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MG Midget and Sprite General - Engine hoist broke :( SMC

So, I went to fit my engine and 'box today as I knew I could commit to a few hours on it.

I get everything set up and then go to lift the whole unit as one. At first all is well until I get to about 2 feet off the ground and 'bump', it dropped a bit. At first I thought a strap had settled but as I jacked it just dipped back to where it started.

The odd thing is, it didn't drop all the way down. I let it down a bit and tried again but the same thing happened but at the new (lower) height.

I have just topped the oil up as I know it was low and it holds in its position fine. I'm guessing there must be 2 NRV's? One for each pump (action) and the one that must have a by-pass for letting it down?

Any ideas on what it might be? Sorry for long the thread!

Steve
Steve H K-ser

Steve, no idea what your problem might be but if you need to borrow a hoist then you are welcome to use mine. I'll need it back by next Monday ish but after next week (thats if I get mine fitted as planned!) you can have it for longer. I'm in Branston in case you've forgotten!
John Payne

Steve,

If the fluid was low you may have had some issue with air trapped in the system. My crane has failed to pump to its full height because of low fluid but has never actually dropped. Regarding describing your crane as "broke" I think not as a few years ago I saw a page of a guy in the US where his crane did actually break and structurally failed, luckily in the EU all such items as cranes have to be individually tested AFAIK and pass a proof load test and have overload valves to prevent damage due to excess loads.
David Billington

I had that happen along time ago... But it dindt drop, it just lifted then eased back down.

I assumed it was the seal at the top of the jack was leaking and a dry push arm ... i poured some oil around it, jacked it up and down a few times and it worked fine.

Now I always do a test lift and squirt a little oil around that seal... not an issue, but I never get under an engine while its hanging off the hoist ither

my hoist is a china made from Harbor freight
Prop

Prop,

A general safety principle is to never get under anything supported by lifting gear.

My crane is made in China slso from MachineMart, I guess the UK equivalent of Harbor Freight et al.
David Billington

>>>>>luckily in the EU all such items as cranes have to be individually tested AFAIK and pass a proof load test and have overload valves to prevent damage due to excess loads. <<<<<

HAHHAHAHAHA, Now thats funny!!

Here in the USA we have inspectors that check oil rigs to protect agianst massive failures...Its amazing what a little group sex on the bosses gov. desk and lots of cocain makes inspections vary fool proof

we also have a thing called the SEC and they make sure large financial companys that are to big to fail dont bribe congress to allow them to conduct legalized corruption that if went bad would bring down the world economy to its knees for years at time and robbing poeple of there retirement income and forclousrer of there homes

We Also have an agancy called the FDA its supposed to protect children here in the usa from having uranium 232, as well as lead from being used in childrens toy paint comming from china. There also make sure meat and eggs from being sold contaminated with E. coli for human consumption thur "Individual testing"

HAHAHAHa... Yeah "individually tested" now thats funny, Seriously, hows that REALLY working out for ya?


.

Prop

I hear ya david...

its just un-nerving anytime you got a engine and tranny on the lift and your trying to get it swong around onto a bench or over the car... esp when you look down and realize where your legs and feet are in relation to a swinging hunk of metal
Prop

John,

I might take you up on that! Cheers.

My main reason for holding out on buying a new one was the job front. However since posting this thread I've had a firm job offer so I may treat myself to a new one :) Typhoon here we come!.....

Steve
Steve H K-ser

The seal on my Halfords 2 tonne trolley jack failed while I was lifting the rear from under the diff casing. The car came down very rapidly and sprayed fluid everywhere. So much for testing - it was about 10 years' old, though.

Peter
Peter B

Peter,

That's a lesson in why we use axel stands!!

I've never seen one fail 1st hand fortunately

Steve
Steve H K-ser

Steve, email me if you need it.

Good news on the job front, I know quite a lot of people over at Coningsby and I'll no doubt be sending my CV over there in a couple years!
John Payne

Steve,
had an old jack do this once, I reckoned the seals had gone and so didn't try fixing it. If it was that then these things are so cheap now its probably not worth fixing. Having said that, the new jack did come with some spare seals so maybe do-able? Someone mentioned air bubbles, try opening the 'down' valve up & then pumping the 'up' handle, should pump fluid about it and maybe purge any air.
Wouldn't be going to coningsby by any chance, are you? guess where I'm off to next week...!
-Craig
C Robertson

John/Craig

Coningsby it is! Haven't got a starting date but I'll be there by the end of the month.

Hopefully machine mart will have the hoist I need in stock by saturday. Failing that I've got your email John. Cheers all.

Steve
Steve H K-ser

Steve,

congrats on the job, having someplace to go on monday morning is always a good thing... esp when jobs are so hard to come by.

hopefully your the 1st as a trend setter...jobs for everyone
Prop

I have used my engine hoist since 1967. Original use was to replace inboard engines in boats that were on trailers.
However during that time I have replaced the hydraulic jack 3 times. It is cheaper to replace jack than repair one.Mine is a twelve ton jack and I paid $65.00 from NAPA.
The boom extension will extend almost 8' and I have lifted a Jag XKE up on to a stand with it.
Sandy
ss sanders

Cheers Prop, it is a good feeling!

Sandy, looking at the price of spares and hoping it won't fail somewhere else; I'm going to buy a new one. The hoist I had wasn't ideal, it had massive wheels so I had to jack the front of the car up high every time. This means of course that I need to jack the rear up even higher to swing the engine and 'box in! The track on the hoist was very wide too so I had to take the wheels off every time. It only cost me £10 about 2 years ago and it's had its fair share of engine lifts from various cars.

Steve
Steve H K-ser

Steve H
How weird is that - I had exactly the same experience a few weeks ago. I hoisted my new engine and got it up to about half of what I intended and then it would go up no further. Moreover, it would now only go down! Foolishly I managed to get the engine/tranny into the engine bay by lifting the gearbox tail over the slam panel (and giving the whole lot a bit of a push - got to touch up the paint there!). Of course I then realised that I was committed as I could not lift the engine again so it was slowly, very slowly lower the engine knowing that if I dropped it too far I could not hoist it up again. Boy was I glad when that worked out OK!
Chris H (1970 Midget 1275)

Steve, you seem set on a new hoist as you describe your old one as a bit of a pain to use because of the wheel size. If the budget won't swing the new hoist you might be able to just replace the cylinder. A replacement jack cylinder for my hoist runs aroud $60 were as a new hoist runs about $150. You should see a similar savings over there.
B Young

This thread was discussed between 07/02/2011 and 09/02/2011

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