Homemade engine stand

[diggerrick]

These are the ones I've seen in magazines:

http://www.axeequipment.com/enginestandsnewfor.htm

They're nice, but I think they're kinda expensive.

 

[scott37300]

Looks like they sell them? There's a whole bunch in the back of the warehouse behind the guy....

http://www.weitnertools.com/products/MG600V.htm

Yes they do sell them but I don't think in the US. They also have a REALLY nice strut spring compressor that uses air and a pneumatic cylinder. I built one of these last year and it worked great, need to do a little rework on the arms I made to hold the spring but overall it was a great success and I love using it, way better than those screw spring compressors. Here is a video of it. I would like to have her as a shop assistant!

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0Mt1UBTp0zk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[scott37300]

While doing some searching on this tonight I came across a guy that mentioned he always wanted to make one that used a hub assembly and the disc brake setup also in order to hold the engine in place. I thought this might be a really nice feature, lets you lock the engine in place at any angle you want.

I think it would be possible to either cut and chop a knuckle up and weld it to the stand and the hub and disc brake would just bolt on to it. Or instead of using the whole knuckle just bolt the hub to the stand like I had planed on doing and then just weld up some brackets to hold the brake calipers in place.

The only issue I see is how to control the brakes. Do they make some kind of screw valve that would open and close the calipers? I tried searching for some kind of hydralic valves but couldn't find what I am looking for, only relief valves. Would be nice to find something that you can turn that will close and open the brakes to lock and unlock the engine.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

pillows are great for spinning but for engine building you need a good lock down while you are working..

 

[scott37300]

pillows are great for spinning but for engine building you need a good lock down while you are working..

I agree. That is why my post was asking about using a disc brake setup to lock the engine in place.

 

[Gmonkee]

Wouldn't a worm gear type gear box prevent spinning by itself? How is your 30-1 ratio gearbox configured? If not worm gear type it would be a lot easier to just trap the handle that spins it.

You are over thinking this again Scott, your budget runs out before it is usable you have nothing but a pile of parts.
Ask me about my 18" english wheel project, from about 2 years back.

 

[johnsdeere850j]

 

[SoL from Sweden]

OMG that last one is HUGE!

 

[scott37300]

Wouldn't a worm gear type gear box prevent spinning by itself? How is your 30-1 ratio gearbox configured? If not worm gear type it would be a lot easier to just trap the handle that spins it.

You are over thinking this again Scott, your budget runs out before it is usable you have nothing but a pile of parts.
Ask me about my 18" english wheel project, from about 2 years back.

YES I am over thinking this, I over think and over build everything I do! But I also do this in order to build something once and have it just the way I want. Sometimes I wish I could stop thinking and just wing it but then usually something gets left out or done wrong. I just like to overthink/build things so I never have to worry about putting any size engine on it.

As for the gear box it is a very heavy duty one that weighs a lot and even has cooling fans and uses oil to keep cool. I bought them off ebay a year or two ago. I bought 2 60:1 ratio boxes for about 45 bucks each shipped and the seller sent 30:1. So after a couple emails we came to an agreement on me just buying 2 more 60:1 instead of wasting money shipping the 30:1 back and forth. So I had 4 gear boxes and only needed one for the project I was working on at the time. I'm not sure if it has enough resistance to keep from spinning by itself, and not sure I want to test that out. I know the 60:1 that I used already I tried to turn it with a 24" pipe wrench and couldn't. I was thinking the disc brake setup would be really nice. If I can find some sort of valve that will actuate the calipers easy it will provide a for sure lock. Figured since I already am going to have the hub and studs on there it wouldn't be much more work to add the whole brake setup.

I will think about it some more. The snow has finally melted for the 3rd time this year! Waiting a little for the ground to dry up and then will start hitting the junk yard for parts and see what I can come up with. I'm thinking for budget reasons that I will attach this to my HF stand I have now just to try things out, "prototype"! Then I will build a heavy duty frame for the stand and transfer the head over down the road.

Here is a picture of the gearbox.

 

[Gmonkee]

That is a worm gear box. No brake needed at all because it will never roll down. The input shaft enters at 90 degrees to the output and cannot be forced at the output without exploding the entire thing. Save your money for very heavy duty casters, you'll be needing them.

 

[ihredo4]

I know the satisfaction of building your own. You can point at it and say "I made that!" When I needed an upgrade I watched craigslist and found what I needed. The one I got is an OTC 1735 that I gave $3 or 400 for. They are out there. Incidentally I don't mess with little engines like Ford 460's or Chevy 454's. I mess with tractor engines that are pushing the 2000# limit of this stand.
Here is a link to the OTC Stand. Incidentally knowing then what I know now I would buy this stand brand new. They are worth every penny. http://www.tooltopia.com/otc-tools-1735a.aspx

 

[scott37300]

That is a worm gear box. No brake needed at all because it will never roll down. The input shaft enters at 90 degrees to the output and cannot be forced at the output without exploding the entire thing. Save your money for very heavy duty casters, you'll be needing them.

Thanks for the help Gmonkee. I will try it out with just the gear box and I think you are right that it won't roll. Just didn't know for sure and didn't really want to push my luck! I am going to be using my 1000 pound HF stand for the base for now, just to get the bugs worked out and then when budget allows I will buy the metal and weld up my own heavy duty stand.

I know the satisfaction of building your own. You can point at it and say "I made that!" When I needed an upgrade I watched craigslist and found what I needed. The one I got is an OTC 1735 that I gave $3 or 400 for. They are out there. Incidentally I don't mess with little engines like Ford 460's or Chevy 454's. I mess with tractor engines that are pushing the 2000# limit of this stand.
Here is a link to the OTC Stand. Incidentally knowing then what I know now I would buy this stand brand new. They are worth every penny. http://www.tooltopia.com/otc-tools-1735a.aspx

Well 1200 dollars is WAY out of my price range. I don't build engines everyday or make money on them. Mainly doing this because for 150 bucks or so I can have a very heavy duty engine stand that I would put up against that OTC stand. Even 3-400 dollars is on the high end of what i would spend, although if I could find a stand like the OTC you did for 2-300 I would seriously consider it. So it's not just for the "I did it" factor, it's for that and the fact that I can build something as HD if not better than the OTC model for a VERY small fraction of what it is new. I have searched CL a bunch but have never been able to find something good for a decent price.

I have done hours of searching online and looking at everything available and I have come up with a design that will incorporate everything I like from different stands. Just need a hub bearing and half shaft and some metal and I can get the head fabbed up and see how it works.

 

[ihredo4]

Well 1200 dollars is WAY out of my price range. I don't build engines everyday or make money on them. Mainly doing this because for 150 bucks or so I can have a very heavy duty engine stand that I would put up against that OTC stand. Even 3-400 dollars is on the high end of what i would spend, although if I could find a stand like the OTC you did for 2-300 I would seriously consider it. So it's not just for the "I did it" factor, it's for that and the fact that I can build something as HD if not better than the OTC model for a VERY small fraction of what it is new. I have searched CL a bunch but have never been able to find something good for a decent price.

I have done hours of searching online and looking at everything available and I have come up with a design that will incorporate everything I like from different stands. Just need a hub bearing and half shaft and some metal and I can get the head fabbed up and see how it works.

Understand what you are saying my friend. I have a very heavy duty stand that was made out of 4" pipe. Damn thing is so big it would hang off a pallet. Sadly it can't even hold the engine I have on it. I only build engines for myself but did loan it to a friend that builds depression are tractor engines. We had to extend the output mount 14" to get the engine on. After he built that engine on there he said he didn't know how he ever did them before. Good luck on your build.

 

[scott37300]

Understand what you are saying my friend. I have a very heavy duty stand that was made out of 4" pipe. Damn thing is so big it would hang off a pallet. Sadly it can't even hold the engine I have on it. I only build engines for myself but did loan it to a friend that builds depression are tractor engines. We had to extend the output mount 14" to get the engine on. After he built that engine on there he said he didn't know how he ever did them before. Good luck on your build.

Thanks for the advice and luck!