positive locking mechanism-which I don't see on that unit. HF jacks have a finite life, after all.

rusnak

The ATV jack works best with a pair of 6 ton jack stands at the rear, and two more 2 ton jackstands at the front. I lifted the car going side to side with a jack pad. It's slow, but the car and engine stay rock steady the whole time. I used a trolley jack under the tranny nose to protect the shift rod (after shifting into 4th gear).

Here's the platform that I made. Credit goes to Fred Cook over on Pelican.

Ed Hughes

With my B&B headers, I just needed 2X6's laid out crosswise under them. The made a steady support for the motor.

Steam Driver

Thanks for the input; I'll go have a look at the Craftsman jack. Although the el cheapo is still tempting considering I don't intend to make a career of using it!

Ed Hughes

Seems like the Craftsmans are on sale regularly for like $89, or something close.

rusnak

You'll end up saving the ATV jack. I've used mine to change the oil on the RTV, and I've removed engines on 911s 4 times since buying mine. My opinion is that the El Cheapo is fine. I just don't like the wheels. But you can find wheels at tons of places.

Ed Hughes

Where did El Cheapo come into the picture? I don't think El Cheapo really is. Look at the price tag-looks like it's $176....

rusnak

Holy Smokes!!! It used to be less than $100. Maybe our exchange rates?

rusnak

I see HF has a cheaper one for $89. It should work just fine, but it has nylon wheels. Those can be replaced with metal wheels that you can get at Tractor Supply or any good mail order house.

Steam Driver

Obviously I need to look around some! (re: the prices mentioned). That's exactly why I threw this out on the forum and just didn't buy the HF jack offhand.

theiceman

I have had my car 8 years and never really had the need to pull the engine out .. when i do il find the absolute chepaest one i can find that i think will do the job and either throw it out whenim done or give it away.
if i were going to continually take the engine out for different projects ifd invest in better quality.
I see harbor freight ( and princess Auto here in Canada ) as the place to go for disposable tools you are either going to bastardize or throw away.

ddubois

I have and use regularly the one behind it in the picture (likely cheaper, I recall around $80). I use a piece of 3/4" plywood across the bars to support the engine. The only problem with these ATV jacks is there is only about 15" or so of travel, so if you plan to leave the rear skirt on you have to do a bit of jack 'juggling'. It's a combination of lowering the engine then jacking the car high enough to roll it out. Not a big deal once you've done it once or twice.
BTW, I also have the HF blue aluminum floor jack in the background that also gets regular use and it has not given me any problems.
I'm a believer in Craftsman hand tools tools, but to be honest when I was shopping the Craftsman ATV jack had some poor reviews. I think it was a tendency for the hydraulic jack to fail.
My feeling is HF has it's place in the tool market. Their basic hand tools are junk, I wouldn't buy even a hammer from them, but for things like these jacks and some pneumatic tools I've had no problems.