Engine stands

[montidale]

Well, I’m getting started on my winter project. It’s an Allis Chalmers WC I got from my neighbor many years ago. The engines in good shape. I just need to disassemble the tractor and clean everything up, and put new seals in everything. so anyway, I pulled the engine today and was putting it on the engine stand, and got to thinking there’s only two bolts that are actually holding the engine on the stand. The bottom, two bolts just hold it in place. I guess over the years I’ve used stands similar to this on cars and tractor engines. The bolts in the tractor are half inch coarse threads about the inch into the block. I’d hate to have the thread strip out and drop the block on the floor. I’m thinking about maybe rigging something up to support the front of the engine. Has anybody run into issues with the engine stands? Do you think this stand is good enough?

 

[caterpillar guy]

It is probably fine but a front end support would not hurt for extra support. Or if you put the top bars on the back side of the main plate they would have a bit more support to them as is. Would have to bend over the main plate instead of over the bolt head.

 

[gregm]

If it makes you feel any better, go ahead and add a front support. Unless that is a homemade or abused stand it should be rated for at least 750 lbs., which is way more than what your engine weighs. I also have to say that I have never seen an engine stand that used more than four bolts to secure an engine on one end (eight total if it had front and back mounting plates).

 

[Janicholson]

It is probably fine but a front end support would not hurt for extra support. Or if you put the top bars on the back side of the main plate they would have a bit more support to them as is. Would have to bend over the main plate instead of over the bolt head.

Agree. Shorter top bars would also reduce the bending moment on the assembly. I do not think there is a reason to doubt the thread into the block unless the bolt is grade 2 and only into the block 1.2 inch. Jim

 

[old]

Well, I’m getting started on my winter project. It’s an Allis Chalmers WC I got from my neighbor many years ago. The engines in good shape. I just need to disassemble the tractor and clean everything up, and put new seals in everything. so anyway, I pulled the engine today and was putting it on the engine stand, and got to thinking there’s only two bolts that are actually holding the engine on the stand. The bottom, two bolts just hold it in place. I guess over the years I’ve used stands similar to this on cars and tractor engines. The bolts in the tractor are half inch coarse threads about the inch into the block. I’d hate to have the thread strip out and drop the block on the floor. I’m thinking about maybe rigging something up to support the front of the engine. Has anybody run into issues with the engine stands? Do you think this stand is good enough?

That right there is why my shop is set up with 5 chain hoist and most on trolleys so you can move the engine etc forward and back.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

The biggest problem with that type of stand is not capacity.... it's balance . The way you have it mounted now, the crankshaft is at or near the centerline of the rotating head. All that weight at 90 degrees puts you at real danger of falling over, particularly if you have a 3-wheel stand.

Ideally, the center line of the rotating head should be above the bottom and below the halfway point up the cylinders. This will give you better counter balance.

Depending upon how your stand is built, you may have to modify the attachment arms or lengthen the slots in the face plate. Try hanging the engine from a hoist and unbolt the stand.... and rotate the face plate 180 degrees are attach it with the arms on the bottom... or do anything else you can do to get the crankshaft as low as possible.

 

[tim s]

I made a heavey duty engine stand using an old combine final drive,, mounting the engine where the wheel bolted on,, put a crnk on where the axel went..

 

[Fritz Maurer]

I made a heavey duty engine stand using an old combine final drive,, mounting the engine where the wheel bolted on,, put a crnk on where the axel went..

To buy something like that from OTC probably be $10,000... that's a beautiful job , I always wanted to try something like that but I couldn't get past the worm drive thing big enough to build something out of . Combine final is a great idea.

 

[4wdtom]

The biggest problem with that type of stand is not capacity.... it's balance . The way you have it mounted now, the crankshaft is at or near the centerline of the rotating head. All that weight at 90 degrees puts you at real danger of falling over, particularly if you have a 3-wheel stand.

Ideally, the center line of the rotating head should be above the bottom and below the halfway point up the cylinders. This will give you better counter balance.

Depending upon how your stand is built, you may have to modify the attachment arms or lengthen the slots in the face plate. Try hanging the engine from a hoist and unbolt the stand.... and rotate the face plate 180 degrees are attach it with the arms on the bottom... or do anything else you can do to get the crankshaft as low as possible.

I certainly agree with you. Very unbalanced. As pictured, lowering the engine he might be able to get the holes in the block to align with the holes in the stand and just use the two bolt on brackets as spacers. Then swing the lower brackets down to catch the lower holes in the block.

 

[tim s]

I had to make a lock devise on it because it will not stay in place,, this drive has a 7 to 1 ratio so it turns easy,, I mounted a 466 SAE bell housing on to it ,,it makes line up easy

 

[used red MN]

The bolts in the tractor are half inch coarse threads about the inch into the block. I’d hate to have the thread strip out and drop the block on the floor.

Two half inch bolts would lift that entire tractor! In fact one would probably lift it. A 1/2” grade 5 bolt has a clamp force of 9050 lbs. An inch of threads into the engine casting is more than adequate.

 

[Destroked 450]

Picked up this hand crank rotating engine stand at Harbor Freight recently

It has greaseable bearings on the rotating head and a lock screw to keep the head from turning
I'm looking to make some brackets to mount engines to the stand sideways so there's less overhang weight, no way I'd want a 6 cylinder diesel hanging on a stand long ways

 

[tim s]

I thought about a side mount set up but chose the end mount,, all I work on are 404/466 engines and they are more than safe to hang by the end

 

[Destroked 450]

You've got a nice heavy duty stand and with a full bell housing bolted to an axle flange I wouldn't worry about hanging a full loaded engine on that stand
For the head on my stand I've had 700 lb big block gas engine hanging on that style head and it was plumb scary looking

 

[montidale]

It is probably fine but a front end support would not hurt for extra support. Or if you put the top bars on the back side of the main plate they would have a bit more support to them as is. Would have to bend over the main plate instead of over the bolt head.

It is probably fine but a front end support would not hurt for extra support. Or if you put the top bars on the back side of the main plate they would have a bit more support to them as is. Would have to bend over the main plate instead of over the bolt head.

It’s not a bad idea to put the supports on the backside of the plate. But there’s not enough space there because the crankshaft clang would hit the plate. I probably won’t get around to painting the engine for a couple months anyways so that gives me time to come up with a little better set up. Tim S. Has the right idea.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

I thought about a side mount set up but chose the end mount,, all I work on are 404/466 engines and they are more than safe to hang by the end

Better your way because the gear box center would have to be another foot higher to make clearance to swing an in-line six 90 degrees... then you need a step ladder to work on it no matter what position it's in.

 

[tim s]

I have a 466 hanging on mine now,, It's the 10th one this year.. I have a completed 466 that I have on a shipping stand now,, getting ready to fire it up..I just went through it,, it was a walk in ,,in boxes..I was afraid my rotator lock would not handle the engine torquing up..I plan on making a sturdier lock set up..

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Great minds think alike. 7720 final. It will do a 6 cylinder I made it pretty tall since I didn’t want to bend over. More engines will fit the mounting plate from the side slightly easier if you build one this way. Tim s built one that is a level beefier and safer and he has the advantage of being able to hang it on with all of the attachments still hanging on it. With mine to rotate engine has to be pretty much naked. Dad and I both have to be around to turn it carefully with the handle then the other person throws the chain over the handle to use the chain as a lock one person could easily do it but for safety the lever looks like it would be really painful if it got away. It isn’t perfect but it works and I made it because I couldn’t afford an otc and the harbor freight ones scared me more than this. It also works great to stack a clutch assembly with the engine sitting vertical.

 

[tim s]

Mine is made from a 4400 final, it has a 7 to 1 ratio,, I made a spring loaded lock ring with 6 holes in it,,I have the stuff to make a heaver lock pin just to make it safer.. I have to pull it off to put the rear main seal in.., I made 4 bolt on lift points with square tubing that bolt on to the side frame mounts,, I slip the fork lift forks into them to set them on and off the tractor and the engine stand. When O put the engine back in I line it up and slide it in on the forks,,some times I put a ratchet strap on to shake them in place

 

[tim s]

Here is a pic of the lift mounts