Lifting engines off a girder or RSJ?

[rcx132]

I'm having a new breezeblock garage built after someone accidentally drove into the old prefab and damaged it beyond economical repair.

On the new garage there's going to be a single RSJ (aka universal beam or girder?) running down the centre of the roof. By having the RSJ I avoid having a roof truss so I have extra space to lift the car nice and high.

I was thinking of having the RSJ positioned so it can also be used for lifting as well, using an RSJ trolley like the one below. Has anyone done this for lifting engines?

My worry is that such a trolley only lets me position the pulley longitudinally along the car. It doesn't give me any transverse movement (i.e. right to left). Will it still be ok for lifting out engines? If I wanted to get transverse movement I think I'd need two RSJs with two trolleys that hold a third beam like in the second photo. That will complicate the design of my garage.

Simple solution:

Twin RSJ solution (only one shown). Two RSJs with two trolley, hold a third short beam which has a third trolley to give transverse movement.

 

[Ton-up]

I have done many engines in a narrow garage on the one girder trolley. You just have to make sure you can move the vehicle back!! How wide is your garage? Can you drop an engine beside a car? It may be better to use a engine hoist if not.

 

[rcx132]

I have done many engines in a narrow garage on the one girder trolley. You just have to make sure you can move the vehicle back!! How wide is your garage? Can you drop an engine beside a car? It may be better to use a engine hoist if not.

I think you might be thinking my beam runs transverse to the car. It runs above the LENGTH of the car, so a single trolley would let me move the pulley forwards and backwards relative to the car but not left or right.

 

[8ob]

Girder trolley on a swing lift works well in confined spaces, swings through 180 degrees,folds away against the wall when not in use. Just thoughts

Bob

 

[rcx132]

Found a better pic of the two RSJ setup:

 

[rcx132]

Girder trolley on a swing lift works well in confined spaces, swings through 180 degrees,folds away against the wall when not in use. Just thoughts

Bob

If you mean one of these then no chance, my 5m x 6m garage is already packed!

 

[rtbcomp]

I have a girder that runs along the centreline of a vehicle, from front to rear. I lift the engine out and plonk it down in front of the vehicle to work on.

 

[8ob]

Thats extreme, my home made trolley and swinglift will lift a bigblock chev+box out of a car and I can swing it round onto the fixed engine stand with no issues. As said before it also swings out of the way.

Bob

 

[rcx132]

I have a girder that runs along the centreline of a vehicle, from front to rear. I lift the engine out and plonk it down in front of the vehicle to work on.

That's what I want to hear So no needs for left-right adjustment? For example if the engine lifting points are off centre it doesn't cause an issue or need to adjust?

 

[rcx132]

Thats extreme, my home made trolley and swinglift will lift a bigblock chev+box out of a car and I can swing it round onto the fixed engine stand with no issues. As said before it also swings out of the way.

Bob

I'll have a think about that option. Your garage looks pretty custom and well made. Is it in a bridge arch or something?

 

[Parm]

I have a girder that runs along the centreline of a vehicle, from front to rear. I lift the engine out and plonk it down in front of the vehicle to work on.

I had the same set up at my house when living in London

 

[123hotchef]

I have one in my garage that runs the length down the middle i cant bloody get vehicles in there to use it though, I always end up using the hoist on the drive way

 

[Pete.]

These swing-lifts, aren't they properly known as davits or is that something else?

 

[rtbcomp]

That's what I want to hear So no needs for left-right adjustment? For example if the engine lifting points are off centre it doesn't cause an issue or need to adjust?

I've made a levelling beam to allow for the centre of gravity being off-centre to get the correct front/rear angle. I've not had a problem with off-centre lifting points (such as a Landrover lump), the hook can swivel which helps.

This is a diagram of my setup, I'll try to get some photos tomorrow:



If you pull down on A the trolley moves to the right, pull down om B it moves to the left.

 

[roofman]

Mine runs across the workshop..that way you dont need to centre the car to the beam prior to lifting...lift engine out and theres always enough room to either push the car or van back a foot or so to clear bulkheads then slide it across to the side of car and lower to ground

 

[Rig Pig]

Found a better pic of the two RSJ setup:

That setup is going to cost a lot of headroom, maybe an issue in a normal garage?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

.... Is it in a bridge arch or something?

Submarine?

 

[rcx132]

That setup is going to cost a lot of headroom, maybe an issue in a normal garage?

If the two beams are separated more than the width of the car then they won't interfere with space used for jacking up the car, so to me they are using headroom that I wouldn't use anyway. But I'd rather only have one beam as it makes my roof design simpler.

 

[8ob]

Submarine?

Its a kin nissen hut

Bob

 

[Rig Pig]

If the two beams are separated more than the width of the car then they won't interfere with space used for jacking up the car, so to me they are using headroom that I wouldn't use anyway. But I'd rather only have one beam as it makes my roof design simpler.

In my garage a beam, blocks, strops and link would drop the lift hight so much that I wouldn't be able to get the engine out - an engine crane makes life easier.