[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by Skip Fix

I have one of those! Think I bought it at Sam's 30years ago! Heavy sucker! Had to replace the hydraulic ram this year.

ExCel Manufacturing, I think the model number is W1000. Superb unit.

I had an air leak into the original ram; couldn't find an O-ring that would seal it. (Metric???) It would pump up and "lift" but the ram got squishy, and it took a thousand pumps to lift anything. I could make it leak less air into the hydraulic system, but I never got it genuinely sealed.

Forced by lack of choice to buy a Chinese 8-ton (air-over-hydraulic) ram; it now pumps up with the push of a lever on a blow-gun body. As best I can tell, the original ram was also 8-ton, but without the compressed-air-powered pump--just a hand pump.

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

I have a Cherry Picker that I have owned for about 15 years.
It has the longer boom and heavier duty Hydraulic Ram.
I have pulled out only Pontiac Engines with it and believe the number of
times with it, (removal and reinstall =1) is about 10 or 11.

I did modify the legs in the front for a wider opening as my engine stand has
a equal width front cross bar, (same as the rear cross bar side to side width).

I would like different leg spacing on mine, but it's "OK" as-is.

The properly-long boom makes ALL the difference!

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

If I move to a bigger piece of properly & garage I will have a roll around Chain Fall
Engine puller and sell the Cherry Picker. Main reason is to lift Heavy "Bottom" Tool
Boxes into my truck without emptying them out.

I could also load my engines onto the "Easy Run" clone "Run Stand" I am building right now.

I fabricated a steel "cradle" to fit between the wheels of my rollaway tool boxes, with chain and spacer bars so I could lift them with my engine hoist. I've told you about my two engine hoists--one worked GREAT loading 'em onto the trailer, and the other is a piece of flimsy crap trying to get them off the trailer. Yet, it worked and the boxes didn't hit the ground.

About two months ago, I bought a (too-small) gantry and 3/4-ton manual chain hoist off of Craigslist. Went to eBay and got a 3/4-ton trolley to hang the chain hoist from, so it can roll side-to-side on the I-beam. Previous owner just wrapped a chain on the I-beam and hung the chain host from that--at least, that's what he claimed. I'm in this about $400 now.

The downside to this rig is that it's at least three feet too short. It is (just barely) wide enough to drive a pickup truck (with mirrors in place) between the uprights, but it's useless for pulling an engine--the chain hoist hangs so low, it'd never get high enough to get the oil pan over the radiator. I don't know how the previous owner got enough height, 'cause the difference between using a chain wrapped around the I-beam, and using a real trolley, would be about six inches. I think this is the real reason it was for sale.

Plans are to cut the 2" OD square tube uprights, buy 8 or 10 feet of 2" ID tubing, slip the 2" OD tubing over the 2" ID tubing, overlap for strength, weld or bolt to suit, and add a bunch of altitude.

Probably won't happen this fall. Maybe.