Repair And Fix it

Hoists are powerful lifting devices capable of raising the engine of a car, for example. However, to actually function, a hoist needs to be placed on a frame. A sturdy hoist frame isnt too hard to build out of some existing materials. The process is similar to building a swing set, but with some modifications to allow the frame to support immense weights. A wooden frame is capable of carrying an engine block.

Instructions

1

Place the three 2-by-6 planks together, so they create a 6-by-6-inch beam. Glue the planks together. Clamp the beam down.

2

Use a drill bit marginally wider than the 7-inch bolts. Drill all the way through the beam, then push the bolt through and screw the nut into place. Repeat with the other 7-inch bolts, spacing them evenly along the beam.

3

Lay two 2-by-4 planks on top of one another to make a 4-by-4 beam. Screw the planks together with 3-inch wood screws, then flip the piece over and screw from the other side. Repeat three more times to make four legs total.

4

Arrange two legs to form the side of an A frame. The top-most corners of the planks should be about 6 inches apart, and the bottoms of the planks should be about 7 feet apart. Glue and clamp the beams together.

5

Place a 2-by-4 across the bottom of the A frame, so that it meets with both outer corners of the A frame. Trace the bottom of this piece of wood with a marker.

6

Cut off the bottoms of the wooden frame.

7

Cut the remaining 2-by-6 pieces into four 2-foot planks. Place one of the 2-foot pieces about 6 inches below the top of the A frame and screw it into place with the wood screws. You need at least three screws on each side of the A frame.

8

Place a 2-by-4 plank about a third of the way up your A frame. Line up the end of the 2-by-4 with the side of the A frame. Cut the excess beam off the end. Screw the beam into place.

9

Place the excess beam from the previous step on the A frame toward the bottom. Cut off any excess wood. Screw this into place.

10

Flip the A frame side over and attach a second set of cross beams. You need a 2-by-6 beam 6 inches from the top and two more 2-by-4 pieces along the side.

11

Repeat the previous steps to make a second A frame side.

12

Trace the end of the 6-inch beam onto a piece of cardboard. Cut out this template.

13

Align the template so that it rests on the top of the 2-by-6 plank. Trace the template.

14

Cut the excess wood to create a void inside the A frame where you will store the beam. Repeat the tracing and cutting with the other A frame.

15

Slide the end of the 6-inch beam into the slot atop the A frame. The two pieces should be at a 90-degree angle. Screw the beam into place. Repeat with the other end of the beam and the other A frame.

16

Hold a 2-by-4 plank at a 45-degree angle between the 6-inch beam and the middle 2-by-4 on the A frame. Screw this into place and trim off the excess.

17

Attach your hoist to the middle of the 6-inch beam.

A C-frame U-joint press kit is not something that most homeowners have in their toolboxes. In the past, if someones U-joint needed replacement, the vehicle had to go into the shop for service. Today, auto parts stores are renting and lending specialized tools for the do-it-yourself mechanic. Among tools available for rent are brake caliper kits, specialized wrenches and C-frame U-joint press service kits. Having access to this kit makes replacing U-joints something that a vehicle owner may accomplish in a home garage.

Instructions

Removing U-Joints with the C- Clamp U-Joint Press Kit

1

Clean all grease and grime away from the yoke.

2

Remove the snap ring bearing cap retainers by inserting the tips of snap ring pliers into the holes on the snap ring and squeezing the handle of the pliers together to unseat the rings from the grooves in the yoke. Pull the snap rings out.

3

Slip a receiving cup --- taken from the service kit and large enough to allow removal of the bearing cap from the yoke but small enough to be in full contact with the yoke --- into the open end of the C-clamp with the open end of the cup facing the inside of the C-clamp.

4

Slide an anvil onto the end of the forcing screw on the other side of the C-clamp. Ensure that the anvil is small enough to pass through the yoke of the U-joint.

5

Position the U-joint press over the yoke. Tighten the forcing screw by hand until the anvil sits on the bearing cap and the cup is firmly on the yoke over the bearing cap on the opposite side.

6

Tighten the forcing screw clockwise with an adjustable wrench until the bearing cap on the cup side is out of the yoke.

7

Turn the clamp around 180-degrees. Tighten the forcing screw by hand until the anvil is firmly against the solid portion of the U-joint and the cup is in position to receive the other bearing cap.

8

Tighten the forcing screw until the other bearing cap is free from the yoke. Repeat the steps for the other two bearing caps.

Installing U-Joints with the C-clamp U-joint press kit

9

Remove the receiving cup from the U-joint press. Remove the bearing caps from a replacement U-joint and set them aside. Ensure that the needle bearings inside the bearing cap remain on the sides of the bearing caps.

10

Slide the solid portion of the U-joint into the yoke so that two of the opposite ends are in the two holes in the yoke. Move the solid portion to one side in the yoke and insert a bearing cap over the end. Tap the bearing cap lightly with a hammer to get it started into the hole in the yoke.

11

Position the U-joint press over the yoke so that the anvil is in contact with the bearing cap. Hand-tighten the forcing screw until the other side of the C-clamp is firmly in contact with the yoke. Tighten the forcing screw, pressing the bearing cap into the hole in the yoke. Keep pressing the cap into the yoke until the groove for the snap ring is clearly visible.

12

Move the solid center of the U-joint to the other side of the yoke far enough that a bearing cap can be partially inserted on the end, but not so far that it comes out of the first bearing cap. This ensures that the needle bearings inside the caps do not fall out of place.

13

Turn the clamp around 180 degrees and position the anvil on the second bearing cap. Hand-tighten the forcing screw until the other side of the C-clamp is solidly against the yoke. Press the second bearing cap into the other hole in the yoke by turning the forcing screw until the groove for the snap ring retainer is visible, ensuring that the solid center of the U-joint does not come out of either bearing cap. Repeat for the other bearing caps. Reinstall the snap rings.