diff --git a/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/BlockCraneBase.java b/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/BlockCraneBase.java
index 3cdd1f8e5..577ceb614 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/BlockCraneBase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/BlockCraneBase.java
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import com.hbm.items.tool.ItemTooling;
 import com.hbm.lib.RefStrings;
 import com.hbm.main.MainRegistry;
 import com.hbm.tileentity.network.TileEntityCraneBase;
-import com.hbm.util.ChatBuilder;
 import cpw.mods.fml.client.registry.RenderingRegistry;
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.network.internal.FMLNetworkHandler;
 import cpw.mods.fml.relauncher.Side;
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ import net.minecraft.inventory.ISidedInventory;
 import net.minecraft.item.ItemStack;
 import net.minecraft.nbt.NBTTagCompound;
 import net.minecraft.tileentity.TileEntity;
-import net.minecraft.util.EnumChatFormatting;
 import net.minecraft.util.IIcon;
 import net.minecraft.world.IBlockAccess;
 import net.minecraft.world.World;
@@ -92,10 +90,6 @@ public abstract class BlockCraneBase extends BlockContainer implements IBlockSid
 		world.setBlockMetadataWithNotify(x, y, z, l, 2);
 	}
 
-	protected boolean hasReversedIO() {
-		return false;
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public boolean onScrew(World world, EntityPlayer player, int x, int y, int z, int side, float fX, float fY, float fZ, ToolType tool) {
 		if (tool != ToolType.SCREWDRIVER) return false;
@@ -105,28 +99,12 @@ public abstract class BlockCraneBase extends BlockContainer implements IBlockSid
 
 		TileEntityCraneBase craneTileEntity = (TileEntityCraneBase) te;
 
-		// some cranes like the ejector have reversed input and output sides
-		// so this bit of logic is to hide that away from the player
-		boolean actuallyCycleInput = player.isSneaking() != hasReversedIO();
-		ForgeDirection newDirection;
+		ForgeDirection newDirection = ForgeDirection.getOrientation(side);
 
-		if (actuallyCycleInput) { // cycle input
-			// it's in reverse because players are more likely to want to turn the output from DOWN to UP
-			int newValue = Math.floorMod(world.getBlockMetadata(x, y, z) - 1, 6);
-			newDirection = ForgeDirection.getOrientation(newValue);
-
-			world.setBlockMetadataWithNotify(x, y, z, newValue, 3);
-			craneTileEntity.ensureOutputOverrideValid();
-		} else { // cycle output
-			newDirection = craneTileEntity.cycleOutputOverride();
-		}
-
-		if (!world.isRemote) {
-			ChatBuilder message = player.isSneaking()
-					? ChatBuilder.start("Input: ").color(EnumChatFormatting.GREEN)
-					: ChatBuilder.start("Output: ").color(EnumChatFormatting.RED);
-			message.next(newDirection.name()).color(EnumChatFormatting.WHITE);
-			player.addChatComponentMessage(message.flush());
+		if (player.isSneaking()) {
+			craneTileEntity.setOutputOverride(newDirection);
+		} else {
+			craneTileEntity.setInput(newDirection);
 		}
 
 		return true;
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/CraneExtractor.java b/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/CraneExtractor.java
index 7b142bb70..a50ff756a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/CraneExtractor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/CraneExtractor.java
@@ -42,11 +42,6 @@ public class CraneExtractor extends BlockCraneBase {
 		this.iconDirectionalSideDownTurnRight = iconRegister.registerIcon(RefStrings.MODID + ":crane_out_side_right_turn_down");
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	protected boolean hasReversedIO() {
-		return true;
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public int getRotationFromSide(IBlockAccess world, int x, int y, int z, int side) {
 		int meta = world.getBlockMetadata(x, y, z);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/CraneUnboxer.java b/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/CraneUnboxer.java
index 109be9ac7..b9ffd19a2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/CraneUnboxer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/hbm/blocks/network/CraneUnboxer.java
@@ -50,11 +50,6 @@ public class CraneUnboxer extends BlockCraneBase implements IEnterableBlock {
 		this.iconDirectionalSideDownTurnRight = iconRegister.registerIcon(RefStrings.MODID + ":crane_unboxer_side_right_turn_down");
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	protected boolean hasReversedIO() {
-		return true;
-	}
-
 	@Override
 	public int getRotationFromSide(IBlockAccess world, int x, int y, int z, int side) {
 		int meta = world.getBlockMetadata(x, y, z);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/hbm/tileentity/network/TileEntityCraneBase.java b/src/main/java/com/hbm/tileentity/network/TileEntityCraneBase.java
index 28daa73f7..8449c27a1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/hbm/tileentity/network/TileEntityCraneBase.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/hbm/tileentity/network/TileEntityCraneBase.java
@@ -46,18 +46,31 @@ public abstract class TileEntityCraneBase extends TileEntityMachineBase {
 		return outputOverride;
 	}
 
-	public ForgeDirection cycleOutputOverride() {
-		do {
-			outputOverride = ForgeDirection.getOrientation(Math.floorMod(outputOverride.ordinal() - 1, 7));
-		} while (outputOverride.ordinal() == getBlockMetadata());
+	public void setOutputOverride(ForgeDirection direction) {
+		ForgeDirection oldSide = getOutputSide();
+		if (oldSide == direction)
+			direction = direction.getOpposite();
 
-		onBlockChanged();
-		return outputOverride;
+		outputOverride = direction;
+
+		if (direction == getInputSide())
+			setInput(oldSide);
+		else
+			onBlockChanged();
 	}
 
-	public void ensureOutputOverrideValid() {
-		if (outputOverride.ordinal() == getBlockMetadata())
-			cycleOutputOverride();
+	public void setInput(ForgeDirection direction) {
+		outputOverride = getOutputSide(); // save the current output, if it isn't saved yet
+
+		ForgeDirection oldSide = getInputSide();
+		if (oldSide == direction)
+			direction = direction.getOpposite();
+
+		boolean needSwapOutput = direction == getOutputSide();
+		worldObj.setBlockMetadataWithNotify(xCoord, yCoord, zCoord, direction.ordinal(), needSwapOutput ? 4 : 3);
+
+		if (needSwapOutput)
+			setOutputOverride(oldSide);
 	}
 
 	protected void onBlockChanged() {