Has anyone made a homemade OB motor lift strap to hoist motor onto boat?

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Pale_Horse_Idaho

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If so can I see a picture or design? I looked at the ready made models and they do not inspire confidence.
 
I have used a Harbor freight Purple 6' lifting strap.
Those look nice. Maybe 2 of them and wrapped? Any pics of how you wrapped motor? My yamaha has nothing to hold it on front and rear. I could feed it through the middle but that means it could tip anyway it wanted. Also its going to get grease on it.
 
I wrapped it around the motor a couple of time and rigged it as a choker. I have a 440/880 pound rated hoist mounted to the ceiling of my garage.
 
Your F25? If so just run a bolt thru a piece of chain and thru your lifting ring on top of the motor. I just bored a hole in one of my deck stringers and ran a chain thru the hole and then to top of my old GT150. Push boat under it and use your trailer jack to get the transom height correct. I actually did this to raise my motor on transom. And I'm talking an old V6 OMC GT150 so no lightweight.Of course if you have a ground deck you couldn't do this.
 
Can't say I recall seeing an OB over 25 hp that didn't have a lift ring or lift point on it from the factory. The service manuals that I have had all show a lift point.
 
Can't say I recall seeing an OB over 25 hp that didn't have a lift ring or lift point on it from the factory. The service manuals that I have had all show a lift point.

None of the newer four stroke Mercs come with a lifting ring, but they'll happily sell you one that bolts onto the flywheel. My 84 60hp Merc didn't have one either.
 
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I just lifted a 50 hp Honda 4 stroke off a boat. Built a 6ft 4 sided tower on a Harbor Freight furniture dolly. 4 vertical 2x4s or 2x3s joined at the top with (4 sides) with plywood and 3 sides on the bottom Put a 4x4 across the top length ways supported by 2 4x4s going cross ways. Wrapped the top 4x4 with a chain, attached a come along and lifted the motor and rolled it to a storage spot. Hooked a tye down strap to the chain and to an eyelet on the ceiling to insure it would not get knocked over. Thought it would be real tippy but it was not. Unable to get better pictures at this time
I put a bar on the tower to attach the come along hook . Attached the come along pulley to the chain and attached the end of the cable to the lift eye on the motor. Stabilized the lower unit with two tie down straps
 

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Your F25? If so just run a bolt thru a piece of chain and thru your lifting ring on top of the motor. I just bored a hole in one of my deck stringers and ran a chain thru the hole and then to top of my old GT150. Push boat under it and use your trailer jack to get the transom height correct. I actually did this to raise my motor on transom. And I'm talking an old V6 OMC GT150 so no lightweight.Of course if you have a ground deck you couldn't do this.

I’ve removed an LT1 and trans from a police car that way. It was fairly beefy beam though, maybe a 4x10” or a couple of 2x12s that were doubled up. Don’t remember the details. Anyway, I wouldn’t try the same with a single 2x6”.

My little F25s just get moved around with an engine hoist. I’m too old to lift them by hand. I’ve done it with some help on both 25s and the 20 and don’t care to repeat it. Anyway, the lower cowlings are plastic and they would crush really easy so don’t use the sling wrap method. I opt for the $10 lifting eye over crushed cowlings. A chain would probably work instead of the lifting eye but, it’s little tight and I’m lifting an outboard from one bolt into an aluminum block that’s probably not as beefy as the old outboards.

Haven’t had to move either of my 115 outboards yet. If I need to, I’ll lift them the way the factory recommends. Maybe use one of the tractors rather than a hoist if I have a helper to guide the motor.
 
It was a 2x8, and you'd be surprised at how much weight a 2x8 can hold when it is "tied" into all the other deck stringers with screws. I screw all my decking together. Each stringer then actually supports the others via their attachment to the deck boards.
 
Pretty interesting thread. I can heft anything 25 HP or less, but was thinking about setting something up for larger motors. Something simple. Is there any reason why 3 2x4s fashioned into a tripod wouldn't work? The tops being chained together maybe? I'd like something that can be put up easily, taken down easily, easily stored.
 
I use a cherry picker and a chain with hooks or a ratchet strap. Most engines have a lift eye or loop, but occasionally, I will use a ring bolt in a threaded flywheel hole or a factory lift connector.

Best wishes.
 
Pretty interesting thread. I can heft anything 25 HP or less, but was thinking about setting something up for larger motors. Something simple. Is there any reason why 3 2x4s fashioned into a tripod wouldn't work? The tops being chained together maybe? I'd like something that can be put up easily, taken down easily, easily stored.

Would need something to keep the bottom of the tripod legs from splaying out. Probably easier in the long run to make 2x beam supported by a couple 2x braced posts with feet. Maybe simple ply gussets to keep it from racking. Bolt together. Disassemble when not in use.
 
I see what you're saying. Your idea is better.
 
well.. since the orig ? has migrated from "STRAP" to hoist and lift ECT... here is my kludge set up... and sure to be more than you wanted to know/see

IMHO the two separate straps linked by the lifting ring provide a quick/safe point as the two straps are pulled together towards each other front to back as
the lifting it started...

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qiN5e7ZAta4sxT29A
 

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