beefing truss for engine hoist

[John Dirks Jr]

The picture shows the bottom chord, 2x6 in a pole building. I want to attach a hook for a chain hoist to pull engines. How should I build it across to the truss carriers to make it strong enough? 24' between carriers.

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[Jim Katen]

What's a truss carrier?

Why not build a little portable gantry and leave the poor trusses out of it? Do you own a welder?

[John Dirks Jr]

What's a truss carrier?

Why not build a little portable gantry and leave the poor trusses out of it? Do you own a welder?

I don't have a welder. Probably should by a cheap ass hoist for $200 or such. Or borrow my friends again. But I'm sick of doing that.

[John Dirks Jr]

truss carrier >> https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... %20carrier

[kurt]

Don't hang an engine off a bottom chord of a truss. Wait, change that. Don't hang an engine off a truss.

[Marc]

I'll betcha that 2X6 chord can easily lift an engine if you install a temporary post supporting the center bottom-chord gusset (the one between the bays), and use stapled plywood gussets to add a vertical 2X4 member from an existing gusset directly over the center of the bay to the bottom chord (behind the garage door opener) where the hoist will mount. You can store the temp post somewhere out of the way when you're not yanking engines.

Don't use the scissor trusses.

When you cut your plywood to create the gusset for the bottom chord, design it to accommodate the hoist, or fashion a steel gusset with an extension at the bottom to hook your hoist onto.

Marc

[kurt]

You bet?

If you're going to reframe things to accommodate an engine hoist, then box beam the truss and build something you don't have to bet on.

[mjr6550]

Don't fool with the truss.

Buy an LVL that spans at least the width you need and install a column to support it at one end and use the truss carrier at the other. If you want to get fancy make the column removable. You can leave the LVL hanging in place with a support between two trusses, or hanging off of one truss since it does not weigh much. You can spend way less than $200 on that. You may not even need an LVL. Give me the weight and the span you can live with and I will see what it would take. Maybe a couple 2x12's would do.

[Marc]

You bet?

If you're going to reframe things to accommodate an engine hoist, then box beam the truss and build something you don't have to bet on.

I only bet when the odds are overwhelmingly in my favor.

Marc

[Jim Katen]

I don't have a welder. Probably should by a cheap ass hoist for $200 or such. Or borrow my friends again. But I'm sick of doing that.

Buy a welder and make a rolling gantry.

You'll find 1001 uses for the welder and 101 uses for the gantry.

(So the truss carrier is the thing with the alligator on it?)

[kurt]

Do what Reinmiller said.

You'll dink around for weeks making a gantry, you have to weld, which, if you don't already know how, will take you weeks to make a decent bead..... and you're probably in your entire life going to pull a half dozen engines.

If you want something with a 101 uses, buy something from Popeil.

[Bill Kibbel]

How should I build it across to the truss carriers to make it strong enough? 24' between carriers.

Truss carrier is contractor's phrase. They're almost always listed as headers on the plans. They are usually a pair of 2x12s nailed to opposite sides of each post.

Since they're only held with nails, I've seen some failures from heavy, wet snow loads on the roof. I wouldn't recommend adding any additional load.

[Erby]

But Kurt, playing with a welder is so much fun!

[John Kogel]

I remember building a teepee with 3 poles and a chain and hoisting something with that, probably an inline 6, not too bulky or heavy.

How about 2 screw jacks and a beam, with the ends of the beam secured to the building?

A welder is something you should look for, and then you can practice to build what you need so that it doesn't collapse on you. I bought an antique Forney arc welder in 1985 for $100. Still got it, and it has helped create some amazing stuff.

[John Dirks Jr]

Thanks for the good discussion. In the end, it's Craigslist to the rescue.

$100

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[Marc]

Strange. How does that thing keep from tipping over? It's arm extends much more than the legs do.

Marc

[Jim Katen]

Strange. How does that thing keep from tipping over? It's arm extends much more than the legs do.

Marc

I believe that the base is supposed to have outriggers installed when you're actually using the thing.

[John Dirks Jr]

Strange. How does that thing keep from tipping over? It's arm extends much more than the legs do.

Marc

It's a fold up type. Look at the wheels at the top of the legs. (sorry the pic is sideways) The legs fold down and there are pins that lock them in place. Then you can extend the boom for the reach you need.

[John Kogel]

Yes, that was fast, John. A great deal, too.

Now no more excuses. Pull that huge V8 out of that poor little mini-Mustang. []

[John Dirks Jr]

Pull that huge V8 out of that poor little mini-Mustang. []

It's a 302. Dinky in V8 terms.

Pulling the block because the deck is warped. It's a supercharged engine so there's higher cylinder pressures. The warped condition is letting pressure bypass the head gaskets and escape the cylinders into the water jacket. When this happens it pukes the coolant out of the radiator overflow. You can drive the car around normally and have no problems. When you get on it under boost, it pukes coolant. Common problem on boosted engines. The pic here shows machinists straight edge with .002 feeler sliding under the end. There's a high spot between cylinders #2-3. I really didn't even need the feeler gauge because I could feel the straight edge teetering on the center of the deck. The block needs to go to a machine shop to be shaved flat. The heads have already been checked and are as flat as flat can be.

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[Marc]

Pull that huge V8 out of that poor little mini-Mustang. []

It's a 302. Dinky in V8 terms.

Pulling the block because the deck is warped. It's a supercharged engine so there's higher cylinder pressures. The warped condition is letting pressure bypass the head gaskets and escape the cylinders into the water jacket. When this happens it pukes the coolant out of the radiator overflow. You can drive the car around normally and have no problems. When you get on it under boost, it pukes coolant. Common problem on boosted engines. The pic here shows machinists straight edge with .002 feeler sliding under the end. There's a high spot between cylinders #2-3. I really didn't even need the feeler gauge because I could feel the straight edge teetering on the center of the deck. The block needs to go to a machine shop to be shaved flat. The heads have already been checked and are as flat as flat can be.

The engine overheated?

Marc

[kurt]

You have to completely strip the block for that, right?

IOW, it's a complete rebuild from the bottom up....(?)

[John Kogel]

Wow that is a PITA. Must be an aluminum block?

After the block is planed on that side, will they need to plane the other side to match?

Will that not boost compression even more?

I said huge because my son had the Mustang with the little four banger, and it was sporty enough. Oh yeah, he blew the head gasket, aluminum head, the day he drove it home. [:-party]

[John Dirks Jr]

Overheating is what typically causes this problem.

Iron block and heads.

I have one source telling me an assembled block can be decked but I'm not sure if that is true. It all has to do with how the machinist mounts the block on the milling machine. Jury is still out on how far I need to disassemble. I'm prepared to strip it completely if needed. I probably put in a new oil pump and timing chain but reinstall everything else. The only thing wrong with it is blowing coolant under boost.

If I don't reassemble with existing parts, the fork in the road is there for a complete overhaul. Probably a 331 stroker kit. But that would mean other supporting upgrades too. Labor is free for me but I'll still need to sink $500 to mill the decks and put it all back together. A new engine with all the supporting goodies would probably be 10 times more expensive. I just don't have the extra money now.

Both sides will be equally milled. The small amount of material removed wont have much affect on compression. However, the heads had already been milled .012 as well. Cometic is a brand name head gasket I'll be using. They are available in different thicknesses. I'll get some thicker ones to make up for the milling in the heads and block.

[kurt]

How long's it take to strip it down and reassemble it? Just a rough approximation of hours, I understand it's not your full time job.