Economical easy to build engine dolly

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Larry Hutchens

Active Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2017
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Location
Collinsville Ok.
I have built several of these for small block & big block engines. They have held up well & are fairly easy to build using minimal woodworking skills. Materials: 2 2x10 21" long, 2 1/2" or 5/8" plywood 4 1/2" x 12" long, 1 harbor freight small furniture dolly 11 1/2" x 18". Use deck screws to fasten plywood to 2x10, 2" long. Fasten dolly to the 2x10s using 3" deck screws toenail fashion just at the edge of the wheel mount. You can store 2 or more engines next to each other & take up minimal space. Hold up well with the only problem during long term storage is that the wheels will develop a small flat spot. Not the most stable but I have never tipped an engine over using these.
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I have built several of these for small block & big block engines. They have held up well & are fairly easy to build using minimal woodworking skills. Materials: 2 2x10 21" long, 2 1/2" or 5/8" plywood 4 1/2" x 12" long, 1 harbor freight small furniture dolly 11 1/2" x 18". Use deck screws to fasten plywood to 2x10, 2" long. Fasten dolly to the 2x10s using 3" deck screws toenail fashion just at the edge of the wheel mount. You can store 2 or more engines next to each other & take up minimal space. Hold up well with the only problem during long term storage is that the wheels will develop a small flat spot. Not the most stable but I have never tipped an engine over using these.View attachment 1715559449 View attachment 1715559450 View attachment 1715559451 View attachment 1715559458
Good idea and certainly cheap enough to build. Are they stable and not prone to tipping over?
 
That's a great idea....I think Karl (@krazykuda) also does that.

That said, if I ever do that, I'll copy HF's design and use much bigger, better casters. The casters those come with SUCK. They get hung up on a grain of sand or won't turn. Or both. That can make for some dangerous moving around.
 
That's a great idea....I think Karl (@krazykuda) also does that.

That said, if I ever do that, I'll copy HF's design and use much bigger, better casters. The casters those come with SUCK. They get hung up on a grain of sand or won't turn. Or both. That can make for some dangerous moving around.


I buy my casters from a tool outlet and get beefy ones... I think the ones I have are 3" diameter and rated for 350 lbs each...
 
I buy my casters from a tool outlet and get beefy ones... I think the ones I have are 3" diameter and rated for 350 lbs each...

I like the 5 or 6 inch diameter casters. I have dirt/grass/gravel in front of my shop and if I ever need to load on on a trailer for instance, the bigger wheels roll right over uneven terrain.
 
I built a similar unit using the larger model from Menards. Wheels are larger diameter and "roll" better on my bumpy garage floor. For a smooth floor, a smaller model would be great. Thanks for sharing! Bob
 
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