Quality engine hoist with some reach, preferably US made

[My427stang]

I have an Excalibur engine hoist and extended the upper arm is 76 inches overall, 58 from ram to hook.  Most others run 10+ inches shorter

I want to buy a new one, but need the reach.  Anyone know of a company that sells something like that?  Excalibur seems to be out of business

Thanks in advance

[mike7570]

I found out the square tube on my engine hoist is the same size as a trailer hitch receiver. I used a spare hitch and slid it into the tube and drilled a hole for the pin. Just be cautious adding length, it changes the leverage of the weight.

[mbrunson427]

Bob and I both have a Blue Bird/Kaydee engine hoists. Commonly you'll find the 1500 model, ours are the 1200. Only difference is the arm and leg length, being slightly longer they decrease the capacity rating a bit. If you can find one I think they're great. Can be torn down and stored.

[thatdarncat]

I have a BlueBird Kaydee too, love it. Same hoist a lot of rental shops have. It wasn’t cheap though. If you look around though sometimes you can find a used one for sale. Unfortunately I can’t take a “reach” measurement at the moment.

[Stangman]

Mike it looks like that blue piston is bigger. It looks stronger

[My427stang]

Thanks guys, I will check them out.  Very odd bottom leg design, ever have anything it won't fit under?

[Stangman]

Ross do you have a picture of the angle that the engine assembly goes in. You had posted a pic once. The first time I tried it 20 minutes and I had the motor in by myself. The last time I think I had the angle off it took a while and scratched up my towers.

[mbrunson427]

Mike it looks like that blue piston is bigger. It looks stronger

Yes, mine came with a longer piston, so we modified them both so we could interchange pistons. So you can see each of them now have 2 mounting locations.

Thanks guys, I will check them out.  Very odd bottom leg design, ever have anything it won't fit under?

Fits pretty well between the tires on a Mustang. I imagine if you had a more narrow car you were working on it would require you to take the tires off.

[machoneman]

On my '70 Mustang, I learned the hard way a few years ago that the reach of rental cranes were way too short when removing the engine from the front. As no local Illinois rental shops had long reach cranes, I was forced to remove the entire grille, front bumper, lower valence, etc. just to get the reach needed. Ugh! Moral: beware of short lifting arm cranes!

[TomP]

The pictured blue ones are we rent around here. Much better than the one I have which barely reaches the center of the engine on a 64 Fairlane which is a stubby front end compared to many. It's also rated 1/5th ton when extended and i've drilled a new hole to extend it a few inches more.  Problem is I have to stand on it with an FE hanging off it or it'll topple forward. Extending the legs to straddle larger wheels would solve that and also solve the small wheels not rolling on asphalt very well and it hitting the underside of the lower control arms unless I put the tires on blocks.