Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to use an engine crane

Updated: October 2026

The crane is built and the engine is still in the bay. How to use an engine crane is legs and chart first, a vertical lift, a controlled lower, and a stop if the ram sinks. Family choice is on [engine crane vs gantry crane](/hub/workshop/workshop-crane/sub/workshop-crane-engine-or-gantry). What the title tonne means is on the [engine crane buying guide](/hub/workshop/workshop-crane/sub/workshop-crane-buying-guide). The six listings are on our [workshop crane comparison](/hub/workshop/workshop-crane). Products Compared used Sealey, Hilka, and Rocwood instructions on 16 October 2026. A purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The crane is built and the engine is still in the bay. How to use an engine crane is legs and chart first, a vertical lift, a controlled lower, and a stop if the ram sinks.

Our top picks

Sealey Sealey SC10 1 tonne folding crane

Best overall

Sealey Sealey SC10 1 tonne folding crane
4.6/10about £275.68
View offer
Sealey Sealey SG1000KITG 1 tonne gantry kit

Alternative

Sealey Sealey SG1000KITG 1 tonne gantry kit
4.5/10about £1,023.35
View offer
Garvee Garvee 2 tonne folding engine crane

Best value

Garvee Garvee 2 tonne folding engine crane
3.8/10about £199.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before the first pump
  2. 2.Lift, lower, and keep it vertical
  3. 3.How far you may roll it
  4. 4.When you stop

Before the first pump

Pins go in before the pump handle does. The legs have to be locked in the working position. Hilka’s UK manual puts the pins in the legs as part of assembly. Sealey’s SC10 chart, on the maker’s page, is 1,000 kg at 830 mm and 250 kg at 1,190 mm. The amazon.co.uk file does not print it. If the sheet is missing too, you do not lift. Bleed a spongy ram before you trust it. Sealey’s SC10.V5 says that before first use you open the release valve and pump about 20 full strokes to bleed air. Close the valve, raise the ram a short way with no engine on the hook, and watch whether it stays.

Lift, lower, and keep it vertical

Set the hook directly above the load. Sealey’s SC10.V5 says raise only from directly above. The sling goes on the lifting points the engine maker specifies. A sling rated below the chart hole is the new limit. The release valve is not the same way round on every brand, so the sheet in your box wins. On the Hilka manual the release nut turns clockwise to lift and anticlockwise, slowly, to lower. Sealey says the crane is not a device that holds the load indefinitely. If the engine has to stay up while you work, it belongs on a stand, not on the ram. Nobody works under an engine that is only on the crane.
Sealey Sealey SC10 1 tonne folding crane

Testsieger

Sealey Sealey SC10 1 tonne folding crane
4.6/10about £275.68
View offer

How far you may roll it

Sealey’s SC10.V5 says lower the jib before you move the crane, and only if that manual allows the move. Silence on a listing is not a yes. A gantry is a different machine. Sealey’s SG1000 instructions say the gantry is not designed to be moved whilst under load. Once the load is clear, it may be rolled along the crossbeam and then lowered. The frame stays put.

When you stop

A ram that sinks with nothing on the hook is a reason to stop. Rocwood’s fault table for its RWFEC1T says that if the ram lifts and will not maintain pressure, you close the valve, and if it still sinks you discontinue use and contact the supplier. You do not hang an engine while you keep bleeding. The only stored ram-sinks fact in this set is a United Kingdom review of the Sealey SC10 on 28 May 2019: the ram will not hold and the beam drops under its own weight. Do not generalise that review to every Sealey, and do not ignore it on an SC10. A workplace lift is where a competent person and LOLER take over. This page does not make you that person.

Common questions

What do I lock before I pump?
The legs, with the pins the manual specifies, on a level floor. Hilka’s folding-crane manual treats those pins as part of making the crane safe to use. Check the jib pin in the hole your chart allows for this weight. Raise the ram empty before the engine goes on the hook. If a pin is bent or missing, the pump stays unused.
Which jib hole do I use?
The hole whose chart figure is above your load, including the gearbox if it is still attached. If your listing never printed millimetres, you do not promote the long hole to the title tonne. You get the chart for that model, or you do not lift.
How do I bleed a ram that feels spongy?
Open the release valve and pump full strokes so air can leave, then close the valve and test with no load. Hilka describes pumping with the valve open. The sheet in your box wins if the order differs.
Can I roll the crane with the engine in the air?
Only if that manual allows it. Sealey’s SC10.V5 tells you to lower the jib before you move. A Sealey gantry is a no for the frame: the SG1000 is not to be moved whilst under load. When in doubt, put the engine on the stand first.
What if the beam drops with nothing on the hook?
Stop. If the ram still sinks, discontinue use and contact the supplier, which is Rocwood’s fault table. On the SC10, a UK review from 28 May 2019 describes that failure.
Where does the sling go on the engine?
On the lifting points the engine manufacturer specifies, with a sling or chain rated for that load. A bracket that looks strong is not automatically a lifting point. The crane’s chart does not upgrade a weak sling. If you do not know the points for that engine, look them up before the hook is attached. This page is not a strip-down for a named car.

Related pages

Engine crane for a home garage

Workshop crane

Best engine crane: top pick, best value, who skips

Engine crane buying guide: chart, tackle and ceiling

Engine crane vs gantry crane: wing reach or a beam

Sources

Public UK sources and maker pages used for this comparison, last checked on 16 October 2026. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines in this set.

  1. HSE, LOLER overview (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. LOLER 1998, regulation 7 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. HSE, thorough examinations of lifting equipment (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. HSE, work equipment FAQs (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. PUWER 1998 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Sealey SG1000 instructions (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Sealey SC10 folding engine crane (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Tooled Up, engine cranes (retrieved 16 October 2026)