Exactly! I have the exact same hoist and nearly the same stand (only a lower rated version), and it takes a man to show such a mistake in front of millions online!
Eric The Car Guy's video helps promote better safety by letting people know about the accident of his engine falling and steps he took to modify the engine stand so that won't happen again
It is so nice and refreshing to see someone actually admitting their mistakes most people would hide this and pretend nothing happened and pretend they are brilliant we are all human we make mistakes all I can say is nice job Eric you're only one of the few honest mechanics on UA-cam
Takes a big man to admit his mistake, let alone show it to everyone. Great advice for all us guys and gals that work in the shop alone. Glad you didn't get hurt Eric!
Yeah, but no one's the wiser except a few hundred thousand of us. Also glad that he didn't get hurt. I'm usually acting under the assumption that I will heal if I get hurt but that the object that's falling can't heal itself so I stupidly sacrifice myself to save it.
Eric-It's videos like this that are the reason I'm subscribed. Much respect...it's never easy on the ego to own mistakes but you are one of the few on YT that are man enough to do so. Thanks.
I was about to start my first engine rebuild in my garage... I always had an engine hoist for my regular job but was about to go get a 1500lbs engine stand for a large Diesel engine sitting some plywood on the floor... Glad I saw this video before I started my project. Thanks for being a big enough man to share your mistakes so others don't get hurt!
Kudos to you for deciding to share this video. Not sharing and deciding to sweep it under the rug would have been so easy. You’ve helped a lot of people by deciding to post this. Thank you Eric.
I knew a guy who tried to catch a falling engine that was on the engine stand. He was standing at the back of the engine when it started falling. He leaned over to catch it and it pulled him over and broke his sternum in half. I’ve been a mechanic for 15 years and was taught if a car,engine, transmission etc is falling let it fall. Don’t try to be a hero and get hurt or killed. It’s great to see someone owning up to his mistake and making sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. Bravo my friend!
Eric you will always be one of the best mechanics I've seen. We have things that stump us but we are fixers and eventually prevail. Thanks always for everything you do! God bless
Hey mister -. If you want to be nice to someone who just had shit happened to them, you might ask them "What curse-word do you recommend for this situation?"
Im a carpenter and this situation is supper common. I'm super glad you where safe! Let that thing fall, worry about the damage after. This happens to woodworkers all the time. You slam 3 or 4 cups of coffee, get frustrated with a situation and decide to do something sketchy. 9 times out of 10 it's fine, but the more you get away with it, the more likely you are to do it again. The fact that you're ok means you where doing something right and you'll be safer next time
Thank you!! I’m about to pull my first engine and this video was eye opening!! I’m glad you’re OK and had the stones to share your experience with the world!
I also have had a few mishaps with moving a engine to the engine stand so you are not alone and I did exactly what you did I figured out what I did wrong and corrected my errors and I really appreciate someone who is man/woman enough to take responsibility learn from it and you went a step further by putting together this video and allowing the public to judge you I really respect that and I admire your humility !You are a great example for the public and keep on trucking 😀
Echoing many others, one thing I really appreciate about your channel Eric is that it is *educational*, and we learn the most from mistakes rather than successes- which unlike many channels, you are willing to show and share.
Chris Oliveira agreed, the reach is short and it’s hard to remove an engine mounted north-south in a car with a long nose. They do work on Fairmont’s (personal experience) and Mini’s apparently lol!
This is a great video. As important as showing your ultimate, carefully thought-out solution, it also proves the old adage that the more frustrated and impatient you get, the more I.Q. points you lose. LOL I'm glad neither you or anyone else was hurt when the engine / stand assembly fell over, and that the engine itself sustained only minor damage. I salute you for showing the world your mistake, it could have happened to anyone. You did exactly what you're supposed to do after making a mistake - take full responsibility for it, learn from it, and make a fix so it never happens again. Kudos!
Hey Eric, this video is only one of many examples of why I continue to watch your videos. I've learned so much throughout the years from you and I'm so glad that I stumbled upon your channel all those years ago. The time, effort and care that you put in your videos DO NOT go unnoticed. Thank you for consistently being honest, humble and straight forward. I love your work! Keep it coming!
Holy crap. Glad you’re alright Eric! Be safe! Thanks for showing this to us. I am sure that alot of us would have done the same, but with varying degrees of success at the end (namely, we could have gotten hurt). At least we know now not to do that, and that you must be the calmest guy in the world! Good job on the modifications! Please be safe!
Been watching you for years. You’re an American hero dude. Honest and full of integrity. Can’t say that about 95 % of the other UA-camrs . Keep up the excellent work. Fan for life here. I’ve learned so much from watching your videos over the years. Kudos!!
Eric, thank you for putting this video out for the public to see that even professionals can make mistakes or errors in judgement. Like you said, if it keeps one person from making a similar mistake, it was worth it. As it was, you learned from this accident, and took measures to keep it from happening in the future. This makes you a winner in my book!
I bought a stand and assembled it today. I placed the small casters at the very back whereas yours has them in the center. I'll have to double check my assembly. Also, I plan to use a forklift to mount a 5.4 Ford engine onto the stand. I'll see how it goes. Thank you for the informative video. I am glad you are OK and by the way, a similar thing happened to me a long time ago as I was transporting a heavy 8" backflow preventer on caster dollies. A lot of weight can easily shift.
I've had the same thing happen with a Ford 4.6L. I have a 120v HF winch I use to lift small motorcycles up with and then slide a work bench beneath. The winch is about $150 but hand crank versions can be had for $30. Use a 3" piece of square tubing about 7' long and place it across your garage rafters, the 7' piece should span four rafters. Mount the winch to the 3" steel and with the load spread over four rafters (mine are 6") and you can transfer the engine from the cherry picker, to the winch, and then to the engine stand.... or just use Eric's method. Fantastic video, thanks.
Nice lift kit for the engine stand! Problem solved. 👍 At least it didn't land on your foot ... and, at least it wasn't the Fairmont engine! 😳 Everything could always be worse! I haven't used my engine stand and cherry picker for a few years now - I don't recall ever having this problem. The cherry picker I got from Northern Tool - just a higher priced version of Harbor Freight I figure - right out of the box, I had to weld the 2 support straps to the back of it, since the bolt holes weren't even close! Gotta love it ...
Had something similar happen a few months ago with a Subaru engine, and it landed on my foot. Fortunately, I was wearing my steel toecap shoes, so I wasn't injured... but I'm even more careful now.
I appreciate someone humble enough to admit they fucked up. That hoist is small as fuck, Eric here made a bold move and lost but failure is a necessary part of this business. Just glad he didn't hurt himself. Cheers from a new england technician transplanted in Northwest Georgia
It's tough when you make a mistake and mess up someones auto but it's much worse when you don't admit it to yourself and fix the problem. you were able to admit you made a mistake and fix the problem. great going. Your one of a handful of people that did it right.
Much respect for your selfless act of sharing an embarrassing mistake for the sake of educating others. I'm sure this will generate a lot of stupid negative comments...screw 'em!
Same problem over and over! Thanks for a great solution! Tired of setting the engine on the table, lifting the stand up and installing to the engine, then picking up the whole works and setting back to the concrete floor! About to start cutting the wheel brackets off now.... Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your screwup Eric. It proves that you are human like the rest of us mere mortals !!!. Facing a very similar situation, I resorted to larger articulated wheels on my hoist, resulting in the 20mm clearance required to allow the engine stand to pass underneath. But I'm also lucky to have a 4.5 ton forklift with hydraulically extendable crane attachment available, so anything awkard results in the fork being utilized. 👍👍
EricTheCarGuy : I was lucky. The company that made my hoist and stand well and truly overengineerd the design and utilized thick wall steel tubing 150mm wide so I had a large selection of alternative wheels to choose. Greetings from South Australia. 👍👍
At first, I was worried you damaged the Fairmont engine. But it's just the Mini engine. 😛 PS: I accidentally tipped over an engine on a stand once. It was SO embarrassing. You're a brave soul for posting it online for the world to see.
Matt Larson, I've got an old school stand that is in a "T" configuration! Whoever built mine has indeed thought of this issue! AND it is sturdy enough to safely hold a completely assembled Big Block Chevy.
ran into this problem before you need a second man or a heavy weight to put on the side of the crane that you took the leg off and you never take the leg up on the engine stand. who cares about an engine they can be replaced. major respect and props for how you reacted to the situation because one bad move and it could have hurt you.
Bad things happens, and much more when one are not thinking clearly. You are a great guy !. You where not injured, things are repairable, with a clear mind you found a clear solution, and that's the way to go !. Thanks for sharing !. You are AWESOME !
Wouldn't it have been easier to use the steel you got and bend 4 new wheel brackets? But respect and we have all been in the same situation that it almost went wrong or wrong. Glad nothing happened to you.
Thank you for one of the greatest videos. I see another mistake people make all of the time. When you pick up heavy stuff by all means use some type of secure centering method. Your crane has a slip hook and you used a sling that slid through the hook changing the balance. If you had used a chane on the engine, and a grab hook on the hoist, you could have possibly made the caper you were trying work. There is a reason the names given to the hooks, grab hook and slip hook. I have had some personal similar accidents, and have seen many more. I have prevented some accidents by pointing out corrective measures to others. The automotive tool supplier OTC has some good useful universal lifting brackets. I know John Deere and Caterpiller both have very similar, if not by the same manufacturer, the same brackets. If you can't find them, I will be happy yo look them up for you. Thanks again for this video. You have just prevented a lot of accidents.
This is so stressful to watch! I've had a very similar thing happen with a R35 GTR motor.. The owner was moving the engine to the engine stand and wanted me to help him so I just moved the engine around and as soon as he took off the hoist chain, the engine stand lost it's balance and well.. the magnesium oil pan was gone.
Years ago, I had a small block Chevy mounted on a 3 leg stand tip over as I was trying to rotate it. I immediately switched to a 4 leg stand after that build, and, ran into the same problem you had! My solution, back when lumber was cheap, was to build a platform from 2x6s and 3/4" plywood. It's about 5' long and 4' wide and has a ramp so I can roll the engine stand on and off and the crane rolls underneath it. It's pretty beat up now and I was thinking about building a new one for my new, geared stand. After this video, I'm heading out to the shop to take a few measurements. Flat bar, washers and welding wire are not only cheaper, but also safer than lumber!
Hello Eric, Bodgit and I are on the same page with this. These days as a rule humans don't admit to failure, it's just how things have evolved. I'm a 59 year old fart, ex truck mechanic who also spent 10 years of his 30 years on the spanners refurbishing aircraft ground support equipment which included welding and fabrication. As an apprentice back in the day I was brought up on hard work done right first time every time. However, we all make mistooks 😉 and it was drummed into us if mistakes were made to come clean so they could be learned from and rectified before the world went into meltdown. Sending you deep respect for what you have done by uploading this vid. Honesty, integrity and fine character are just a few that come to mind. Nothing to be ashamed of we've all ducked up so you're now in good company👍 Hope I'm not going to insult you here but when welding, I noticed you pull the torch. Try pushing the torch instead of dragging it. That way the gas goes first shields the area to be welded before laying down the weld. For me, just makes for a better stronger weld. Going forward pushes the weld into the metals you're trying to weld, better penetration = stronger weld. This is why vertical up welding was devised. Thanx for your vidz. You keep makin em we'll keep watching em‼️ Regards old fart.
This is why my hoist has super low profile double wheels. I cannot be bothered to deal with manufacturers who don't understand tolerances and the fact that these things have to slide under or around things.
A few years ago I had the same issue trying to get my Chevy 302 on to the to the HF engine stand. I couldn't extend the boom because the small blocks weight caused the cherry picker to teeter. I decided to lower the engine to the floor, resting the oil pan on a moving blanket. I took a 4x4 and nailed a 2x4 to the top of it then cut off 2-one foot sections. I jacked-up the front legs of my hoist and supported them with the lumber. Worked fine. Glad you didn't get hurt, falling engines and booms yikes!!!!
Holy crap! Glad you are okay! This past summer at the auto wreckers I had a Forester fall, not on or near me thank goodness. I had it up on big wooden blocks in order to get the rims. Got all 4 off with no issues and started taking them to the front counter. When I came back to get the other two I noticed the car leaning. One of the blocks sunk into the ground and the car slipped off. Lucky lucky lucky.
This has always been one of those little things that pissed me off too, the way most cherry pickers and engine stands don't play nice together, even when they're made by the same freaking company. It's like, come on, does no one who engineers these things actually work on cars?
@@DMD81773 plus several hundreds for a welding machine, and a few hours lost for something that should have been done by he manufacture of these stands.
Thanks so much for the safety lesson! This is definitely a teachable moment. Glad you were not hurt. I felt queasy from the moment you extended the hoist arm. In the chemical industry, we investigate all incidents to learn from mistakes made and how not to repeat them. Investigations of minor incidents help prevent more serious incidents and injuries. There is an accident triangle that exactly predicts when a serious incident will occur based on the number of minor incidents that occur. Avoid the minor incidents and you avoid the major ones, and you avoid injuries and deaths. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accident_triangle This video is your investigation and conclusion to never repeat the incident. You also taught us what we need to check for when performing the same or similar task. If we plan on hoisting an engine and then putting it onto an engine stand, we need to be sure we can move both pieces of equipment safely around each other into all positions. The lower supports should not interfere with each other, one should go over the other so the engine can be transferred safely between the two. We should pay attention to these details when purchasing these pieces of equipment as well.
Hi Eric, i hope you read this, what i do is. 1st engine pulled on engine crane, 2nd engine supported and tied and lifted by one leg of the car hoist, lift the engine up or done adjust the height and put the engine on the engine stand.. have a nice day stay safe.. you had some pretty fast reaction there to keep yourself safe from the falling engine....
maybe you can send this video to the manufacturers of your equipment, see if they respond by changing their design a little bit to allow for such things?
I know I'm two years late, but this is extremely useful, whoever designed these stands and cherrypickers without the idea of them being able to mate up in mind, made a mistake. I almost had this issue occur, but luckily I had my father and my brother run out to apply weight to the stand. As soon as I get my motor off my stand, I'm gonna pursue making them mate up right.
glad you weren't hurt brother, and its nice to see that a little "altitude adjustment" was all the stand needed to fix the problem of interference, i can honestly say i've never seen anyone put a lift kit on an engine stand before, clever way to fix a problem that shouldn't have been a problem in the first place
Most of us don't pull/install engine's every day. Most of us borrow or rent the heavy tools when we need them as DIYers. We cannot go modifying other people's equipment just to suit our needs. A less permanent solution would therefore be welcome. Gave it a like though because it did work well when you have all your own stuff.
a floor jack with a flat strong wood block and a buddy to help you stabilize it....and believe it or not its sometimes you can carry an engine between 2-3+ people! Just if you do decide to carry one make sure it's actually possible...some engines can weigh 500lbs+
InsideOfMyOwnMind, a temporary solution would be to place the wheels of engine stand on bits of plywood to raise it enough so the hoist can pass underneath. I use scraps of plywood in various thickness and lengths for all kinds of things. They're handy to have around the shop.
Or you can do what Eric did in the middle of the video, lay the eng stand on it's side, connected to the motor then while safely raising the motor you or an assistant can manhandle the entire assembly into proper position if you follow me.
In that case, take a ruler/tape with you to check for interference. Actually, that would be a smart move when buying, as well - you might expect getting both from the same brand would avoid problems but that is not always the case.
I feel ya on that. I would’ve masked it off so you get a clean line between the red and black at least. BUT, every time you look at the blotchy painted area now, it’ll serve as a constant reminder of what happened and to remind you to stay safe and don’t do anything if it feels unsafe.
I truly dont understand why anybody would give you a thumbs down. This is priceless info for me but i tend to get myself into silly situations too so i am happy this popped up in my research before pulling a motor. Thank you for sharing and admitting to a silly mistake. Glad you didnt get hurt thinking you were going to catch that.
Eric you are the best teacher, and all respect to you. My heart almost stopped when the engine falling down. Today I learned one more new thing from you. Thank you very much.
Not sure about that, the castor-base-plate could start bending in between 2 washers (specially on the long sides).Plus since on castors the spot where the load is sitting in not centered on the castor-base-plate (but slightly to one side depending on what direction the wheel is pointing), it could torque the castor-base-plate and break it over time.I have seen castors not turning because not mounted correctly or being bend the heck out of them because not being mounted correctly..I just hope he reconsiders that and replaces the washers by the plated he used on the front wheels.
Your a very nice man .but unfortunately your a dying breed. yes there's still a lot of nice men and women out there but there hard to find .very helpful and thoughtful video .Eric.God bless you .stay safe .
We learn best from our mistakes and I commend you for posting this video. Many would have been embarrassed and just said they fixed a potential problem . Thanks.
I really like my engine stands to have front resemble a T style fits into all the hoists I have. This was a fantastic work around for a generation of techs who would just as easily go out and spend the money on a new stand. Keep up the great work and be safe
A man who owns up to and admits his own mistakes is a real man! Glad you are ok!
BadShadd1 that's right alot of people wouldn't have put the on UA-cam they would have been like he'll no
It's called learning from other people's mistakes.
Best honest video on UA-cam. And a day 1 mod for engine stands. Perfect Friday morning
Exactly! I have the exact same hoist and nearly the same stand (only a lower rated version), and it takes a man to show such a mistake in front of millions online!
Eric The Car Guy's video helps promote better safety by letting people know about the accident of his engine falling and steps he took to modify the engine stand so that won't happen again
What most amaze me is the zero amount of swearing.
You dont know what he said in his mind.
You can say so much but nobody will hear it
I let out a string of cuss words just watching it
Would have been a bleeeeeep show if it were me
It is so nice and refreshing to see someone actually admitting their mistakes most people would hide this and pretend nothing happened and pretend they are brilliant we are all human we make mistakes all I can say is nice job Eric you're only one of the few honest mechanics on UA-cam
Indeed! This is why we love ETCG :)
I couldn't agree more!
Someone needs to tell this to Scotty Kilmer and his disciples.
I'd like to hear him admit he should have LS swapped that Fairmont and how much cheaper and faster it would have been
Well said :)
This is exactly what shop safety is all about: Admitting your mistakes and sharing it. Leave your ego outside the shop. Brilliant and thank you!!!
The world needs more people like yourself. It's refreshing to witness reality and humility.
Yes. Every DIY wrencher needs to see this video.
So True :)
Awesome to see you here on this channel Tavarish
And this is why ETCG is the man.
Why don’t you get back to your million piece of crap car.
And pro's too. Eric is a pro and never had this issue before. How did we all get here?
Takes a big man to admit his mistake, let alone show it to everyone. Great advice for all us guys and gals that work in the shop alone. Glad you didn't get hurt Eric!
except the customer he was doing the work for. He said "no one's the wiser...except you guys". Meaning he didn't tell the customer lol.
I believe this was his own personal engine, I think.... I hope lol. All kidding aside, this is his engine.
@@RockyXTV maybe. But how he said it made it sound like it belonged to a customer
Yeah, but no one's the wiser except a few hundred thousand of us. Also glad that he didn't get hurt. I'm usually acting under the assumption that I will heal if I get hurt but that the object that's falling can't heal itself so I stupidly sacrifice myself to save it.
Eric-It's videos like this that are the reason I'm subscribed. Much respect...it's never easy on the ego to own mistakes but you are one of the few on YT that are man enough to do so. Thanks.
Thank God you’re ok. If your mistake even warns one person to avoid your mistake, then this video is worth more than anything in the world.
Being willing to highlight one's own mistakes to prevent others from being hurt is a mark of a good man. Thanks!
I was about to start my first engine rebuild in my garage... I always had an engine hoist for my regular job but was about to go get a 1500lbs engine stand for a large Diesel engine sitting some plywood on the floor... Glad I saw this video before I started my project. Thanks for being a big enough man to share your mistakes so others don't get hurt!
One of the best videos you've done Eric. Honest and valuable. It's tough working by yourself. And in the end, you provided the fix.
Kudos to you for deciding to share this video. Not sharing and deciding to sweep it under the rug would have been so easy. You’ve helped a lot of people by deciding to post this. Thank you Eric.
I knew a guy who tried to catch a falling engine that was on the engine stand. He was standing at the back of the engine when it started falling. He leaned over to catch it and it pulled him over and broke his sternum in half. I’ve been a mechanic for 15 years and was taught if a car,engine, transmission etc is falling let it fall. Don’t try to be a hero and get hurt or killed. It’s great to see someone owning up to his mistake and making sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. Bravo my friend!
Eric you will always be one of the best mechanics I've seen. We have things that stump us but we are fixers and eventually prevail. Thanks always for everything you do! God bless
Glad you're okay and glad when it started to fall, you didn't stay with it too long . Mistakes teach us the best lessons 🙏✌
If that happened to me, you would've heard at least 10 curse words in 10 seconds.
Hey man, it's great to be gifted by such verbal power. ;-)
electronicsNmore I second you on that one bro!!
Hey mister -. If you want to be nice to someone who just had shit happened to them, you might ask them "What curse-word do you recommend for this situation?"
Some things are beyond cussing.
electronicsNmore more like 100 curse words in 10 seconds
Excellent advice. Takes a real professional to admit a. Mistake and help others to prevent it.
THANK YOU FOR EXCELLENT ADVICE.
A real professional wouldnt make that mistake....
@@sprsprtrudy Come on asshat, everyone makes mistakes.
As Peter Crenshaw, from the Three Investigators, would say:” I’ll buy a double helping of that!”
Im a carpenter and this situation is supper common. I'm super glad you where safe! Let that thing fall, worry about the damage after. This happens to woodworkers all the time. You slam 3 or 4 cups of coffee, get frustrated with a situation and decide to do something sketchy. 9 times out of 10 it's fine, but the more you get away with it, the more likely you are to do it again. The fact that you're ok means you where doing something right and you'll be safer next time
A garage engine stand wreck with no resulting swear words. Your self control is amazing. My respect for you as a mechanic went up ten fold.
People aren't perfect, shit happens. Glad you are okay and thanks for posting this
Eric, I love your honesty. It takes a lot to display a mistake. You did it and make it educational. Great video!
Thank you!! I’m about to pull my first engine and this video was eye opening!! I’m glad you’re OK and had the stones to share your experience with the world!
I also have had a few mishaps with moving a engine to the engine stand so you are not alone and I did exactly what you did I figured out what I did wrong and corrected my errors and I really appreciate someone who is man/woman enough to take responsibility learn from it and you went a step further by putting together this video and allowing the public to judge you I really respect that and I admire your humility !You are a great example for the public and keep on trucking 😀
Echoing many others, one thing I really appreciate about your channel Eric is that it is *educational*, and we learn the most from mistakes rather than successes- which unlike many channels, you are willing to show and share.
Appreciate the honesty. I bought an engine Crane that was larger and never had a problem. Those small 2 ton cranes are worthless
Chris Oliveira agreed, the reach is short and it’s hard to remove an engine mounted north-south in a car with a long nose. They do work on Fairmont’s (personal experience) and Mini’s apparently lol!
Glad your okay Eric. Keep working safely!
This is a great video. As important as showing your ultimate, carefully thought-out solution, it also proves the old adage that the more frustrated and impatient you get, the more I.Q. points you lose. LOL I'm glad neither you or anyone else was hurt when the engine / stand assembly fell over, and that the engine itself sustained only minor damage. I salute you for showing the world your mistake, it could have happened to anyone. You did exactly what you're supposed to do after making a mistake - take full responsibility for it, learn from it, and make a fix so it never happens again. Kudos!
I have seen this video twice in 6 months and don't even have an engine stand or lift. Love the ingenuity.
Hey Eric, this video is only one of many examples of why I continue to watch your videos. I've learned so much throughout the years from you and I'm so glad that I stumbled upon your channel all those years ago. The time, effort and care that you put in your videos DO NOT go unnoticed. Thank you for consistently being honest, humble and straight forward. I love your work! Keep it coming!
Glad you're not injured Eric!
Holy crap. Glad you’re alright Eric! Be safe!
Thanks for showing this to us. I am sure that alot of us would have done the same, but with varying degrees of success at the end (namely, we could have gotten hurt). At least we know now not to do that, and that you must be the calmest guy in the world! Good job on the modifications! Please be safe!
It could have been worse. You could have been injured or it could have been the Fairmont engine. Nice solution to the problem.
Been watching you for years. You’re an American hero dude. Honest and full of integrity. Can’t say that about 95 % of the other UA-camrs . Keep up the excellent work. Fan for life here. I’ve learned so much from watching your videos over the years. Kudos!!
So very glad you were not injured. "A" frame to change from engine hoist to "A" frame and then to engine stand.
As the saying goes "Always time to do it right the second time." I've fallen victim to impatience more times than I care to admit.
Eric, thank you for putting this video out for the public to see that even professionals can make mistakes or errors in judgement. Like you said, if it keeps one person from making a similar mistake, it was worth it. As it was, you learned from this accident, and took measures to keep it from happening in the future. This makes you a winner in my book!
OMG! Glad you weren't hurt!
That was my thought too when I saw the picture and his fiddling, that thing is heavy!
I bought a stand and assembled it today. I placed the small casters at the very back whereas yours has them in the center. I'll have to double check my assembly. Also, I plan to use a forklift to mount a 5.4 Ford engine onto the stand. I'll see how it goes. Thank you for the informative video. I am glad you are OK and by the way, a similar thing happened to me a long time ago as I was transporting a heavy 8" backflow preventer on caster dollies. A lot of weight can easily shift.
I've had the same thing happen with a Ford 4.6L. I have a 120v HF winch I use to lift small motorcycles up with and then slide a work bench beneath. The winch is about $150 but hand crank versions can be had for $30. Use a 3" piece of square tubing about 7' long and place it across your garage rafters, the 7' piece should span four rafters. Mount the winch to the 3" steel and with the load spread over four rafters (mine are 6") and you can transfer the engine from the cherry picker, to the winch, and then to the engine stand.... or just use Eric's method. Fantastic video, thanks.
Nice lift kit for the engine stand! Problem solved. 👍
At least it didn't land on your foot ... and, at least it wasn't the Fairmont engine! 😳 Everything could always be worse!
I haven't used my engine stand and cherry picker for a few years now - I don't recall ever having this problem. The cherry picker I got from Northern Tool - just a higher priced version of Harbor Freight I figure - right out of the box, I had to weld the 2 support straps to the back of it, since the bolt holes weren't even close! Gotta love it ...
Smitty Smithsonite the Fairmont engine might have cracked the slab!
Had something similar happen a few months ago with a Subaru engine, and it landed on my foot. Fortunately, I was wearing my steel toecap shoes, so I wasn't injured... but I'm even more careful now.
when the engine is about to fall... let it fall, just don't forget to shout "TIMBER". engine parts are replaceable our limbs are not.
Lmao!
No. Shout "Timing Chain!"
Or you could shout "Forged!"
customer wont know!
even if the customer knows... it's not the whole engine that breaks just some parts...
Yep at least you didn't try to hide your mistake because we ALL make mistakes.Glad you wasn't hurt until next time be careful and PEACE.
I appreciate someone humble enough to admit they fucked up. That hoist is small as fuck, Eric here made a bold move and lost but failure is a necessary part of this business. Just glad he didn't hurt himself. Cheers from a new england technician transplanted in Northwest Georgia
It's tough when you make a mistake and mess up someones auto but it's much worse when you don't admit it to yourself and fix the problem. you were able to admit you made a mistake and fix the problem. great going. Your one of a handful of people that did it right.
I'm really glad you got out of the way! That could have been way worse.
And that is a clever way to fix the problem, Thumbs up for sure!
Thanks for sharing this and being honest. Glad you were not hurt.
Much respect for your selfless act of sharing an embarrassing mistake for the sake of educating others. I'm sure this will generate a lot of stupid negative comments...screw 'em!
everybody makes mistakes, even professionals who should know better... that´s human
Mistakes happen. You owned that bad boy and helped others to not make the same mistake. Way to go Eric. You da MAN!
Same problem over and over! Thanks for a great solution! Tired of setting the engine on the table, lifting the stand up and installing to the engine, then picking up the whole works and setting back to the concrete floor! About to start cutting the wheel brackets off now.... Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your screwup Eric. It proves that you are human like the rest of us mere mortals !!!. Facing a very similar situation, I resorted to larger articulated wheels on my hoist, resulting in the 20mm clearance required to allow the engine stand to pass underneath. But I'm also lucky to have a 4.5 ton forklift with hydraulically extendable crane attachment available, so anything awkard results in the fork being utilized. 👍👍
Nice! I looked into larger wheels, but the ones I found that were the size I needed were too wide. Thanks for your comment.
EricTheCarGuy : I was lucky. The company that made my hoist and stand well and truly overengineerd the design and utilized thick wall steel tubing 150mm wide so I had a large selection of alternative wheels to choose. Greetings from South Australia. 👍👍
At first, I was worried you damaged the Fairmont engine. But it's just the Mini engine. 😛
PS: I accidentally tipped over an engine on a stand once. It was SO embarrassing. You're a brave soul for posting it online for the world to see.
m.blacktree I thought it was the Fairmont Engine too in the title!
Eric sorry that happened but what a cool why to make something good out of it.
A good thing with ETCG, he doesnt only share the good thing. It make you human and relatable. Keep doing your good job!
Thanks Eric. Nobody is without mistakes, but you fixed the problem and caused the rest of us to learn something. Glad you're OK.
Makes you wonder how the engineers who designed the stands/hoists didn't think of this.
Engineers-shmingineers, those things are made in China.
just use the lighter duty stand its only got one middle bar
Stupid in, stupid out:) Hopefully one of the engineers sees this gets his or her but in gear on a redesign:)
Matt Larson, I've got an old school stand that is in a "T" configuration! Whoever built mine has indeed thought of this issue! AND it is sturdy enough to safely hold a completely assembled Big Block Chevy.
@@maxy2237 yeah but they tip over easier.
for sale mini pooper engine 2995$ only dropped once.no obvious damage free cherry picker.
On Cruds List it would say "runs great very clean NEVER DROOPED ON FLOOR no smoke"
@imat Roll scam, there is no such thing.
Dam that was a close one eric :-( , i'm glad that you escaped unhurt.
Your mods to the stand look spot on, solid as a rock and better than it was.
Thanks!
Nice to see you around on the YT mate.
Hot Rod, Ooow i'm like dog s*it, i'm everywhere lol :-D
ran into this problem before you need a second man or a heavy weight to put on the side of the crane that you took the leg off and you never take the leg up on the engine stand. who cares about an engine they can be replaced. major respect and props for how you reacted to the situation because one bad move and it could have hurt you.
Bad things happens, and much more when one are not thinking clearly. You are a great guy !. You where not injured, things are repairable, with a clear mind you found a clear solution, and that's the way to go !. Thanks for sharing !. You are AWESOME !
Wouldn't it have been easier to use the steel you got and bend 4 new wheel brackets? But respect and we have all been in the same situation that it almost went wrong or wrong. Glad nothing happened to you.
That is exactly what I thought would happen when I first saw the steel bar
Not thick enough.
EricTheCarGuy in the movies everything looks bigger.
I use my lift to transfer engines to stands. Use the crane to put it under an arm then chain the motor to the arm. Lift the engine to the height.
Yeap, that's what I used to do in shop class 20 years ago, after we had a similar incident with another student.
Came here to say this, good idea.
Yes me two
Overhead gantry solves all these problems. Should have designed garage with one or build one on wheels.
EricTheCarGuy Improving engine stands since 2018
Est 27. jan. 2009
I'm glad it involved an engine falling instead of a car falling. Keep up the good work Eric and stay safe. Enjoy your videos and your determination!
Thank you for one of the greatest videos. I see another mistake people make all of the time. When you pick up heavy stuff by all means use some type of secure centering method. Your crane has a slip hook and you used a sling that slid through the hook changing the balance. If you had used a chane on the engine, and a grab hook on the hoist, you could have possibly made the caper you were trying work. There is a reason the names given to the hooks, grab hook and slip hook. I have had some personal similar accidents, and have seen many more. I have prevented some accidents by pointing out corrective measures to others. The automotive tool supplier OTC has some good useful universal lifting brackets. I know John Deere and Caterpiller both have very similar, if not by the same manufacturer, the same brackets. If you can't find them, I will be happy yo look them up for you.
Thanks again for this video. You have just prevented a lot of accidents.
It's better to have a dented engine than a dented Eric.
This is so stressful to watch! I've had a very similar thing happen with a R35 GTR motor.. The owner was moving the engine to the engine stand and wanted me to help him so I just moved the engine around and as soon as he took off the hoist chain, the engine stand lost it's balance and well.. the magnesium oil pan was gone.
Eric I remember when you did this originally and it still scares the sh&t out of me!!!
Years ago, I had a small block Chevy mounted on a 3 leg stand tip over as I was trying to rotate it. I immediately switched to a 4 leg stand after that build, and, ran into the same problem you had! My solution, back when lumber was cheap, was to build a platform from 2x6s and 3/4" plywood. It's about 5' long and 4' wide and has a ramp so I can roll the engine stand on and off and the crane rolls underneath it. It's pretty beat up now and I was thinking about building a new one for my new, geared stand. After this video, I'm heading out to the shop to take a few measurements. Flat bar, washers and welding wire are not only cheaper, but also safer than lumber!
Hello Eric,
Bodgit and I are on the same page with this. These days as a rule humans don't admit to failure, it's just how things have evolved. I'm a 59 year old fart, ex truck mechanic who also spent 10 years of his 30 years on the spanners refurbishing aircraft ground support equipment which included welding and fabrication.
As an apprentice back in the day I was brought up on hard work done right first time every time. However, we all make mistooks 😉 and it was drummed into us if mistakes were made to come clean so they could be learned from and rectified before the world went into meltdown.
Sending you deep respect for what you have done by uploading this vid. Honesty, integrity and fine character are just a few that come to mind.
Nothing to be ashamed of we've all ducked up so you're now in good company👍
Hope I'm not going to insult you here but when welding, I noticed you pull the torch. Try pushing the torch instead of dragging it. That way the gas goes first shields the area to be welded before laying down the weld.
For me, just makes for a better stronger weld. Going forward pushes the weld into the metals you're trying to weld, better penetration = stronger weld.
This is why vertical up welding was devised.
Thanx for your vidz.
You keep makin em we'll keep watching em‼️
Regards old fart.
2:48 Sonic loses his rings
Cody Marshall Sonic 06: Falls Through Floor and Dies.
Gentlemen's Finest lol!😂😂😂
When I saw you lift the legs I literally screamed at my phone. Glad nothing serious happened.
This is why my hoist has super low profile double wheels. I cannot be bothered to deal with manufacturers who don't understand tolerances and the fact that these things have to slide under or around things.
A few years ago I had the same issue trying to get my Chevy 302 on to the to the HF engine stand. I couldn't extend the boom because the small blocks weight caused the cherry picker to teeter. I decided to lower the engine to the floor, resting the oil pan on a moving blanket. I took a 4x4 and nailed a 2x4 to the top of it then cut off 2-one foot sections. I jacked-up the front legs of my hoist and supported them with the lumber. Worked fine. Glad you didn't get hurt, falling engines and booms yikes!!!!
Holy crap! Glad you are okay!
This past summer at the auto wreckers I had a Forester fall, not on or near me thank goodness. I had it up on big wooden blocks in order to get the rims. Got all 4 off with no issues and started taking them to the front counter. When I came back to get the other two I noticed the car leaning. One of the blocks sunk into the ground and the car slipped off. Lucky lucky lucky.
This has always been one of those little things that pissed me off too, the way most cherry pickers and engine stands don't play nice together, even when they're made by the same freaking company. It's like, come on, does no one who engineers these things actually work on cars?
you are correct. i have the same problem eric had...
Buying an engine stand must mean you have an overhead gantry crane to them I guess.
For 60 bucks problem solved forever
@@DMD81773 plus several hundreds for a welding machine, and a few hours lost for something that should have been done by he manufacture of these stands.
Thanks so much for the safety lesson! This is definitely a teachable moment. Glad you were not hurt. I felt queasy from the moment you extended the hoist arm. In the chemical industry, we investigate all incidents to learn from mistakes made and how not to repeat them. Investigations of minor incidents help prevent more serious incidents and injuries. There is an accident triangle that exactly predicts when a serious incident will occur based on the number of minor incidents that occur. Avoid the minor incidents and you avoid the major ones, and you avoid injuries and deaths. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accident_triangle
This video is your investigation and conclusion to never repeat the incident. You also taught us what we need to check for when performing the same or similar task. If we plan on hoisting an engine and then putting it onto an engine stand, we need to be sure we can move both pieces of equipment safely around each other into all positions. The lower supports should not interfere with each other, one should go over the other so the engine can be transferred safely between the two. We should pay attention to these details when purchasing these pieces of equipment as well.
installing a lift kit on the old engine stand
Way to admit your mistake to help others who might not push it away, could have saved a life. You've got my respect.
Wow Eric thank God it was just the oil pan
If the hoist and engine stand were made by the same company you thought they would have designed them to play nice together.
Yep.
I emailed Sunex tools about it.
They used the same drawing to build both of them.
I can't remember, is it toe in or out on engine stand front wheel alignment 😄
Hi Eric, i hope you read this, what i do is. 1st engine pulled on engine crane, 2nd engine supported and tied and lifted by one leg of the car hoist, lift the engine up or done adjust the height and put the engine on the engine stand.. have a nice day stay safe.. you had some pretty fast reaction there to keep yourself safe from the falling engine....
I gotta give props to this chat. a lot of support!!!! the world is not doomed!!!!!!
Mechanics be like "it was already like that"
maybe you can send this video to the manufacturers of your equipment, see if they respond by changing their design a little bit to allow for such things?
Pause at 3:41 - 3:43 this is a crack?
Sure looks like it to me, well spotted!!
yes it its nice catch
It's actually two different pieces and you are looking at the seem , look carefully you will see a bolt sticking out of the bottom.
I know I'm two years late, but this is extremely useful, whoever designed these stands and cherrypickers without the idea of them being able to mate up in mind, made a mistake. I almost had this issue occur, but luckily I had my father and my brother run out to apply weight to the stand. As soon as I get my motor off my stand, I'm gonna pursue making them mate up right.
glad you weren't hurt brother, and its nice to see that a little "altitude adjustment" was all the stand needed to fix the problem of interference, i can honestly say i've never seen anyone put a lift kit on an engine stand before, clever way to fix a problem that shouldn't have been a problem in the first place
Eric the MacGyver guy
Most of us don't pull/install engine's every day. Most of us borrow or rent the heavy tools when we need them as DIYers. We cannot go modifying other people's equipment just to suit our needs. A less permanent solution would therefore be welcome. Gave it a like though because it did work well when you have all your own stuff.
a floor jack with a flat strong wood block and a buddy to help you stabilize it....and believe it or not its sometimes you can carry an engine between 2-3+ people! Just if you do decide to carry one make sure it's actually possible...some engines can weigh 500lbs+
InsideOfMyOwnMind, a temporary solution would be to place the wheels of engine stand on bits of plywood to raise it enough so the hoist can pass underneath. I use scraps of plywood in various thickness and lengths for all kinds of things. They're handy to have around the shop.
Or you can do what Eric did in the middle of the video, lay the eng stand on it's side, connected to the motor then while safely raising the motor you or an assistant can manhandle the entire assembly into proper position if you follow me.
In that case, take a ruler/tape with you to check for interference.
Actually, that would be a smart move when buying, as well - you might expect getting both from the same brand would avoid problems but that is not always the case.
THX 1138 Seems tedious and dangerous, like you forgot your meds. (Yes, movie reference lol) Got it on 12" DVD (Laserdisc for those under 12yo.)
My only problem with this video is that you painted the thing black instead of red.
I feel ya on that. I would’ve masked it off so you get a clean line between the red and black at least. BUT, every time you look at the blotchy painted area now, it’ll serve as a constant reminder of what happened and to remind you to stay safe and don’t do anything if it feels unsafe.
I truly dont understand why anybody would give you a thumbs down. This is priceless info for me but i tend to get myself into silly situations too so i am happy this popped up in my research before pulling a motor. Thank you for sharing and admitting to a silly mistake. Glad you didnt get hurt thinking you were going to catch that.
Eric you are the best teacher, and all respect to you. My heart almost stopped when the engine falling down. Today I learned one more new thing from you. Thank you very much.
I know a mechanic who lost his foot lifting an engine, he lives just down the road from me.
That's something he wouldn't be able to walk off.
Sooo.. why not just cut appropriate plates, drill holes and put longer bolts? Not just flimsy washers?
A lot more work... been a long day... and the washers are plenty strong..... probably :D
... that's my guess.
No real reason to replace the washers. The only force being applied to them is straight down and they aren't going to compress.
Not sure about that, the castor-base-plate could start bending in between 2 washers (specially on the long sides).Plus since on castors the spot where the load is sitting in not centered on the castor-base-plate (but slightly to one side depending on what direction the wheel is pointing), it could torque the castor-base-plate and break it over time.I have seen castors not turning because not mounted correctly or being bend the heck out of them because not being mounted correctly..I just hope he reconsiders that and replaces the washers by the plated he used on the front wheels.
Your a very nice man .but unfortunately your a dying breed.
yes there's still a lot of nice men and women out there but there hard to find .very helpful and thoughtful video .Eric.God bless you .stay safe .
thank you so much.
We learn best from our mistakes and I commend you for posting this video. Many would have been embarrassed and just said they fixed a potential problem . Thanks.
I really like my engine stands to have front resemble a T style fits into all the hoists I have. This was a fantastic work around for a generation of techs who would just as easily go out and spend the money on a new stand. Keep up the great work and be safe
Harbor freight engine stand ftw