Engine stand...
- Thread starter inkjunkie
- Start date
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Yep, get a used flywheel and a starter motor, weld the flywheel to the head of the stand and rig a way to use a starter
You will "spin" a engine many times during a rebuild. I have one like the pictured one. Very handy. One downfall, The head doesn't disconnect from the stand so you have to line the block up perfectly with the cherry picker to bolt it down. My old stand was about pick up tailgate height. You could bolt the head to the block and wheel the stand under the tailgate and plug it into the tube.
inkjunkie
Well-Known Member
Haven't you by chance rigged something up or was this just something that popped into your head?
Thank you Sir. Just picked up the LS out of the wooden stand it was sitting on. My cherry picker is in the far end of my garage, 2 cars blocking access. Would have had to load it on my small trailer and use the tractor, much easier to just use the tractors bucket. If you don't mind me asking how much $$ did it cost you?
Haven't built a motor in several decades.Back then muscling a complete motor over was not a problem. Ain't no way I am spinning it on that HF stand...
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Doug I can still do this, with some effort. I'm not that strong, anymore. The secret is "accidently" getting it balanced
This should give you an idea of where to position it with heads on. I also can spin a shortblock on this. A long lever in the outer holes would also help
This should give you an idea of where to position it with heads on. I also can spin a shortblock on this. A long lever in the outer holes would also help
inkjunkie
Well-Known Member
Not that the balance will be the same but the head has to flipped when mounting the LS on it, I think. Will check it when I go to lock the garage.
Thanks Del...
Logan
Well-Known Member
You can rest the engine on the floor and muscle it so it balances on the corner of the oil pan (or anything else). Then, have a friend place a large carpenter's square on the floor and line it up at the point where it balances and draw a vertical line on the engine (Sharpie, masking tape...). Then, tip the engine the opposite direction and make another vertical line with the new balance point as the base. The intersection of the two lines is the center of gravity for the 'up', down' and 'side to side' plane. Put it on the stand so it rotates around this point and it will balance nicely until parts are removed.
I used this to mount an old (heavy) TV set off the ceiling and the screen could be tilted with one finger.
I used this to mount an old (heavy) TV set off the ceiling and the screen could be tilted with one finger.
pishta
I know I'm right....
buddy had a '38 Cadillac V16 on an aircraft engine stand, had a huge geared crank on it. That motor was a work of art. I too had a motor stand that was perfect size to wheel up to the tailgate of the B2000 and slide the motor onto, then pull the pin and slide the yoke out. One man load and unload with no hoist.
Yep I have. Did this many years ago when I was working part time thru college for a Small mom and pop Diesel performance company. Myself and the owner were the only ones who tore down and prepped the big heavy Cummins and other diesels before they went to the machine shop. Rotating a 6B Cummins over is a PITA. The owner, being a retired engineer, came up the idea and what we did was take a flywheel from a 6B, welded it to where the handle normally goes, then made a bracket out of some scrap steel for the starter, then tacked the bendix of the starter in the engaged position, wired it to a a toggle switch and a battery and it worked great. Now mark did the wiring and did something to slow the starter down but I don't recall what he did to do it, took some experimentation but eventually we got it to rotate the engines over at dang near the perfect speed. Course that varied a tiny bit depending on the full weight or a stripped block. Unfortunately I no longer have pics of this rig, they were on my old laptop which got destroyed literally by spilt milk.
I have been collecting gear boxes for a long time. One in particular is a big worm drive, perfect for this very thing. Have to make an adapter to use my cordless drill on it. Easily done. Lathe makes easy work.
inkjunkie
Well-Known Member
Not all of us have a lathe so...
An old timing chain set and a handle?
Garry in AZ
Building a 9 second Valiant
The worm gear setup has the advantage of holding things in place better once you rotate them to the desired position.
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