Engine Stand Drawing?

[AltonD]

Does anybody have a good drawing I could work from to build an engine rebuild stand?
I am considering going the kit engine route.

[pierre smith]

....Hi Alton,
I had a steel topped workbench and burned a hole in it for the raised flange on the crankshaft and then drilled three holes around the perimeter of it for some cheap stove bolts to hold the crank flange and the engine in the vertical position while it was reassembled.

Actually, it's easier to install the crank and its bearings and the cam and lifters with one case laying on its side, then add the other side. After this stand it up on the crank flange to add cylinders and pistons, etc.

Regards,

[craigvince]

Here's the drawing we used.

[Rivethead]

Here's a picture of the two engine stands I built. The base measures 5/16"X24"X24" and are very stable I figured the height by what would be comfortable for me to work with. They're a little spendy to build but I like this design. I think they are the same design Mattituck uses in thier shop.

[carl nank]

I have been thinking about building a stand, but I can't think how to put the engine on the stand from a lift. You are not supposed to lift the engine anyplace except from the hook provided on the engine. The only thought I have is four guys tilting it over. I am concerned about that as I do not want it to fall on the floor.

How do you make this happen?

[Rivethead]

On the stand that I'm showing in the picture you can see the mount plate on the tube sitting on the base of the stand. That bolts on to the engine while still on the hoist. Then you can tip the stand and slide the two pieces together, that over balances the engine into a nose down position and is then pretty easily righted. It's the same in the reverse to get the engine off. You're also not going to be dealing with the full weight of the engine so some careful pulling and tugging won't damage anything. With the stand I use it can be a one person five minute operation.

[az_gila]

Originally Posted by pierre smith

....Hi Alton,
.....
Actually, it's easier to install the crank and its bearings and the cam and lifters with one case laying on its side, then add the other side. After this stand it up on the crank flange to add cylinders and pistons, etc.

Regards,

My IA who helped build Glenn's engine in my hangar preferred this "laying on it's side" approach too.

Simple to do, just cut wood supports and attach to a plywood base. One support under the mounting "ears", and one under the front bearings, size them to keep the crank horizontal. Easy to do...

He also suggested another approach for the later work... Hang the engine on the plane without the cylinders attached. Light enough that a hoist is probably not required, and easy access to the mounting bolt nuts. It's just as easy to put on cylinders with the engine horizontal on the plane as it is for a vertical engine on a stand.... I got to prove this when my Tiger needed a top overhaul...

gil A

[RatMan]

Originally Posted by az_gila

My IA who helped build Glenn's engine in my hangar preferred this "laying on it's side" approach too.

Simple to do, just cut wood supports and attach to a plywood base. One support under the mounting "ears", and one under the front bearings, size them to keep the crank horizontal. Easy to do...

He also suggested another approach for the later work... Hang the engine on the plane without the cylinders attached. Light enough that a hoist is probably not required, and easy access to the mounting bolt nuts. It's just as easy to put on cylinders with the engine horizontal on the plane as it is for a vertical engine on a stand.... I got to prove this when my Tiger needed a top overhaul...

gil A

You're right Gil, my good friend and A/P helped me build my engine and he refused to use an engine stand. He's been doing this for something like 40 years and prefers the case halves laying down on the bench.

After getting the case together, my son and I simply carried it over to the -8 and he put the bolts in the mount. I had read about all the pains of mounting the engine but he had the bolts in and nuts started in about 5 minutes while my son and I held the case in place.

Everything else (cylinders, starter, alternator, carb, etc) was installed with the engine mounted. I'm surprised at how many insist on an engine stand, unless they are working alone I guess.

[trib]

I constructed an engine stand from an automotive stand, which sold for $35 at harbor freight. The vertical box member was cut at the appropriate angle and then rewelded to result in a level surface to mount the crank to. A wood block was drilled to match the flange and prop boltholes. The existing stand matched 3 of the boltholes on the crank, so no modification to the stand was required to bolt the crank. The whole process took about 3 hrs, including painting. The wood block was counterbored so the extenstions for the prop bolts would fit and the hub could sit flush on the stand.

I took pictures and included them in the instructions I posted previously on "Assembling an ECI O360 Kit Engine". I also used another of these $35 stands and mounted the engine to it horizontally after assembly, as it was 6 months from being mounted on the airframe. The rotating arm on the mount allowed me to rotate the engine every couple of weeks to slosh oil all around internally to keep it covered. Probably overkill, but it gave me peace of mind.