[matt167]

Originally Posted by OneMoreTime

I use these

http://www.harborfreight.com/2000-lb...inch-5798.html

They are a bit slower to operate but there is no neutral to them so they will hold in position and yes they will lift a motor and trans if needed..put 2 on one on each side as that will help in balancing a load if needed..

the cable will run to a block in the then to a block in the center of the lift. use a snatch block so it is easy to re rig if needed..

Sam

Much cheaper than what I had picked out too. I'v seen people accidently click the boat winches in neutral and leave the boat in the water when they go to pull it out. it's hard not to point and laugh

[oldred]

Originally Posted by matt167

I hate those things.. I'v used them before, but even there intended purpose there a pain to use... actually had to 'sling' the C6 with 1 to get the engine/ trans off the truck. it actually slipped a couple times letting it down. But that's what I had and it did work for that

That's why they are so dangerous, they are not supposed to work if the load remains on the line after the lever is pulled. The only thing they are good for is pulling dead loads such as dragging something across a floor. There is absolutely no safe way to lower a load with one of these things and in fact it is designed not to do that and that's why they are such a PITA when someone tries to lower a load with one.


Several years ago a fella at a mine where I was doing a job a fella tried to pull a 350 Chevy engine from a truck with one of these things and when he tried to lower it he encountered the usual problem of having to let it down a notch at a time but at one point the teeth had not fully engaged in the locking pawl. As soon as he attempted to let it down another notch it jumped a couple of teeth and then caught snapping the handle up breaking two fingers and ripping into his face. He had to have plastic surgery to repair the damage to his nose and left eye, basically they had to re-attach his nose and part of his left brow. When they warn those things are not meant to lift with they mean just that but I am willing to bet they are used for lifting more than anything else in spite of the number of accidents they have caused and the fact they have no mechanism designed for lowering , they can get you in ways you would never expect and when you least expect it!

[matt167]

Yea, the only real reason I used it was because I had to support the trans somehow. it was supporting maby 200lbs of transmission weight, the engine crane had the rest.. Using that with the engine crane is a big reason on why I want somthing better

[matt167]

Well, I took the first step in building this. I got the 5798 winch from HF. first impressions of the winch are, it's ok. It's 40:1 ratio so it's slow but it'll work. It has a 'hard spot' on the drum which tells me the drum is off centered. I think I'll take it to my local Napa and have the machinist turn it center and insert a bronze bushing. Wish I had a lathe. It will probably wear in and be just fine otherwise. But a bushing with a little grease on it won't be a bad thing

[timothale]

I bought the truck crane and it had the gear to gear drive. I bought a big heavy wood stove for the shop at a garage sale and used it to load the stove up on the flatbed truck. My neighbor bought some livestock and his truck wasn't running and wanted to borrow mine to pull his 4 horse trailer. I was just leaving in the car and told him to just unload the stove in front of the shop. He cranked it up an inch off the bed. swung the stove out and started to crank it down. with the gear to gear winch and the weight he couldn't control it and the handle was spinning his hand around. It hit the ground but didn't break anything. The worm gear drive is slower but the design minimizes the possibility of it getting away from you. I have that winch on my crane now and also on my sheetrock lifter. I put on double nuts and use my right angle drill to power the lifter up or down then slip the handle over the DD flats and hand crank for final height.

[matt167]

Yep. Worm gear design works as a brake without any mechanical brake. That's 1 reason why I went with the 5798 winch.. The handle should be easy to turn loaded anyway.

[matt167]

After some space consideration, I want to make a boom crane ( sorta like an engine crane ) rather than the Gantry. This will allow me to work off of 1 side rather than 2, and allow dropping an engine/ trans in the frame a breeze with 2 winch's and hooks.. I now have 1 of the 2 5798 winches I will need. I still need 4 snag blocks/ pully's. I will attach the snag blocks into the boom with Forged Eye bolts and heavy duty quick links rated at or above 3,000 lbs

Tower and all supports will bolt onto the base, and the frame itself should be good for 2-3 tons, but being the winch is 1 ton, that will be my max weight.. I guess I could support 2 tons with the weight carried over both winch's, but I don't have anything that heavy. Tho I will make a load bar that can utilize both winch's