Hi, i'm new here. i'm currently in the middle of an engine swap on my '73 Dart Custom. craftsman engne hoists are listed at $500 and pep boys has a big red jacks engine hoist for $130. is the one at pep boys a piece of junk or am i spending almost $400 for the craftsman name.

I'm also going to need a lot of small parts and was wondering where a good place to get manifold gaskets, heater and radiator hoses, and transmission oil cooling lines is.

We use a 1/2 ton chain hoist here. They are more flexible than the cherry picker. I have used 3 of them to change Suburban bodies. They do require a solid beam or "sky hook" in the shop. Last one I bought was $50.

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

I dont know what hoist you are looking at but the PBoys here has an engine hoist for about $220... And yes it is junk. BUT it works for that once in a wile time you need to use it. I wouldnt spend $500 on something that was just gona get used once or twice in a year.

I have the cheapy fold up hoist from autozone. Its junk but it works. Ive lifted everything from slants to 440's with it as well as the front end of a car.

Are you JUST doing the engine swap or rebuilding the front end and other stuff? If you are redoing the front end it might be alot easyer to drop the engine/Kmember out and lift the car body over them.

I purchased a cheap $200 hoist from advanced auto parts. Considering how little engine lifting I actually do, it's good enough. I don't need a super hoist because it's only a slant six. Any v-8 would be heavier.

How much will you be using the hoist? Once a year

Can you actually afford to buy the better tool?

Does one of the tools have a feature that you can't live without.

Given the choice I would like to have low profile swivel casters on the front legs, but instead I need to jack up the front of the car to get the hoists legs in and out. I already need the jack to hold up the transmission tailshaft, but a second jack is only $25 so it's hardly a $400 issue. Without the front swivel casters I need lots of manuvering room to roll the hoist around. Luckily I have some room.

Without seeing both models to compare, it's impossible to say. In recent years I wouldn't put it past sears to paint the cheap hoist silver and mark it up 400%.

Look at what you are getting and deceide if it's really worth it based on how you will use it and if you ever expect to resell it.

_________________
1980 Aspen 225 super six

On my dart i'm swapping a six for a six. I've got a '72 Valiant that I'll be doing the same thing with. and then there is my charger that has a 318 i want to build. I don't have an overhead support since i'm doing everything in my driveway.

I got a pretty nice engine hoist from Snap-On. It was one a guy had traded in. $175 8 years ago and it hasn't missed a beat.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

If it was a one-time thing, I'd say look at renting. Since you have several jobs lined up, you'd probably be money ahead buying the less expensive hoist. Check the welds, and plan on eventually having to tinker with the valving.

_________________
"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

I bought one of the Pep-boys $130 hoists. So far so good, I've unloaded two of my small blocks (long blocks) and one of my big blocks and it's been fine so far. My Dad has a cheapy Sam's club hoist and I've installed a 383 big block with a 727 bolted onto it and it was fine. Not to mention the other 20 times I've loaded/unloaded engines with it. I'd say get the cheap one, just don't get under it when you have weight on it (course I wouldn't do that with any of them anyhow).

_________________
70 Dart, 360, 727