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What is an Engine Hoist Plate?
Hoisting your car engine into or out of the vehicle seems to be a tall order even for the most experienced home mechanics. The two major reasons for this is the heavy weight of the engine and also its delicate nature.
You wouldn’t want to accidentally drop the engine on the ground or smash it into your beautiful car. because of this there have been several workshop parts developed to make things much easier for you. One of these items is the engine hoist plate which is designed to make the lift safer and much more stable.
Types of Engine Hoist Plates Available
Because to the safety and convenience that an engine hoist plate gives you, there are a number of manufacturers who have designed their own slightly different versions. They are all meant for the same purpose but not all of them will be a fit for the job you are wanting to complete. In fact some can make things even harder for you or lead to accidents that may leave your car or engine damaged extensively.
If that is the case, how do you choose the best engine hoist plate that will do the job well?
There are several factors that you will have to take into account during your selection. Some of these factors are:
- The material used to make the plate. This is the single most important characteristic of the plate that you should never compromise on. Yes it is true all the plates are made out of metal but what type of metal is used? What is the strength of that metal? What other good characteristics does the metal posses? If you are not satisfied with the quality of the material used to make the plate then you are better off without it.
- The bolts it uses. The bolts used will determine the maximum weight that the plate will be able to take. Use of larger and stronger bolts means that the plate will be able to lift a heavier engine comfortably. No matter what the retailer says about the plate, if it uses very small bolts to hold the plate in place then this should send you a red alert.
- The size of the plate. The size of the plate also matters a lot when going out to buy one. Although most of them are standard size some can be very small making it difficult for you to work with them. Look for a plate size that is going to work well with your engine but if you are not sure of what size to take then a universal one would do just fine.
Proform Engine Lift Plate Vs Mr. Gasket Engine Lift Plate
Judging from customer reviews this two are among the most popular engine lift plates on Amazon. Comparing the two of the will help give an insight on how to select a good engine lift plate.
Weight and size. When it comes to the size Mr. Gasket is slightly smaller than Proform in dimension. The weight of Proform is 2.6 pounds compared to the 2 pound weight of Mr. Gasket. If this was the only feature to consider then Proform would be the stronger engine plate to use on your engine.
Welding
The welding will significantly affect the strength of the engine plate and comparing this two, Proform has a full weld unlike Mr. Gasket which has a partial weld. This makes Proform the better in terms of strength.
Price
Well, it would not be fair to compare two items without using price as a basis for comparison. Looking at the prices of both plates on Amazon it is clear that Proform is more expensive than Mr. Gasket. If you are operating on a budget and price is a significant factor to you then Mr. Gasket would do your pocket more justice.
Using an Engine Hoist Plate
When you first hear someone mention an engine hoist plate for the first time without having seen it you will assume that it is a complex plate that lifts engines automatically. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
This is a simple device that makes hoisting the engine easier and it does not work alone as you will still need almost everything else that you use to hoist your engine.
To hoist your engine you will first need to fasten the plate on your aluminum using the bolts.
Make sure that the bolts are tight and then connect the hoist to the plate and then lift out the engine.