Driveway Test bed

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Mrmopartech

Mrmopartech

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With the engine I put together with (DAVE69) (Mymopar.com)we came up with a cheap way to start and run and tune the engine for the 69 charger.Dave being a master welder,and have some type of engine skills,cough cough,hey,we might as well build a test bed and see what it cost to do.So we came up with this:A front motor plate for the big block with all the ignition bolted on and the cooling system from home depot.Wiring and ECU,distributor and ballast,garden hose,old tranny case and a starter,old converter and a B&M flex plate.I got spare engine stands,so we are cutting them up and doing some mods to it too support the motor and tranny,and a set of headers to make the exhaust system simple and easy to work with.At this point we are not buying any big dollar items.The tach is one of the ones I had in a race car,will install a oil guage that I have once I find it,under the mountains of mopar parts and engines,don,t need the temp guage as we have a garden hose and a shut off valve that we can manage with a guage and finger test the water.I will put up some pics of the mounting of the engine to the engine stand frame and show you what we used as this is all being done with just scrap shop material,and some labour,mrmopartech&Dave69
All comments welcomed,or PM me about what you think,
 

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That's really cool. I like it a lot.
 
Looks nice. I was going to cut up an old converter as well for my engine. Pictures and more pictures please!!
 
What are you doing to mount the starter?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwdNPbCcPzk"]Starting a car with a dead battery with a rope #2 - YouTube[/ame]
 
Depending on the tranny being used on a person,s motor,if it,s a manual car,we install there flywheel and there bell housing and a mini starter.For the auto cars,we use a B&M flex plate and half a converter.Also we use the proper balanced flex plate for cast crank motors,which the owner would provide as they need it any ways.Forged crank motors can go the flex plate route and 1/2 converter or neutral balanced flywheel. Cast crank motors need the proper flywheel balanced to the engine and or flex plate and weighted front half converter,or the proper counter balanced flex plate.Either way we have the parts and start and run the engine and tune it,rejet the carb and time it,look for leaks and repair as needed before install.I will be putting the base together this week with the insulators on the motor plate and the bracket for the two types of tranny,s being used to show a simple way to do this,and cost next to nothing to do,using stuff you have most likely in your garage.Mrmopartech
 
Pretty cool, I built a stand to start some of my motors.

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LOL. You have more money in your engine stand than I do in my 318
 
Today Dave and I did some of the final mock up for the stand.We will finish it this week and start his engine.Found all the spare mounts we need for it,in our stock of parts,spare oil gauge,s and other items and we are going to bend up a dash board for the gauge and switches Monday/Tuesday and install it and get the new motor ready.We will no a video of the start up and a tuning of the new motor.Once we are done I will post it up for you guys to show how little you need to do this.Remember,no rad,pulley,s belts,pump,etc to do this,and it,s all going to be on the cheap,mrmopartech
 
so, for the auto, do you mount an old tranny case to the back to mount the starter on?
 
67Dart273 said:
LOL. You have more money in your engine stand than I do in my 318
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It all depends on what you have laying around.
I have $200.00 in steel, $75.00 in casters and $100.00 in a one gallon fuel cell (saftey reasons).

I had two fresh motors a 360 and a 340 with only one car to put them in, so I would rather start them every once in a while instead of letting them sit, plus you have no surprises once the motor is in the car.
 
sireland67 said:
It all depends on what you have laying around.
I have $200.00 in steel, $75.00 in casters and $100.00 in a one gallon fuel cell (saftey reasons).

I had two fresh motors a 360 and a 340 with only one car to put them in, so I would rather start them every once in a while instead of letting them sit, plus you have no surprises once the motor is in the car.
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Yes, I see a chrome alternator mounted to another engine to the left. Are those sitting in a pick up bed??? Or is the floor in your garage wood???

How about more detailed pictures of your engine start stand, Please???? As I need to build one to fit LA, B, RB and gen. 2 HEMI.
 
Will do,we welded up the roll platform today and now setting up the stock engine mounting like a K member and a rear bushing tranny mount for the rear.will post in a day or so,mrmopartech
 
I'm really interested in this and love that it is not a big buck deal. Looking forward to pics of stand etc. BTW although I have 4 spd 440, what do you mean by "half a converter" for auto? I don't get that? Thanks for all the great info.
 
nothingbutdarts said:
Yes, I see a chrome alternator mounted to another engine to the left. Are those sitting in a pick up bed??? Or is the floor in your garage wood???

How about more detailed pictures of your engine start stand, Please???? As I need to build one to fit LA, B, RB and gen. 2 HEMI.
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Not my thread, PM for details.
The op says it best "on cheap with what you have"
 
SpikeWills69 said:
I'm really interested in this and love that it is not a big buck deal. Looking forward to pics of stand etc. BTW although I have 4 spd 440, what do you mean by "half a converter" for auto? I don't get that? Thanks for all the great info.
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He means he cut a torque converter open and just used the forward part of the converter (where it bolts to the flex plate because that part has the ring gear on it that the starter engages) then he uses a gutted out automatic case so the starter has something to bolt to.
 
Today my buddy Dave and I started his 383 that I put together for him on a test stand we did from parts and steel we had from either our garages and shops,and a few parts from members here at FABO.All went well after wiring every thing up and haveing a few burnt plug wire boots from header heat,all is good,we have a happy 69 383 charger motor ready for install.All in all it was a very eazy test stand to build and any one here can do,as we used very small amount of steel,common stuff,regular wiring,ignition parts,free garden hose and tranny case,pex water tubing for houses,and clamps&fittings,and the only high dollar items where a motor plate I had from a former race car and the fuel cell(if its 150$ if that) from the car also.Used all material you get at a auto parts or hardware store.The tach was a spare unit I had for the dart,and a old oil pressure guage in my tool box for testing.The pictures are on (mymopar.com) as dave has not sent them to me yet,as after a few beer he forgot,mrmopartech

http://www.mymopar.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17887&hl=
 
I'm building something similar.(Cheap) How did you wire up the ignition? I have a panel off of a motorhome engine with a chrome box, voltage reg, and four pin ballast. Do I need to run an alternator or can I just run the ignition off of a battery. Can I delete the vr and ballast? How did you attach the garden hose to the engine?
 
OK, I just watched your youtube vid. I see how you plumbed the water. How did you wire up the ignition?
 
70net440 said:
OK, I just watched your youtube vid. I see how you plumbed the water. How did you wire up the ignition?
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Well, you could get a cheap old points style dist. just for the engine run in!
If you use the 4 pin box you will still need the balast resistor. Do you have an extra harness with the plug that goes into the ign. box? It would be a simple wiring job. You do not need the alternator wired in or anything but would need it if you were going to turn the water pump belt.

You could get away with an on/off switch and a starter button then a manual oil and coolant temp gauge.
 
I have the plug for the ign box and most of the old wiring harness. What wire needs 12volts to power the box? I plan on using an on/off switch and starter button that I already have.
 
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