Top Quality Engine Stand?

[sberry]

A little would boil down to how much a guy needed to use it, I don't see the sense of putting some hi dollar stand under the occasional engine, if I was daily re builder then the bells and whistles would make some sense, other than that just mental ************.
I have stiffener bracket I can bolt to back for really heavy engines but don't need it for anything that fits in car or light truck.

 

[Outlawmws]

Price is no object. Who makes the best of the best when it comes to engine stands? I want one that will take any engine I put on it. Not interested in anything that will bend under a 460 with iron heads and crank still in it.

I have no problem making one. I have a machine shop with plenty of fab equipment. I suppose I was just wondering what the benchmark was. I know I can build one better than most of the ones out there. What features are handy that you would've never thought of by yourself? What head design works best? What doesn't work?

I put the "price is no object" thing in there to weed out the inevitable "just go to HF" comment. I'm just lookin to see what guys like in their engine stands, so I can build one that works well and incorporates the best design elements of ones already made. I'm particularly interested in the head locking design, and possibly a geared rotating assembly of some nature.

I don't want to re-invent the wheel, but I don't just want to copy some lame design.... If i'm gonna build one, I'm gonna over build it.

A little would boil down to how much a guy needed to use it, I don't see the sense of putting some hi dollar stand under the occasional engine, if I was daily re builder then the bells and whistles would make some sense, other than that just mental ************.
I have stiffener bracket I can bolt to back for really heavy engines but don't need it for anything that fits in car or light truck.

Did you bother to read the OP's posts?

 

[idoitproject]

Build this one! I snapped the picture of this one while attending city college last year.

 

[sberry]

Yes, I did read his posts but was generalizing so not everyone else might think they need a 2000$ stand to do an overhaul.

 

[dr_clyde]

I have made some progress, although this project hasn't been top priority. I'll snap some pics later when I'm at the shop.
I've been designing the head. I'm trying to source some worm gears for the crank assembly. I'm not wild about the options in mcmaster carries, as I would have to fabricate a case. I'd like to find some kind of self contained gearbox, but they are proving elusive for the perfect size, shape, gear reduction, ect.

 

[crewchief888]

Price no object. maybe this one.

http://www.ntxtools.com/network-tool-warehouse/OTC-1750A.html

^--- this one.

i ran many fully assembled 6619 deere engines on one.
it handles that 2200 lb engine with no problems.

 

[dr_clyde]

Finally got some time to sit down at my computer. I usually read/post from my phone. Anyway, here are some pics as to the progress to the head of the engine stand I'm building.

I started with a piece of 1" wall 4" OD steel tube, and bored out a spot for some ball bearings. These bearings are out of a VM17 milling machine that needed new spindle bearings. At a cost of some $200 apiece, I was happy to re-purpose the old ones for free.

I have since bored out a hole for the main shaft and grooved a slot for some retaining rings. The main shaft is solid steel, turned down to fit smoothly between the bearings.

I'm working on a worm drive so the engine can't get away from me on those bearings.

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

dr_clyde, I don't think that rotating shaft housing is 'meaty' enough to do the job! lol

Holy ****, if the rest of the unit is built as beefy as what you have shown, you'll be able to rebuild a D-9 CAT engine on that thing while it is still installed on the tractor. You're going to be able to turn that thing with a starter ring gear and a stepper motor; WOW!

 

[RangerDaleXp]

30 years ago I bought a engine stand from performance automotive wholesale "a.k.a. PAW". If I recall, it had a rating of 1500 pounds. It has held at least 40 big blocks on it and never bent or sagged in any way. It even had a nice tool tray on it. I do not know the make of it but it has been taken apart for storage reasons and put away.

 

[SSAAHemiFan]

here are 2 reasonably priced gear models - no experience with either - the design of the omega base look better.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200349940_200349940

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-908300GA

 

[Danglerb]

When I put an engine on the stand I like to remove the 4 arm head from the stand and mount that on the block and get it centered right while the block is still on the shop crane, then lift up the stand a little and hook up and secure the head back to the stand and lower the whole mess back to the ground.

As much as I would like a crank drive, I would still want the head to come off and on like that.

If I need to, I take the weight off the stand with the shop crane and loosen up the bolts on the stand head and reposition the arms to get closer to a neutral balance.

 

[TexasDmax]

Here is one that the tractor pullers like to use.

http://www.twisterenginestands.com/Products.html

 

[Bull]

Mine is kind of a unique one. I picked it up at a garage sale. Tag reads: All Point Motor Stand, Montaque Equipment Co., Urbana Ohio, Model PWP-0

Hey, what would you guys pay for one of these? A friend of mine just called me to say that he found one for sale. He wants to know what a reasonable price would be. if anyone can give an honest reckoning of the market, it's you all.

 

[dr_clyde]

If everything is in good order, I wouldn't think $100-$150 is unreasonable.

 

[PCO6]

here are 2 reasonably priced gear models - no experience with either - the design of the omega base look better.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200349940_200349940

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-908300GA

I have the Summit Racing stand and it works well. The geared rotating head is a good feature. I agree with you re the Omega base. It would be easy to convert most stands to that style of base.

 

[454ragtop]

I have made some progress, although this project hasn't been top priority. I'll snap some pics later when I'm at the shop.
I've been designing the head. I'm trying to source some worm gears for the crank assembly. I'm not wild about the options in mcmaster carries, as I would have to fabricate a case. I'd like to find some kind of self contained gearbox, but they are proving elusive for the perfect size, shape, gear reduction, ect.

Might look into a truck slack adjuster and brake cam splined shaft before you go too far on the shaft. Someone mentioned it on here a couple weeks ago, really slick, and would be simple for you to design into your stand at this point. A buddy just dropped those parts off to me last week, trying to decide whether to retrofit my shop built stand, or retrofit a HF type stand.
HTH, Jim

Found it, see my post (last one) in this thread http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185422

 

[Ch3No2]

Just found this thread...see below

 

[JDon99]

Just found this thread...see below

Those look nice! How do they lock?

 

[Ch3No2]

Handle turns and it compresses two friction discs

 

[joecon]

otc makes good stands

 

[ATC]

Here is one that the tractor pullers like to use.

http://www.twisterenginestands.com/Products.html

I like that one!


I have the 2000lb unit from HF. It's held my fully dressed Ford 460 for years. I wish it had a pan under it. I need to make one for it.

 

[oldno3fan]

 

[crewchief888]

I third the OTC "The Revolver" stand. I have 2 of them and they will handle whatever you throw at them.

They roll around the shop nicely and it is very easy to rotate the engine once mounted. They are the best stands I have ever seen. Overkill for small gas engines but just right for larger Diesels.

for the OTC revolver

i've had fully assembled & running JD 6466's on them.