Tools & Tips

1. Cutting metals, such as pipe, angle and round bar can be accurately done using a cut off machine. The cut off machine can be angled for a mitred cut while the piece being sawed can be firmly held in a vice-like clamp.  This makes an abrasive cut off machine very useful, many fold in the precision cutting of metals for that next project or repair job.

2.  Always use the right protective gear before you start using the cut off machine. E.g. safety glasses, ear plugs and leather gloves, the reason for this is that very small particles are thrown into the air during the cutting process. Remember that the metal becomes very hot to the touch that is why it is imperative to wear the protective gear.



3.  Set the cut off machine on a firm and flat surface. The ergonomic placement of the saw should be comfortable for the operator.

4.  Select your piece of metal that you will be using. Now you can use a tape measure to mark the length that you need cut off. Firmly tighten the vice so that you can still move the work piece. Now make sure the machine is off and slowly lower the blade to find the proper alignment of the blade with the marked line.



5.  Tighten the vice so that the work piece to be cut is held securely in place. Start the saw and lower the blade down to the work piece slowly and gently.  Continue to lower the cut off blade through the work piece. Do not force the cut off machine through the metal. But allow the blade to cut through the metal.

 

6.  Switch off the machine when the blade has fully cut through the metal piece. Now you can raise the blade and inspect the fresh cut. Just remember that the piece of metal that has been cut off and the piece still in the vice will be very hot.

     

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

WARNING: TO PREVENT PERSONAL INJURY.
Study, understand and follow the safety precautions and operating instructions included with this equipment. If the operator cannot read these instructions, the safety precautions and operating instructions must be read and discussed in the operator’s native language.
Tapped holes in adapters and engine blocks must be clean and not damaged to ensure full thread engagement. A thread length engagement equal to 1 ½ screw diameters minimum is required to main strength requirements.
Do not exceed the 1,000 lb. Maximum capacity of this engine stand. (Maximum capacity is determined with the centre of the engine located not more than 18” from the engine stand mounting hub surface).
Stay out from underneath a load being lifted or suspended.
The engine must be securely mounted on the repair stand with the hitch pin and turning bar in place and all mounting hardware torque to specified values.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

MOUNTING THE ENGINE TO THE ENGINE STAND
1. Determine the engine’s centre of gravity.
2. Remove the engine clutch bell housing.
3. Remove the mounting plate (with brackets loosely attached) from the engine stand.
4. Position the mounting plate axis of rotations as close as possible to the engine’s centre of gravity.
5. Tighten the four cap screws holding the brackets to the engine; tighten the four cap screws holding the brackets to the mounting plate.
6. Attach an engine lifting bar or sling to the engine. Using a suitable lifting device, manoeuvre the engine toward the stand.
7. Insert the tubular end of the mounting plate into the stand. Install the hitch pin and turning bar, and torque the mounting hardware to specified values. Slowly and carefully remove the engine lifting device.
8. Tighten the locknuts to lock the wheels and make the engine stand immobile before servicing the engine.


REMOVING THE ENGINE FROM THE ENGINE STAND
1. Attach an engine lifting bar or sling suspended from a suitable lifting device to the engine.
2. Remove the turning bar and hitch pin from the engine stand, and slowly pull the mounting plate out of the engine stand.
3. Manoeuvre the engine away from the engine away from the engine stand, and unscrew the four cap screws holding the mounting bracket to the engine.
Preventative Maintenance: Periodically clean and lubricate the wheels, casters and tubular end of the mounting plate. (Use low temperature grease).

   

ENGINE HOIST

1. POSITION THE HOIST
Make sure the weight rating of the lifting crane is greater than the weight of the object
You’re lifting. In this case, you’ll be lifting and moving an engine. Lower the lifting arm and position the lifting end and chain over the centre of the engine.


2. INSPECT THE LIFTING ATTACHMENTS

Inspect the chain, steel cable or sling and bolts to make sure they are in sound condition. They must be strong enough to support the weight of the engine. The sling should be long enough so when you lift the engine the angle at the top of the sling is about forty-five degrees. (See Picture)



3. LOCATE THE LIFTING POINTS

Look carefully around the engine to determine if it has lifting “eyes” or other anchor points.
4. ATTACH THE HOIST SLING
If the engine has lifting eyes, attach the sling with “D” shackles or chain hooks. If you need to screw in bolts and spacer washers to lift the engine, make sure you use the correct bolt and spacer size for the chain or cable. Screw the bolts until the sling is held tight against the engine.
5. ATTACH THE HOIST HOOK
Attach the hook of the hoist under the centre of the sling and raise the hoist just enough to lift the engine and inch or two. Double-check the sling and attachment points for safety. The centre of gravity of the engine should be directly under the hook of the hoist, and there should be no twists or kinks in the chain or sling. (See Picture)



6. RAISE THE ENGINE
Raise the hoist high enough so that the engine is clear off the ground and any obstacles. Slowly and gently move the hoist and engine to its new position.
7. LOWER THE ENGINE
Lower the engine until it touches the ground. Making sure it is positioned correctly. You may need to place spacers under the engine to stabilize it. Once you are sure the engine is stable lower the hoist, remove the sling and any securing fasteners, and then return the equipment to its storage. (See Picture)



SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
WARNING: TO PREVENT PERSONAL INJURY.
Study, understand and follow the safety precautions and operating instructions included with this equipment. If the operator cannot read these instructions, the safety precautions and operating instructions must be read and discussed in the operator’s native language.
Tapped holes in adapters and engine blocks must be clean and not damaged to ensure full thread engagement. A thread length engagement equal to 1 ½ screw diameters minimum is required to main strength requirements.
Do not exceed the 1,000 lb. Maximum capacity of this engine stand. (Maximum capacity is determined with the centre of the engine located not more than 18” from the engine stand mounting hub surface).
Stay out from underneath a load being lifted or suspended.
The engine must be securely mounted on the repair stand with the hitch pin and turning bar in place and all mounting hardware torque to specified values.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
MOUNTING THE ENGINE TO THE ENGINE STAND
1. Determine the engine’s centre of gravity.
2. Remove the engine clutch bell housing.
3. Remove the mounting plate (with brackets loosely attached) from the engine stand.
4. Position the mounting plate axis of rotations as close as possible to the engine’s centre of gravity.
5. Tighten the four cap screws holding the brackets to the engine; tighten the four cap screws holding the brackets to the mounting plate.
6. Attach an engine lifting bar or sling to the engine. Using a suitable lifting device, manoeuvre the engine toward the stand.
7. Insert the tubular end of the mounting plate into the stand. Install the hitch pin and turning bar, and torque the mounting hardware to specified values. Slowly and carefully remove the engine lifting device.
8. Tighten the locknuts to lock the wheels and make the engine stand immobile before servicing the engine.

REMOVING THE ENGINE FROM THE ENGINE STAND
1. Attach an engine lifting bar or sling suspended from a suitable lifting device to the engine.
2. Remove the turning bar and hitch pin from the engine stand, and slowly pull the mounting plate out of the engine stand.
3. Manoeuvre the engine away from the engine away from the engine stand, and unscrew the four cap screws holding the mounting bracket to the engine.
Preventative Maintenance: Periodically clean and lubricate the wheels, casters and tubular end of the mounting plate. (Use low temperature grease).

Buying a winch with all the different models available is a difficult task, with questions such as “How do I determine the size winch that I need?”, “How do I use the winch effectively?” and “Where do I mount the winch?”. Coming to a conclusion and purchasing your winch of choice may still leave you uncertain regarding the safety of yourself, and safe use procedures for your winch. We would like to give you some basic information regarding choosing the correct winch, what to look for, and some safety tips.

Selecting the correct winch
Winch selection
The general rule of thumb is that you need a winch that has a capacity 1.5 times more that the weight of your vehicle. Therefore, a 5000lbs (2200kg) vehicle should be fitted with a 8000lbs (3600kg) winch. The reason for this is simply that your vehicle, when stuck in mud, has a higher weight capacity than normal due to the suction effect of the mud.

Winch capacity
Your winch will have a myriad of numbers giving you the different pulling capacities over different lengths, the amount of amperage drawn over those lengths and other vital information. It will be to your benefit to read through this so that you understand your winch and the capacities of your winch better. For those that would like a crash course though, try and make sure that there is always 1 – 2 layers of cable left on your winches drum. The more cable that you pull out, the more the pulling power capacity drops. Keep this in mind, and try to attach the winch cable to an object as close to the vehicle as possible.

Safety and caring for the winch
The cable
During the pull most cables tend to bunch on the drum and roll up unevenly. To prevent this you should make sure that cable is fed straight through the fairlead so that it will wrap around the drum smoothly. Uneven layers (caused by feeding at an angle) severely affects the performance of your winch.

Personal
No matter what your circumstances, safety is your first priority during any recovery or utility option. Common sense rules like never using a winch to hoist or pull people usually apply. Here are some basic safety tips that should always be followed when operating a winch:
• Always use gloves when operating a winch, especially when using wire rope. Individual wire strands can sometimes break, which can lacerate unprotected flesh.
• Keep your hands clear of the winch drum during operation.
• If using a wire rope, spread a blanket or towel or some other object on the rope. If a wire rope snaps, the stored kinetic energy can create a whipping effect. Placing something on the cable will dampen this in the event of rope breakage.

If you are trying to charge an old Battery, unless it's a sealed unit, you should:

1. Carefully remove the caps and make sure the Battery isn't dry.  2. The fluid level should at least cover the plates, preferably up to the split ring in each battery cell.
3. If it's low, add distilled water. Be careful removing the caps so you don't splash acid on your hands and clothes.
4. Disconnect the cables from the Battery or remove it from the car. and set it on a wooden block or something.
5. Loosen the caps on it so it can breathe well and hook the cables to it.
6. Connect the charger to the battery.
Positive (+) cable to the positive terminal,
and negative (-) cable to the negative terminal.
7. Set the charger to 12V if it has variable voltage capabilitity.
8. Be careful not to touch other metal parts with the cables as you connect them, and put it on a slow charge.

Do not try to charge it fast as it damages cells in the battery. A good slow charge will be the best for it. Give it about 12 hours charge, and then check. The battery should be full.

A frequently encountered problem is to find that a tapped hole is tight.
The solution is to fold a strip of paper over the cutting edges of the tap, and to run it through the work a second time. The paper conforms to the cutting edge that it is covering, and pushes the others opposite harder into the work, slightly enlarging the tapped hole to the size that you want.

When welding thin material, such as square tubing, round tubing and sheet metal with a wall thickness of 1.2mm to 2mm using an Inverter Arc DC Welder, one can swop the polarity around. i.e. putting the electrode holder cable into the negative socket and the earth cable into the positive socket.

This process is called the 70/30 effect. It minimises the concentration of heat on the electrode point. By scratching the electrode on the metal repeatedly an arc will easily form. This will help minimise the burning through on the material. Always make sure that the metal surface is clean and the earth cable is situated close to the point of welding.