Warning on HF engine hoist
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 4
From: Arlington texas
Warning on HF engine hoist
Bought one of the folding engine hoists from harbor freight to do an engine swap. Was a good deal and only needed to use it once. Started pulling the motor and trans tonight and next thing I know the back corner was off the ground. I lowered the the engine and disconnected the chain and when I pulled the hoist out from under the car, one of the front wheels was off and the other had one bolt left on it. The bolts sheared off somehow. The hoist seems fine but the bolts are pretty cheap. Going to the store to get some stronger bolts to put the wheels back on.
Figured I'd warn others not to use those bolts that came with it. It could have been pretty bad if I hadn't noticed the side lifting and it had decided to go over while the engine was above the fenders or me.
Figured I'd warn others not to use those bolts that came with it. It could have been pretty bad if I hadn't noticed the side lifting and it had decided to go over while the engine was above the fenders or me.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 4
From: Arlington texas
Just went out and put some new bolts in and everything works fine. Got the engine and trans out. Don't know exactly why it did that but no big deal with some good bolts. The ones that came with it were pretty frail.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,565
Likes: 2
From: Sparta Mo.
I had a similar thing happen with a HF shop press. I forget what I was pressing apart, but half the bolts sheared all at once. Talk about puckering up. I put grade 8 bolts back then welded everything together so it's permanent. Those non-graded bolts they come with are no good when you test the load capacity of your tool.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,380
Likes: 788
From: Redondo Beach, California
I use a Harbor Freight engine hoist. I used it to pull my 68 engine and replace it with a ZZ4. I few years later I wanted to use it to pull my BB out of my 1970. In the ensueing years, the haudralic ram had lost it's seal. The chrome shaft out of the power ram had become corroded. I think that on quality units this corrosion would not have occurred. I bought new hydraulic ram. It cost about $70.00.
The startling point is that the equivalent Snap-On hoist costs about $1050. The Harbor Freight hoist which looks exactly like the Snap-On unit costs $179.00. Another eye-opening fact is that if you, or I, where in China, we couldn't ship the Harbor Freight engine hoist to us here in the US for anything like $179.00. It's pretty heavy. The Chinese government is really subsidizing the shipment of this stuff to the US.
The engine hoist is pretty good quality as far as the steel and welds go. The power ram is very cheap. But instead of lasting a long time, I could buy another one for just about $70.00.
The startling point is that the equivalent Snap-On hoist costs about $1050. The Harbor Freight hoist which looks exactly like the Snap-On unit costs $179.00. Another eye-opening fact is that if you, or I, where in China, we couldn't ship the Harbor Freight engine hoist to us here in the US for anything like $179.00. It's pretty heavy. The Chinese government is really subsidizing the shipment of this stuff to the US.
The engine hoist is pretty good quality as far as the steel and welds go. The power ram is very cheap. But instead of lasting a long time, I could buy another one for just about $70.00.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 4
From: Arlington texas
Yeah, the actual hoist held up pretty well. It didn't give at all when the wheel went and it was tilted and I was tugging on it. Overall I think it's a decent made unit, just the bolts are the weak spot. Now that I have the engine and tranny out, I'm replacing all of them before I try to use it to install.
Wasn't a good day. Besides the wheel coming off, while folding the legs up to replace the bolts, I forgot to pin them in place and got sucker punched in the face by one of them. Then the tranny was hanging up on something and I was having a heck of a time getting it to come forward.....note to self: next time remove shifter before pulling trans.
But I got them out without damaging the car and just minor damage to my pride. I won't forget to pin the legs again though. They are heavy and I took it full force on the jaw!
Wasn't a good day. Besides the wheel coming off, while folding the legs up to replace the bolts, I forgot to pin them in place and got sucker punched in the face by one of them. Then the tranny was hanging up on something and I was having a heck of a time getting it to come forward.....note to self: next time remove shifter before pulling trans.
But I got them out without damaging the car and just minor damage to my pride. I won't forget to pin the legs again though. They are heavy and I took it full force on the jaw!
Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 613
Likes: 3
From: Fleetwood PA
I've had no problems with the hoist, but DO NOT USE the load leveler. I had mine break the first time I used it. Had the engine and trans at a pretty good angle, and the front metal strap that goes around the big worm bolt snapped. I still had it over the engine bay, so no real damage, but if it had been over a fender I'd be in small claims court.
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 4
From: Arlington texas
I've had no problems with the hoist, but DO NOT USE the load leveler. I had mine break the first time I used it. Had the engine and trans at a pretty good angle, and the front metal strap that goes around the big worm bolt snapped. I still had it over the engine bay, so no real damage, but if it had been over a fender I'd be in small claims court.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 801
Likes: 1
Folks even some of snapons junk is made in china.I bought an engine hoist from summit racing.Take a guess where its made.Five engine changes later its still working fine.I dont store outside so rust on the ram aint a problem.Also when you do store it retract the ram and oil down any exposed chrome.Just about everything requires a little care if you want it to last.The lathes the sell are pretty decent after you replace all the cheap bearings in them with quaility units.They have too much play in them.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 613
Likes: 3
From: Fleetwood PA
