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

[Dennis H]

Wow! Thank God no injuries. THANK YOU for posting. I’m here to learn.

 

[Krooser]

Speaking of old Hemi's...

My old cherry picker stuffed the blown 354 into my '56 F100 with ease... kinda forgot about that.

Lost all my pix in a phone swap.

 

[Krooser]

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...

Look at the photos of my old cherry picker... lifted and installed many engines over the 30 years I owned it including 700lbs of 6/71 supercharged early Hemi... never an issue. Short legs... no flimsy flat stock.

Just couldn't lift anything over the radiator support.

 

[Kern Dog]

Uhh, you are proving the point that many have made about supporting the mast with additional reinforcements. This one has those straps that you seem to think are not necessary...

 

[Jeff Peterson]

In engineering terms, without the straps, your mast is under shear stress, with the straps, it’s under compression, and the straps under tension.
I would bet you could lift an engine without any nuts on the bolts of the mast when properly assembled.

 

[RemCharger]

Exactly.

 

[junior340]

I'm glad everyone is ok, main thing.
Your set up was not worthy like everyone has said.
All your helpers are still around to help fix it, unless they ran into the woods never to be seen again again.

 

[Dako]

By the excess washer count from that bolt, I would put money on it that it was over torqued (stressed) when initially assembled.

 

[RemCharger]

Learning something is the important part. Back in high-school I'd built my first 383. It was basically all done. I'm pushing it out to do something, the engine stand hits a snag the whole thing slides out of the mandrel and splat on the floor. At the time I had no concern for the lock bolt. Didn't think that could happen. Funny I think about it now everytime I push a motor around.

 

[Don Frelier]

Look at the photos of my old cherry picker... lifted and installed many engines over the 30 years I owned it including 700lbs of 6/71 supercharged early Hemi... never an issue. Short legs... no flimsy flat stock.

Just couldn't lift anything over the radiator support.

So how did you install engines without getting them over the core support?

This makes no sense?

 

[kreauto]

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

Tired of running out of power is he?

 

[OKDart]

So how did you install engines without getting them over the core support?

This makes no sense?

I've had a few 50's cars with the core support cut and re-welded, seems like it was common back then.

 

[dadsbee]

no flimsy flat stock.

Okay... seriously.

 

[Triplegreen500]

The flat stock is only potentially "flimsy" under compression - the side the boom is leaning TOWARDS.

However, it is ultra-strong in extension, or, the side the boom is leaning AWAY from. This MORE than counteracts the compression side, because (through triangulation) it keeps that side from compressing in the first place, because it keeps the boom from leaning away to start with.

Your bolt didn't break because of the weight of the engine on the end of the boom. It broke because the boom tilted sideways, due to the lack of bracing. There may have been other issues, but the lack of bracing exacerbated any other smaller issues, and compounded them until failure.

Install the braces. They're there for a reason. And, extend the damn legs when you put a load on. Your lift point should NEVER be outside the ground footprint.

Gravity is a LAW, not a suggestion. Same with physics.

 

[Kern Dog]

 

[Triplegreen500]

Are you laughing at me?

 

[thehemikid]

Without the flat bar straps the leverage of tension on the bolts at the bottom of the mast is Phenomenal!

The Flat Bars work like the Strut rods work on your lower control arms.