All my engines get removed and installed with the transmission attached, so there is no dropping straight down. You lift the engine up all the way with the hoist and push it forward above the bumper. You then angle the transmission all the way down and slowly push the engine hoist forward and lower the engine/trans as it goes. Once you get the transmission cleared of the fire wall you level it out out and have someone under the car back by the transmission guide the engine into place. If I can find a tripod I may even take a video of me doing it.

thats what I do up to the point where the hoist touches the bumper, then I can just lower it straight down while tilting it into place with the load leveler and it drops perfectly into place.

I think you guys are saying the same thing in different ways lol.

I have the 1 ton. I have lifted mills and lathes on bench tops with it. And I've stabbed 3 motors with it. Had it for about 4 years now. No leaks, no complaints.

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Ghosts in the following pictures.
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Harbor Freight 1ton engine hoist pulling a miata motor in 45 minutes by myself. No manhandling reguired. Easily cleared the radiator support. So yes the 1ton HF engine hoist works and if you are cheap it is has the cheapest price point of $99.00 with the coupon from Import Tuner Magazine.
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Thats a much different one than they sell now. That arm on the gray 1 ton heavy duty is the same length as the red pepboys 1.5 ton. The normal red HF 1 ton has a little baby penis arm thats lucky if it gets to the 2nd hole from the end in length on the hoist you have.

I have the old orange HF 1 ton. It took the BP with trans out no problem by my self. With the V6 I had to drill new holes in the beam and the arm to give me another 6" or so because yeah it was hard against the bumper (still is but is workable).

It's ok, I is engineer. But don't do it you will die.

This is the one I have. It slowly drains oil from the pump so if you have the engine in the air, it won't be there when you come back from lunch.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1409054154

Angle finder is a fail
 

Angle Finder w/ Dial Gauge


I had some moderate hopes for this but it is pretty bad. The magnet is very weak which means it falls off. I tried to make a jig but the resolution is so bad it hovers 5 degrees. It might be one of those things where quality swings wildly as they switch vendors.

The magnet finally broke off. The label and a dab of hot glue are all that hold it together. https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1409418221

^^^ I've had mine probably close to a decade now, and it keeps on ticking. Been through more than its share of pinion angle checks, tossed in the track toolbox.

My experiences with HF so far:

Slim-line Fluorescent Work Light

The good: Nice and bright, long cable, plug at the bottom means you rarely need to drag out your extension cable.
The bad: Gets pretty damn hot
The ugly: Swivel hook busted on me quite quickly, so it doesn't stay pointing where you want. The base isn't holding on to the power cable well, so the outer jacket has backed out. I'm sure in time the wires underneath will start to go since they now get bent a lot.

Is there a better work light from HF?


2 Ton Aluminum Racing Floor Jack with RapidPump®

The good: Light! Pretty low, fits under a lowered Miata. Lifts fast.
The bad: Not low enough to reach my diff or front crossmember.
The ugly: I got about 10 uses out of mine before I started getting clicking noises from the mechanism. I didn't have the warranty, so it's a paper weight now.

It could just be horrible luck that mine blew so quickly. In retrospect I should've gotten the warranty. I've since gotten a Michelin low pro jack. Heavy as shit, but it's so much lower and reaches diff and crossmember on my car.


Professional Mechanic's Gloves Large

Win. Love these.


I still have a bunch of HF things I haven't tried yet. I'll be sure to post when I have an update. :D

Since you brought it up, lemme jus axe dis:

Does anyone know of a decent work light, either LED or florescent, which either operates off of an internal battery or can run of 12 VDC?

I've read lots of reviews of battery-operated LED lights which are disappointing, which mirrors my personal experience with one LED worklight that we have here in the shop- it emits a relatively narrow beam of relatively dim light, as compared to a CFL or straight florescent worklight.

Worst-case I can just get a cheap inverter, but having something natively LVDC would be nice.

Why not DIY something joe with a hobby kit LiFePO4 battery and some china LEDs in a poly carb tube from mcmaster?

Because I'd rather pay someone $50 to solve the problem for me in a nice, rugged, pre-packaged solution that I don't have to spend several hours building.

Why 12V? We use the 7. something volt work lights here at work. Plenty bright, and lasts for at least an hour. Plus, the wall wart cord is long enough to use it plugged in for most applications.

Not gonna light up the whole room with it, but it's good as a trouble/spot light.

I said that it can either run off of an internal battery, or accept a 12 VDC supply. The unstated assumption was that said supply would be the car.

The key point here is that I'd like a bright light with a wide throw that's capable of operating independent of a 120 VAC supply, given that I'm garage-less at the moment.

This light is awesome, a little on the expensive side but everyone who has seen it has been impressed. I never reach for a corded shop light anymore.

I also had other Milwaukee 12 volt tools, so it was not that bad for me cost wise.

As you wish. Had it for years, works great.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1409790052

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1409790052

60 LED SMD LiON for <$45. I have used this for over a year and it performs perfectly. I get 6+ hours always on from a charge and it will run off a power cord while charging.

4" HF Vise is FAIL. It broke while I was trying to bend weld els.
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Anyone have any experience with the HF generators? "Predator" brand.

Got an email in the mail that have them at a pretty low price right now. Wondering if it would be worth it to try a smaller sized one instead of paying a little more for another brand such as a Honda unit.

I'm glad I dodged that bullet two days ago and bought the 5" rotating one. It's pretty win so far. I did some bending of a pretty thick lawn mower deck piece before welding. I'll beat the hell out of it a little more vigorously and report back.