Cherry pickers and transmission jacks

I looked around and didn't really see a thread on this topic to bump, so I decided to make one.

 

Can you use the harbor freight 1 ton engine crane on our cars? I think I read somewhere that it doesn't really have enough reach, and it's a stretch. So it sounds like the 2 ton will definitely work since that claims to have longer reach, just not sure about the 1 ton one.

 

Load leveler, helpful, not helpful?

 

Also, are there any tips or tricks to stop the engine from twisting and tweaking if you're trying to remove/replace the flywheel and install a rear main seal with it in the air?

 

I'm also curious to hear about any experience people have had with HF transmission jacks, the 450lb and 800lb versions.

Go with the 2 ton. I can tell you for certain it will handle a 454 big block.

 

Load leveler with a swivel will help with any twisting.

 

For your own safety, I would advise not working on the engine with it hanging from the lift.

I'm a newbie in this department, never pulled an engine before. I think I probably could google some of my more general questions like this, but I figure why not ask here..

 

I would much rather work on a stand, but the thing is, is it possible to premove/replace the flywheel and do the rear main seal with the engine on a stand? Most of the stands I've looked at seem to block that area

See pictures in the click here link in my sig. Yes to the load leveler.

 

I also have the tranny jack, it works well. Even used the tranny jack to support the fuel tank in my 86 Ford F150.

 

 

If you are working by yourself, definitely get a load lever. I didn't have one when attempting to remove the motor, I could not get the angle right after separating the motor from the transmission. I bought one and the motor came out easily. One got the right angle, it made reinstallation easy as well.

Load leveler will make the job so much easier. I used the cheap HF one and other than the knob on the crank constantly coming off it did its job.

 

Carefully lower the motor into an old tire to work on the back of it without it swinging from the hoist.

Hint, to get the engine back in the car and the tranny bolted up, I had to raise the rear of the car... took me a few minutes to figure that one out...

 

In that middle picture is a 6 ton HF jackstand, we have 4 of them, they get the car nice and high.

 

The tranny had to be moved under the car from the front under the right side of the engine.

Edited January 24, 2021 by Max Capacity