Portable engine crane for boats...

[jtybt]

Oops! Found out I posted these pix last year... but I'll leave them up.


I was doing enuff engine replacements and rebuilds that I needed something to get the engine's in and out without having to line up a fork lift or loader and get it to the boat.

This was my solution.

Disassemble a couple old boat trailers for the parts and start assembling. Then figuring out the best way to get 10' of height from the crane and still be 'portable'...

[acourtjester]

I really like your crane.
After seeing you engine crane it reminded me of an adventure a buddy and I had with a boat motor. He needed to put the motor back in after a rebuild but did not have anything to use. We came up with a moveable crane by using his van with 2 pipes in a “V” shape mounted to the front bumper. And a chain leading from the top of the “V’ over the van to the back bumper. We put wood at the top corner of the van so the chain did not dent the van roof. And we put a chain fall from the top of the “V” to lift the motor. It worked great we picked up the motor and drove the van to the boat and lowered the motor in. Had to make a few up and down movements to get it in final position. All went very well. We did not have a single long chain for over the van so we used easy links to connect sections together. Well after the move was done and we started to take it all apart we found one of the easy links was not connected. And it had stretched out and the only thing holding the chain together was the bump made by the threaded part of the link. Here is a picture of that link. This is one day where luck won over skill.

Have fun
tom

[dgarnier]

wow looks like that quick link had quite a load on it - if it were to let go under that load some one could have really gotten hurt

[ducksface]

I have exactly the opposite setup. Pics to follow. I have a bed mounted crane from HF mounted on the front of my pontoon boat and a Wireless HF 2k winch mounted to that. It's for hauling boats off the bottom of the lake. I built a 3/8x24x24 plate into the decking of the pontoon for it to bolt to. So far I have found over 100 boats and not one worth salvaging. Everything from sail boats to flatbottoms with bigblock chevies in them. BUT; the flat bottom, if sitting in someones yard, full of fuel, on a trailer, with a good clean title is only a $3500 boat out here, so salvaging is not worth it. I mark them for divers to enjoy. All have been 455 or 454 so far, let a 427 ford or chevy or a 426 hemi be found and THAT will come up.

So I use the winch to pull up my underwater scooter. It's too heavy to do by hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhi-tmkGSKU

These [and much much smaller and more powerfull] are what the pp256 is for.

[jtybt]

Yeah, it's dangerous lifting that much weight that high and out.

Hey Duck, I got these mini air bottle looking things. Kinda like air tanks but about 8"-10" long and 2" dia. One's orange , one's black and one's yellow. You know what they're for? Can't hold much air.

[ducksface]

They are more than likely spareAir tanks. They are for emergency and if you're at 60 feet or so they are good for one breath. They come in 3cfm and 6 cfm and are about the size you mention. pm or post pics. If they are worth anything I'll either trade you something or I'll write a description for you so you can sell them on Ebay.

[jtybt]

Duck,
Couldn't find the orange on right off. I'd trade them for consumables or other welding stuff if I knew what would be an even trade. Whatcha got?

[ducksface]

I'll have to ask around and see what those are. The configuration has me a bit baffled. The valve on them hooks to a larger bottle presumably to fill these, but then I don't know what keeps the air in once they are filled. Unless that valve clamp comes off. Is there a mouthpiece on them? I can't tell from the pics.

I got $80 for my last one I sold on ebay free shipping, pristine, brand new hydro, new unused with all documents and original packaging, and get this; the only pink one they ever made. I sold it at Valentines day.

Send a pick of the head of one them so I can see the mechanism is complete and I'll ask around for you.

[jtybt]

I presumed the knob at the top opens and closes the tank. The side knob tightens the valve opening for filling and connecting to whatever.

They were too small to use for welding so they've been laying around for 10 years or so. I'm kinda surprised they were still around, even though I'm a pack-rat.