engine hoist load holding time
engine hoist load holding time I have a harbor freight engine hoist, it's the 1 ton version and I should have gotten a bigger one, but it did what I needed anyway. My question is how long should one of these be expected to hold up a load? Mine will lose some height overnight if it has a steady load. I can't find anything on the internet to say whether this is normal. For what I was doing it didn't matter since there was only a period of maybe an hour when it was the only support, and no sag during that time that I noticed. I tried the procedure to get rid of trapped air, didn't change anything. Now I want to sell it, need the space, but if it has a problem I will disclose it. Of course it's out of warranty 
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,291
Likes: 3,616
From: Central Cal.
Like Floorman says, any hydraulic jack or lift is not meant to maintain a position for any long term. The idea is to lift something, then either put it back or on other resting spot. It should not support the load longer than to do the job. That is why there are jack stands and engine stands
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,129
Likes: 478
My harbor freight floor jack will leak down after 24 hours or so of holding a car up.
The 1 ton shop crane has held an engine off of the ground for weeks at a time, although it isn't recommended.
Changing the fluid can help prevent it from bleeding down.
The 1 ton shop crane has held an engine off of the ground for weeks at a time, although it isn't recommended.
Changing the fluid can help prevent it from bleeding down.
