Engine hoist

[catman48]

Does anyone know of a good way to lift engines? I have a merc. 35 horse and a merc. 9.9 4stroke both to much for me , I live alone and getting up there in age, And it can be a pain to get someone to help, I switch the motors occationaly since we have a lot of 10 horse limit lakes. I have seen merc's eye lifter but dont see one for smaller outboards, I don't have room for a cherry picker, and have thought of a couple ways of making one, Allthough it might be trial and error. I'm open to all suggestions, It just needs to be manuverable since they both have controls.
P.S I don't want to put the 9.9 on as a kicker

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Engine hoist

I was faced with the same dilemma. I ended up keeping my motors on stands with castor wheels in the garage. I mounted an eye in the lintel of the garage door and got a small chain hoist from Harbor Freight. Now I just lift the engine off the stand and back the boat under it.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Engine hoist

You can also let the trailer tongue way down, support the motor with a hanging chain, then raise the tongue. You won't be lifting the motor, you'll be lowering the transom. Hanging it by the flywheel lets the motor stay pretty much vertical. A flywheel puller with an eyebolt in the center works nicely.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Engine hoist

We have a 4 ft wide porch above the shop on the main level of the house. We have a 6 x 6 strung across 4 of the joists and a chain down to a comealong to the motor. We can back the truck underneath to unload motors, or back the boat under to mount them. If you have a big tree with fat branches, a chain and winch will work wonders. You can make a rolling stand. Our stand has 4 x 6 legs and a 2 x 12 crossbar. It is made just like a standard A frame sawhorse. Put some heavy duty casters underneath, and you have a transportable motor stand.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Engine hoist

I think the most obvious solution here would be... Get another boat; you can never really have too many...​

 

[byacey]

Re: Engine hoist

I have often wondered if lifting a motor of any weight by the flywheel is a good idea. Wouldn't this put the strain of the full motor weight against the crank bearings?

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Engine hoist

I have often wondered if lifting a motor of any weight by the flywheel is a good idea. Wouldn't this put the strain of the full motor weight against the crank bearings?

I know that most people do lift outboards by a ring attachment that threads into the end of the crankshaft, but I'm leery of such arrangements. I've always rigged sling of some sort for that job.

Still, if the lifting ring comes from the outboard manufacturer, I suppose it's strong enough and won't damage the crankshaft bearings. I just don't like it.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Engine hoist

mercury says that's the right way to lift theres. some of the other makes have built in lifting rings.

 

[jmoorepghpa]

Re: Engine hoist

Im not sure if you have a Harbor Freight store near you but any discount tool store should have a relatively cheap ( $125 ) engine hoist used to pull motors out of cars. It's like a little mobile crane on wheels. They are rated at 1000 lbs or so. I raise tongue on my trailer with a cinder block underneath the jack so the stern sits lower than normal. I pick up a 115 hp Mercury off its stand in the garage with the engine hoist, wheel it over to the boat and drop it right on the transom. Next I do the same thing with my 9.9 kicker. They make a nylon sling just for the smaller motors like yours. I have seen them in some of the online boat stores. This should work out well for you and the 9.9 is defanantly a one man job. I would try the 35 with a buddy hanging around the first time just to see how it goes but I think you should be able to manage that by yourself too. Remember when doing stuff like that alone always keep the phone within reach or in your pocket if you have a cell or a cordless. Always plan for the worst and work so you never need that plan.

 

[byacey]

Re: Engine hoist

I know that most people do lift outboards by a ring attachment that threads into the end of the crankshaft, but I'm leery of such arrangements. I've always rigged sling of some sort for that job.

Still, if the lifting ring comes from the outboard manufacturer, I suppose it's strong enough and won't damage the crankshaft bearings. I just don't like it.

I have seen motors hanging from a hoist like that in some shops, but none of my motors have enough threads above the flywheel nut to thread anything on the crank anyways, and I wouldn't want to lift anything by the flywheel puller holes.
My Evinrude has a permanent lifting ring held on by the head bolts that seems to work ok so far. I think the best would be a nylon sling that fastens under the powerhead pan around the motor leg, this way at least the load is distributed around the sling rather than all the weight hanging off one point.

 

[jmoorepghpa]

Re: Engine hoist

Oops I forgot to mention I had a local rigging company sew up a nylon web for the big merc. They charged me about $60 if I remember right. Yeah I cant see picking the motor up by that eye screwed into the top. I think that actually may be only be designed to carry the weight of the powerhead alone during service not the weight of the whole motor. For the 9.9 I use a couple of strong nylon loops around the base of the powerhead and throught the carry handles

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Engine hoist

Oops I forgot to mention I had a local rigging company sew up a nylon web for the big merc. They charged me about $60 if I remember right. Yeah I cant see picking the motor up by that eye screwed into the top. I think that actually may be only be designed to carry the weight of the powerhead alone during service not the weight of the whole motor. For the 9.9 I use a couple of strong nylon loops around the base of the powerhead and throught the carry handles

Actually, in the manual for my 1971 50 horse Johnson, they specifically said use that hoisting loop to install the motor. Not just the powerhead.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Engine hoist

I've lifted hundreds if not thousands of outboards by the flywheel. Never had a problem and that's the way Merc hangs them at the factory. They use a device that screws into the threads in the flywheel that the center nut fits inside of. I get a little nervous using the three puller holes most flywheels have when it comes to big V-6's, but a 35 is no biggie.

 

[River - Runner]

Re: Engine hoist

I made this stand by copying the motor display stand that my marine dealer uses. The dealership uses them to display motors 4 hp thru 100 hp +. It clamps to the motor anti-ventilation plate. I use it to install or remove my big motor by raising or lowering the front of the boat to clear the transom of the motor and it works great.

I only have this one pic of my '69 25 hp on the stand. I really need it for my larger motor.

 

[jmoorepghpa]

Re: Engine hoist

Most excellent.

 

[thurps]

Re: Engine hoist

I simply use three 8' 2x4s with a 1/2" bolt through one end and a come along to lift my 40hp.