Need advice on pulling an engine from my ceiling joists

I built two pipe stands with square base plates and a big U bracket at the top I can wedge in and move around to give support to my rafters...

 

Pls. get a Cherry Picker.

When you have to question something that is a 50/50 outcome, wrecking your house, maybe the car if it falls, and or your health, I would easily spend the money to buy a good cherry pick just not to have to wonder and worry.

Al

 

I'm going to build a trolly to go across my ceiling some day, My plan was to gusset several of my trusses with plywood on both sides and span as many trusses as I could to distribute the weight. I think the plywood would add a lot of rigidity. May not work in your situation, but it's a thought,

 

very bad idea.

I built one of my garages with an I beam in the ceiling supported with double 4x4's on each end and made a steel pocket that wrapped the top of the 4x4's and bolted to the beam, ran an electric winch off of it for a cheap gantry crane and I still worried about it.

 

I built an "A" frame out of tubing and hung a HF winch off of it. It breaks down and stores easy.

 

After all; how many engines are you planning to pull??
Rental shop here, rents one for $20.00 a day.
(plus you don't trip over it when not in use)

 

Call your home owner's insurance agent and ask what he thinks of that idea.

 

I say hang it from the ceiling, but let me know when you're going to do it. I live in nearby in Plano so I can come over with a video camera when you start to pull the motor. I'll split the money with you that I win on one of those home video shows when your ceiling collapses and you can use your half to rebuild your garage.

...or rent a cherry picker.

I borrowed one from a friend to pull mine. His doesn't fold up and it takes up a hell of a lot of room in the garage. I'm going to eventually buy one of the fold-up kind when we start building my kids' cars (twins) in a couple of years.

 

It's alot easier to move the hoist to re-install the engine, than to move the car around in the garage. what goes up, must come down.

 

Frank, dont buy one. I also have on you can use. As soon as Slide gets his new house its going over there for his car.I dont need the think any more.

 

i pulled a few hemis using a chain fall in my garage. i sister another 2x4 along side the existing one. i use a 4x4 as a leg as close to the fender as i can. i wouldn't recommend it if your garage is drywalled. the 2x4 flexes under the weight. you'll be cracking it and popping nails.

 

Done it for years. Spread the load over as many rafters as you can. I did it over 4 rafters (mine are 2X6's) with a 1000lb. rated lifting strap.

Cut two holes in the ceiling, slip it through, it helps if you have a plywood floor as well. Good to go.

No problems or stress indicators so far.

 

DO It . Hell, it ain't my house.
















Naw, get a cherry picker or A frame

 

ok we had numerous offers of a free chery picker so close this post its booooooooooring
Dave