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Hot Rods Porta Power? Are They Practical??

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Fortunateson, Dec 10, 2019.

  1. Fortunateson
    Joined: Apr 30, 2012
    Posts: 5,331

    Fortunateson
    Member

    I picked up a Porta Power type machine from Princess Auto yesterday at a very good discount. Now I'm debating whether or not they are something that could be useful for things other than straightening frames and pulling major dents. I suppose they'd work really well in a stud gun application! LOL
     
  2. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,086

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    I think they are a tool that if you have one you’ll find a lot of use for it.
     
  3. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,440

    Boneyard51
    Member

    Best thing since roll up windows!






    Bones
     
  4. Fortunateson
    Joined: Apr 30, 2012
    Posts: 5,331

    Fortunateson
    Member

    Ok guys, suggestions for others uses other than the obvious?
     

  5. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,440

    Boneyard51
    Member

    Don’t know what “ kit” you bought, but mine is a complete set made by Black hawk. With it you can pull hubs,remove king pins, pull axles, ..... it’s been twenty years since I have used it, but back in the day it did seem to come into use quite often???






    Bones
     
    deathrowdave and VANDENPLAS like this.
  6. TrailerTrashToo
    Joined: Jun 20, 2018
    Posts: 1,289

    TrailerTrashToo
    Member

    Extracting T-posts from the ground, useful when you need some extra force to align something.

    Had a neighbor borrow it to remove a bathroom vanity from the wall (Bathroom remodel job)

    My stock car racing son-in-law borrowed it several times each season.
     
  7. drtrcrV-8
    Joined: Jan 6, 2013
    Posts: 1,707

    drtrcrV-8
    Member

    If you have a fabrication shop(or do any serious fab work) you will find a new & different use for it every day you open your shop door(even more so if you also got the "pull' attachment in the kit), to say nothing of the application ideas that will spring out of nowhere, especially after a difficult project is over & you suddenly realize how the porta-power would have made it so much easier!! LOL!
     
    RMR&C and Boneyard51 like this.
  8. A Porta Power, is as necessary as an opposable thumb. I was lucky enough to buy mine at auction over 25 years ago, and purchased a number of different length jacks, a duckbill jack, and a puller that can also be used with chains, all from Princess Auto.
    As one of the other posters above stated, the uses for this tool are only limited by your imagination. It is indispensable for moving heavy items in tight places.
    Bob
     
  9. Three Widow's Garage
    Joined: Jan 18, 2010
    Posts: 230

    Three Widow's Garage
    Member

    I moved my guest house (16' x 22') about 8 ' across the back yard with the cheapo Harbor Freight one.
     
    '51 Norm, raven and kidcampbell71 like this.
  10. G-son
    Joined: Dec 19, 2012
    Posts: 1,275

    G-son
    Member
    from Sweden

    Great for banger racing. Those cars tend to get smaller and smaller, you need to push the metal back out again. ;)
     
    HunterYJ and King ford like this.
  11. chopped
    Joined: Dec 9, 2004
    Posts: 2,139

    chopped
    Member

  12. Truck64
    Joined: Oct 18, 2015
    Posts: 5,325

    Truck64
    Member
    from Ioway

    Better than takin' a crap over a log! Oh, wait, you said Porter Power..
     
  13. chrisp
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,048

    chrisp
    Member

    I even used mine, actually 2 of them at the same time to partially raise the roof in my house to replace some of the oak rafters.
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  14. flatheadpete
    Joined: Oct 29, 2003
    Posts: 10,478

    flatheadpete
    Member
    from Burton, MI

    I used one to spread leaf springs one time...worked great.
     
    j-jock, King ford and kidcampbell71 like this.
  15. They are great. My brother has one he got around 1980 at a discount tool place. Used one all the time with the stock cars. With my Ford, the cross member drops right out, getting it back in, the frame needs to be spread maybe an 1/8". It is at minimum a 2-person task since the rails are not parallel.
     
  16. WB69
    Joined: Dec 7, 2008
    Posts: 1,958

    WB69
    Member
    from Kansas

    If you have it you'll find a use for it. If you don't you'll think if I had a porta power right know it sure would be handy. I could use it right about now doing this.
     
    King ford likes this.
  17. I have two and there something once you have them you don't know how you got along without them.
     
  18. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    I made a fitting to screw mine into the diesel injectors on my tractor to set the opening PSI, which was something like 2K psi. Honestly, other than that I haven't used it much, I mostly use a small bottle jack and 2x4s to push stuff around.
     
  19. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,138

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    This is one of those tools where you'll be presented with an issue and, this will be the only tool you can use to fix it. The main use I can think of is in the body realm, where you need to push or pull a panel for alignment. We just speaking to a noted builder this weekend and we were discussing decklid and tail pan fitment on an A coupe, and that he had to push the quarter out to get the new decklid to gap properly. The uses are endless
     
    bobss396 likes this.
  20. I use them at work all the time, but I haven't used mine at home for 25 years!
     
  21. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    It's a great to to have sitting around, if you like collecting tools. I have one now, and have borrowed one in the past. Really handy when you need it, but unless you race stock cars or run a body shop, that probably isn't very often.
     
    scotty t and Blues4U like this.
  22. Rex_A_Lott
    Joined: Feb 5, 2007
    Posts: 1,148

    Rex_A_Lott
    Member

    Other than the normal bodywork type applications, Ive used mine to spread the frame rails when dropping in a Model A engine/ trans mission, spreading the rails to square up a frame jig and even made an adapter to turn mine into a pipe/tubing bender. Money well spent for me. Good Luck.
     
  23. rule #1 with tools: buy all the tools you can afford
    rule #2: never sell a tool
     
    05snopro440, j-jock, X-cpe and 6 others like this.
  24. treb11
    Joined: Jan 21, 2006
    Posts: 3,947

    treb11
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Any time you pick up a hammer, ask yourself if the porta power would be a better option. If you don't already have a hydraulic press frame, build one for the PP.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  25. I found one very useful after someone stile my daughters Explorer and rolled it, I had never tried to jack out a roof but within a few hours the roof was fairly close to it's original shape, I also used it to get the A pillar back in place.

    It's a tool you won't use often, unless your working with a wreck but you will find it valuable when you need it. HRP
     
  26. patterg2003
    Joined: Sep 21, 2014
    Posts: 864

    patterg2003

    My son has the large Princess Auto set. We have an old rental house that had a side door & window combination that was poorly installed. The house has really nice plaster detailing around the main rooms that had a couple great cracks straight up over the door. Held a 4x4 across the ceiling and used the port a power to lift ceiling until crack(s) disappeared plus a little more to load ceiling. Put in temporary posts then pulled the door & window. Carefully put in a new header and made sure it was carrying the load so it would not relax the crack. Pulled temporary supports. Cracks remained invisible. Then put in a well insulated double garden door. Preloading the beam has kept the crack closed going on 6 years. My 40 Ford has some asymmetry in the catwalk and trunk lid on one side that will need to be adjusted so a tool that I can borrow. My son has been a gear head since he could crawl and has an impressive collection of tools. He is our toolcrib.
     
    charleyw and raven like this.
  27. Fortunateson
    Joined: Apr 30, 2012
    Posts: 5,331

    Fortunateson
    Member

    Yeah this is the ten ton unit. To be honest I couldn't resist the price ($149 less 30%) CDN so I went for it. Now with the voice of the HAMB encouraging me I'll say it's a Christmas gift to myself. Thanks for all the encouragement. I looked online and they all seem to be the same quality and components. Now I'll have to get educated at YouTube University...
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2019
    WB69 likes this.
  28. Latigo
    Joined: Mar 24, 2014
    Posts: 739

    Latigo
    Member

    Broke out in a sweat and started shaking while reading this. I don’t have this tool and have never used one. Gotta get one now!
     
  29. ... used to move things. Things need moving.

    I endorse this message.
     
    j-jock, winduptoy and Boneyard51 like this.
  30. Use it a lot a work for bearings/ king pins/ pulling / bending / aligning parts etc
    Again a tool that ain’t gonna be used. Lot but when you need it it’s a Godsend
     
    Boneyard51 likes this.

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