engine crane and engine stand,mods & accesories

[grumpyvette]

Although I showed this in a past separate thread, Grumpyvette's post reminded me of it. It stared as a Matco 1200 lb capacity stand and I modified the legs so that the stand takes up less floor space and can store more compactly. I also added brackets to store the legs. Oh and I also had the stand powder coated and then pin striped it too.
Grumpy is right too, it's worth it to buy a high quality stand and not chance the kind of problem he described. My leg modification is plenty strong with Tig welded steel inserts and grade 8 bolts.
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-from-crane-to-engine-stand.11524/#post-53175


The legs come off and store vertically along the mast. you can see I protected the holding brackets with corrugated sheathing. I also added a pair of rubber casters so that when the legs are off, 4 casters support the stand. They are mounted 1/4 inch off the ground when the legs are on so that they do not touch.

that engine stand paint job looks sharp!
ALL NICE FEATURES

brad_bb MODIFIED HIS ENGINE STAND FOR DETACHABLE LEGS

I can see where the detachable legs might come in handy in a smaller floor space shop, and that particular stand design seems to be exceptionally stable

Im sure if you have a few buck$ you can spare the addition of the larger caster will further enhance the stands versatility, I found the addition to all my engine stands well worth the price, making the stands far easier to move when loaded with a big block engine!
probably a better design but not foldable
I like what you did, that looks nice,btw,
Ive got two types of engine stands designs in my shop,(4 engine stands)but I added 4 of these wheels to each stand
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200442439

If you do build a second performance engine rather than modify your single existing original cars engine,theres some advantages, that us older geezers have come to appreciate at times.
as a general rule, its best to take your time and build a separate performance engine that you can swap into the car over a weekend, this has several advantages
(1) you will not be tying up the car, in an un-driveable condition waiting for weeks on parts to arrive or waiting on machine work to be done,
and you can always swap the original engine back into the car,
to have the car as dependable transportation while the performance engines being built or worked on.
(2) you can sell either engine separately from the car itself and still have a drive-able car.
(3)having your performance engine out on an engine stand certainly makes it far easier to work on.
(4) having a second engine available allows you to drive the car while you make repairs on the original engine
(5) if you screw something up, your not effectively stuck with a non-driveable car for long.
(6) with some experience you,ll find an engine swap between two similar engines can be done in a day , or at most a weekend by yourself, with a skilled and experienced local buddy, a long afternoon!

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200305213
http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-cus ... 46819.html

 

[NOT A TA]

Like others, I had old engine stands I never used because I aquired better ones. I put one to use on my whadayacallit I made out of an old roll bar to hold big/heavy things I want to work on, paint, etc. while being able to spin them around to work on different sides.





http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/cant-easily-transfer-engine-from-crane-to-engine-stand.11524/#post-53175

 

[87vette81big]

Not A T/A has the right idea Grumpy.
Engine stands are handy for Diff& Trans builds & more .

I was looking at the engine crane converted to a car trailer pictures you put up.
Idea is Novel but risky. No suspension or leaf springs or Trailerbrakes.
Never get it Titled & trailer licensed in Illinois.
One good bump & its bouncing all over & tow vehicle.

Handiest thing to have is a 18 foot Dual Axle Car Trailer & A Large 4X4 Tow vehicle.
Strap near anything to it. Go anywhere.

http://2loose.chevytalk.org/cherrypicker.html

 

[Grumpy]

I had a friend call and ask me if I had one of these engine levelers
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mtd-701001/overview/

while it looks like it would be very simple to fabricate something very similar with my welder and mill for a good deal less cash I can see where the design has some potential but Ive used the style below as I don,t trust the intake carb mount 5/16" studs to hold a big block chevy engines weight nearly as well as 4 3/8" bolts into the cylinder heads which are at least twice as strong

Ive used one like this for decades,
BUY AND USE A 3 TON SWIVEL HOOK, ON YOUR ENGINE CRANE, ITS ONE OF THE BEST $20 deals youll ever get

https://www.mfrexpress.com/alloy-swivel ... p-701.html
https://www.mfrexpress.com/alloy-swivel-hoist-hook-crane-hook-safety-latch-3-ton-p-701.html

notice in the picture below the cranks on the WRONG LOCATION
( FOR SOME REASON< THIS IS A COMMON SCREW-UP IN THE TOOLS APPLICATION)

its also a very good idea to remove the distributor and carburetor from the engine,
during the engine install process
and position the leveler body down within 3"-4" of the carb mount flange
to maximize the engine crane lift capacity over fenders and radiators

having several or at least 4 of these shoulder eye bolts in 3/8" NC thread are a huge help

use 4 1600 lb rated screw links to connect the chains from the engine tilter to the shoulder eye bolts

having a swivel hook on your engine cranes almost mandatory,as it allows you to easily spin the engine alignment
and obviously a decent engine tilter is a good idea, as it allows engine angle changes, just remember the crank handle faces away from the windshield , and the tilter screw thread bar requires moly lube grease

 

[Grumpy]