"Backwards" Engine Hoist Makes A Great Shop Crane

Backwards Engine Hoist Makes A Great Shop Crane ENGINES “I came up with a portable shop crane by turning a standard engine hoist backwards ” says Steve Brouillard of Early Texas   “The engine hoist worked great for lifting engines but was not so great as a utility hoist because the legs kept me from getting close to what I wanted to lift ” says Brouillard He solved the problem by turning the mast around and adding a big chunk of I-beam as a counterweight to the other end   He also welded the folding frame together to add rigidity and stability to the hoist   “For an additional $100 I replaced the original hand-pumped hydraulic lift cylinder with an air-over-hydraulic cylinder to speed up the lift ” says Brouillard   “I also added ‘remote’ operating rods to the crane’s air valve and hydraulic release valve which allows me to operate both valves from the front of the unit while controlling a load   I also welded a ‘T’ handle onto the I-beam counterweight which I use to roll the unit around ” While the original hoist was rated at 2 tons Brouillard says his redesigned model will lift 800 lbs  “If I need more capacity I can simply add more counterweight ” he says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Steve Brouillard 1121 N County Road 310 Early Texas 76802­­­­ ph 325 646-2701; broui1319@wildblue net

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