Well THIS was exciting... and unexpected... and dangerous!!!

[Krooser]

Sooo.... today was the day I had some help from my step son and grandson.

I have a rolling steel bench that I built years ago that I use for assembly, mockup, welding etc.

Today I was going to set the 318 on it cradled in a wooden shipping cradle and set it on the bench just so it wpuld be easy to mount all the front accessories and also the flywheel and clutch plus the bellhousing and 4 speed.

I also need to fabricate a slave cylinder bracket for the juice clutch.

I was on the front end unbolting the engine from the engine stand it was mounted on. Done this a hundred times over the last 60 years.

We had a issue with the engine weight pulling the back of the cherry picker off the ground.

My son stepped on the picker to counter balance and BAM the bolts holding the picker boom mount sheared and the engine dropped to the ground!

A broken bolt whizzed past my great grandson's noggin... my son was tossed from the picker and the mighty Mopar dropped a few inches from my feet.

All those stacked washers were hidden under the bottom of the picker frame...if I had only turned that over I would have fixed that.

BTW that engine stand in the photo is one I built in the late 70's... never got the urge to paint it!

No injuries except to my ego.

Here we go to square one...

 

[qkcuda]

Glad nobody was hurt.

 

[RemCharger]

Lucky for everyone!!! Next time use the bolt holes for their designed purpose! ( and some real bolts!)

 

[Krooser]

I just bought this last month. Slopped some fake yy yellow paint on it.

It had one job to do...

 

[Krooser]

On the right is one of the jerry rigged bolts that snapped off causing the destruction. 7/16"

Could he have run out of washers?

The middle bolt 5/8" is what was suppose to be in those holes.

Finally, on the left, is the new bolt 3/4", that I will use when I reassemble the picker tomorrow.

 

[dadsbee]

WOW..... 900 lbs.. after driving it 3000' down the road to the Son's.

 

[Don Frelier]

On the right is one of the jerry rigged bolts that snapped off causing the destruction. 7/16"

Could he have run iut of washers?

The middle bolt 5/8" is what was suppose to be in those holes.

Finally, on the left, is the new bolt 3/4", that I will use when I reassemble the picker tomorrow.

View attachment 1937645

It's not just the bolts.
You're missing the gusset straps that tie down to the base.

 

[Krooser]

It's not just the bolts.
You're missing the gusset straps that tie down to the base.

I have them ... I wasn't moving anything just taking the engine off the stand and lowering it to the floor when this happened.

IMHO those flat stock gussets are just for looks... I may fab a couple out of square tube... sure would be stronger.

My old shop crane never had any gussets at all ... never an issue. Also shop built but that one was welded together not bolted with undersize fasteners.

Not one bolt was more than finger tight... all the bolts looked good but weren't.

I will replace them with ones with enough shoulder so they go thru the tube on the shoulder not on the threads... then trim the excess threads.

I really didn't need this right now.

 

[Krooser]

WOW..... 900 lbs.. after driving it 3000' down the road to the Son's.
View attachment 1937657

I often thought a skyhook would help...

 

[RemCharger]

I have them ... I wasn't moving anything just taking the engine off the stand and lowering it to the floor when this happened.

IMHO those flat stock gussets are just for looks...

Funny part from an engineering point of view they're taking off 90% of the shear load off the lower bolts. It's called triangulation .

 

[Krooser]

Funny part from an engineering point of view they're taking off 90% of the shear load off the lower bolts. It's called triangulation .

I would agree if there was any strength to the flat stock ... I don't think that flat does anything than work as a locator for the upright.

Good triangulation would allow one portion of the triangle to fail and still allow some strength to remain.

I have built many dirt track cars and triangulation was used in the main chassis and certain suspension components. We never used flat stovk fir anything but brackets.

 

[451Mopar]

Glad nobody was hurt. I don't see the straps that go from the upright to the rear crossbar?
The straps hold the engine weight in tension so the force on the upright part in almost all downward and the bolts only have to keep the upright in position, not taking the load of the engine.
My first hydraulic (Harbor Freight) engine hoist failed me. The hydraulic screw in the cylinder was partly stripped out.
First use, pulled the 383 out of the Charger, and moved it out of the car. When I went to lower the engine, just slightly twisted the screw to lower the engine and the screw popped out of the hydraulic cylinder and the 383 dropped to the ground partly crushing the oil pan. Again, lucky nobody was hurt.
Replaced the hydraulic cylinder assembly and the hoist has been working fine since then.

 

[Kern Dog]

I'm not one that lives strictly by safety protocols but why would anyone use an engine hoist without it being properly built?
THIS was a NAPA auto parts unit circa 2003.

The mast is reinforced with those straps as seen above.
This unit has extendable legs that you didn't extend....

The orange circles show holes that are there to attach those reinforcing straps....that were not in place.

 

[AR67GTX]

Yes, I think what was sold to you was missing a couple of pieces that were supposed to bolt into those tube brackets on the rear of the frame to triangulate on the main mast. But I don’t see any bolt holes in those stub ups for attachment (?). But that bolt is crazy too. Glad no one was hurt.

 

[Krooser]

Again...

I wasn't moving the picker anywhere. I was simply lowering the engine to the shop floor. No turning... no moving...

If the bolts hadn't sheared we wouldn't be reading this post.

Yes it is built properly. It will be even better soon.

Yes I have those cheap pieces of flat stock that bolt to the main upright. I prefer square tubing.

 

[69conv]

Hindsight is always perfect, I'll say again glad no one was hurt. Now you and the family have a great story to tell and they know to double check everything. This may have saved them from a future disaster!

 

[69Bee]

Those "Unnecessary Show Straps" provide an additional 66.6% load support for the hoist. They are used to prevent the boom upright from tilting forward like yours did and breaking the bolts. The reason the back of the hoist was going "*** over Tits" was because the legs were not extended and the center of gravity for the load was too far forward.

1) The legs NEED to be extended when lifting heavy loads
2) The upright straps NEED to be installed
3) The proper hardware bolt lengths NEED to be used

On a side note, I would suggest you download a manual for a "Cherry Picker" and read it before you kill yourself or someone else. Thankfully no one did with this mistake...