First Engine for my Nephews. Lister D, full restoration.

If you have the engine at the front your using the handle to lever the engine up to move it but the one in the pic is more of a balance so your not lifting the engine weight.

Stu.

stationary stu wrote:If you have the engine at the front your using the handle to lever the engine up to move it but the one in the pic is more of a balance so your not lifting the engine weight.

Stu.

That's what attracted me to the idea, as I know what the weight of one of these feels like! I don't know how Lister ever managed to make so many of them at such a price, there's a ridiculous amount of metal there! I suppose it's just good old fashioned British engineering, build it strong, make it last. You'd never get away with it these days, but then the engines of today won't still be running in 60-70 years time.

Well D Types aint THAT heavy, even a wimp like myself can lift one, though with the flywheel off they lose about half their weight. Wouldn't attempt to lift my Wolseley WD or the Ruston PT and PB though, may have done when I was thirty years younger and humping diesel cylinder heads and truck wheel hubs and drums etc around on a daily basis but not now!

Pete.

I thought a Wolseley WD was lighter than a Lister D?

The trouble we had was it was just a bare engine, with nothing to grab hold of. I bet if it was on something with decent handles we'd manage it between us no problem, trouble is I would like these things so we don't both have to be there to load up, as Ian lives about 15miles in the wrong direction, also I like to get to the shows early, he has kids & work to consider, although I believe he's going to arrange work so he has the set-up days off.

Mind you, as I've said before, there's no real need to struggle with these things, if you've got the right equipment. We haven't got the right equipment, so I guess we'll keep on struggling!

Why didn't I get my nephews a JAP?!!

plenty of time anyway. We've got no plans to show it this season.

pretty sure on that myself, my WD I lifted by myself even with flywheel on. But the lister D was a struggle by myself with flywheel on , had to walk it up a plank to get in onto a trolley. One day I will build a gantry crane.... Well I will need to as no way I'm lifting the Fairbanks by myself!

Matt

matt86 wrote:pretty sure on that myself, my WD I lifted by myself even with flywheel on. But the lister D was a struggle by myself with flywheel on , had to walk it up a plank to get in onto a trolley. One day I will build a gantry crane.... Well I will need to as no way I'm lifting the Fairbanks by myself!

Matt

Yeah, I always thought a Wolseley WD was about 2.5cwt, whereas the Lister is over that???

You wanna be careful Matt, lifting these heavy loads. You could well end up suffering with your back later on in life. I know Ian's very careful about lifting stuff properly, but he still suffers with his back from time to time (although that's probably due more to the type of work he does).

That's the trouble with backs, you only get one. (sorry, that was an information message from the "Bleedin' Obvious" society )

I know exactly where you coming from at work i would just go get the crane or forklift . but at home its another story either wait weeks for my brother to come to give me a hand or do it myself .... I have got a chain hoist that bought from Dorset of the tat stalls for £12 . There is a picture of a knocked up frame using the shed frame and some 3" box section

That held the international which is the biggest engine i have got , so if holds that it pretty strong shed

I will be knocking one up somepoint soon . Once done il get some pictures up ..... only thing is that it will have to live behind the shed due to the size of it .

matt

You are correct, the Lister is slightly heavier! I guess the WD feels more awkward as there is less things to grab hold of whereas the Lister has the governor assembly, throttle rod support etc to get a handhold on. I use a Machine Mart crane to lift engines on to trolleys, or leave the flywheel off so that I can lift by hand, and an electric winch to load them into the van. Back when I only had a Volvo 940 estate I just rallied small engines which I could lift by hand such as a Wisconsin AK with a Climax pump etc but they were heavy enough to handle on my own at times plus the car was a little 'interesting' handling wise at times. Certainly tested the self levelling suspension haha. A lot to be said for Normans and the like!

Pete.

Either way I would hate to have to pass an offer of something special due to the weight. Maybe I should start to invest in some lifting & handling equipment.

Well with my back being completely shot I've invested in some lifting equipment, I've got a folding engine hoist and a set of chain hoists that I may fit in the shed or find a cheap electric hoist. The last biggish engine I lifted was my WD8 off the work bench on to it's trolley and I said then I wasn't going to lift anymore big engines.

Stu.

I've got some lifting gear, a ratchet/lever winch, bottle jack, trolley jack, big ropes, big Tirfor winch (with no cable as yet ) I just need ways to get them to work together when lugging engines about and loading my car up. A folding engine crane sounds handy Stu, have you got any links or pictures?

What you need is one of those engine cranes on wheels, like you always used to see in garages. Then some soft webbing straps or slings. That way you could pick the engines up & move them about on your own & even crane them into the back of your car on your own.

Trouble is those engine cranes cost a fortune & take up quite a bit of room. Also, not sure they're safe to manoeuvre on your own with an engine on board as I don't think they have brakes.

What you REALLY need is a gantry like they use in hospitals for lifting patients, easier to move around than engine cranes, usually fold away, and can easily lift your average engine. They appear on ebay from time to time. I know some folk who have them on the rear of their vans, very handy.

Pete.

Good idea Pete. I'm reliably informed they are called Hoists (my mum works in the care industry), likely to be sold off by closing nursing homes etc.

Will have to keep my eyes open for one.

Foden wrote:What you REALLY need is a gantry like they use in hospitals for lifting patients, easier to move around than engine cranes, usually fold away, and can easily lift your average engine. They appear on ebay from time to time. I know some folk who have them on the rear of their vans, very handy.

Pete.

Would something like this collapse down so I could stow it in the car or stash it in the garage without taking up too much room?
Could be useful for work as well, especially when I start doing bigger mowers and engine changes etc.
I need something small, relatively lightweight but able to lift a Lister D.

You want an eastern european!

Most fold down Ian, but they aint cheap! Like most Disability items they seem way overpriced, over a grand new, but I have seen them go for £150 or less at general sales. A matter of biding your time I reckon, engine cranes are a lot cheaper but more cumbersome. My Machine Mart one (Clarke) is awkward to use in a confined space, but I got it for £60 from a mate who bought it just to swap a Land Rover engine and then wanted it gone so I got it for approx half price. What might be a better option still is one of those small cranes that the tyre firms use on their Transits etc, might get one reasonable and then put it on a wheeled carriage yourself?

Pete.

nutgone wrote:You want an eastern european!

Thought he had a brother?

Pete.

on the topic on engine cranes patient hoists etc

I think there good but the only problem is the legs that stick out like a engine crane , i know i use them at work ...

I would make a gantry like you see in factory or boat yards but alot smaller around 7 ft tall and 6 ft across , would all unbolt and the times i would use it wouldn't be too often so would be stored behind the shed .

that way you could lift a engine and then lower onto the trolley etc . but on the other hand be useful to have a crane hoist but i think if lowering onto a trolley the legs get in way as previously said . But lets say i had a engine in the back of my van not on a trolley the crane would be ideal as could reach in put straps around and lift it out .... but then my drive wouldn't be good for that as its not smooth

But then i could put the gantry on wheels so that way you could use to lift a engine from a car too .

Just my thoughts , Matt

Matt, I'm thinking more for getting them into the back of my car mate Lifting them onto trolleys I think would be a bit easier as I'll have more room to play with and might be able to fit something to the garage ceiling.

Ianhw77k wrote:Matt, I'm thinking more for getting them into the back of my car mate Lifting them onto trolleys I think would be a bit easier as I'll have more room to play with and might be able to fit something to the garage ceiling.

Ahhh i see your point .... a gantry would be good for that in the garage ...

A engine hoist i think would be the best idea ,

Matt

This is the crane I bought secondhand only used once to change his car engine. Cost just under £90 on ebay.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cfc100-1-tonne-folding-workshop-crane?da=1&TC=SRC-engine+crane

It folds down well to take up about a foot square. The reason I got one like this is because it's not always in the shed I need to lift engines. I do have a block and tackle which I'll see if I can use them in the shed but there very big and heavy think there 10 ton but for 99p off ebay you can't complain.

Stu.

That crane is the same as mine Stu, as you say the legs fold vertical and I can then lean it against the garage wall. I also have a block and tackle that I bought from a garage sale years ago, it was used to get fibreglass replica canons out of their moulds (!) and I have never used it! Ought to rig a gantry up and make use of it, can you still buy skyhooks?

Pete.

Foden wrote:That crane is the same as mine Stu, as you say the legs fold vertical and I can then lean it against the garage wall. I also have a block and tackle that I bought from a garage sale years ago, it was used to get fibreglass replica canons out of their moulds (!) and I have never used it! Ought to rig a gantry up and make use of it, can you still buy skyhooks?

Pete.

Pete I have a garden swing the double seat type and I've used that in the past as a gantry and it worked very well, it lifted the Lister G no problem.
As for the skyhooks have a look at machine mart there in the same section as long stands.

Stu.