[sono veL.O.ce]

Hi all,
I have a new business space and we have a CNC plasma machine for cutting steel. And a great TIG welder.

So...
I'm doing another run of Engine stand adapters.

Tube is 2 and 3/8" diameter and fits harbor freight engine stands and others easily.

Hole pattern is from an alfa 4cyl.

finish is raw steel.

$70 per stand plus $15 for a USPS domestic flat rate shipping box(one box can fit more than 4 stands for cheaper shipping if you'd ever want more than one)
For orders e-mail: [email protected]
can take checks/paypal/creditcards over the phone.

Also I'd be happy to cut & weld any other things that we can dream up that we'd want in enough quantity to make the design and set-up time worth while. Special tools?

 

[AlfafaninNY]

I believe there is a market for a 6 cyl version of this . I would take one...I "think" there is enough room on that 4 cyl piece to drill for a 6 cyl.... The piece would have to be turned to the side , to clear the cylinder head..

EDIT..
I think I got my 4cyl adapter from you !

 

[sono veL.O.ce]

I would love to make a 6 cyl version.
Can anyone verify the hole pattern?
If I could get some measurements I will draft one up..

The quality of the parts is improving as we have a better welder and a great cutting machine

 

[alfaparticle]

I have a 4 cylinder adapter that I bought from Jim Steck many years ago and I have adapted it for my V6 engines. The bolt pattern is the same but the top of the plate and the tube have to be relieved (ground away in my case) to avoid interference with the block.

 

[AlfafaninNY]

Ed, I was messing around with the idea of turning it to the side, and drilling 2 new holes. I think there is room to do this if one the existing holes is used. Instead of the 6 o'clock position, the mounting part would be at 9 o'clock .

 

[sono veL.O.ce]

Design review

Here is my prototype solution for a universal adapter for 4 and 6 cyl engines.

The solution lies in the mounting holes being a little oversized, also because the pipe is constrained to be 2 3/8" (to fit the engine stand) and the triangular hole pattern is just less than that, I biased the hole pattern and notched the tube so that the top bolt can live inside the tube and you can get a wrench and tighten down the nut through the slot.

There should be minimum interference from the mounting plate with the block, and you can still get access to all mounting bolts with an open wrench or a socket.

The square hole will be sized so you can open a bottle of beer with it when not in use or to reward your successful rebuild.

Can some of the V6 guru's verify this should work? and if so, I'll make prettier ones and post them back here for sale.

Any other insights are welcome too.

 

[Alfajay]

Any other insights are welcome too.

I applaud your creativity and while your design might work just dandy, I'd like to express two concerns:

- Cutting that long notch out of the tube will compromise its resistance to buckling. Whenever this style of engine stand adapter is discussed here on the BB, people always respond: "is supporting the engine from one side really strong enough?" It is strong enough with a full, 360 degrees of tubing. But by turning the tube into a "C" section, you risk that will fold under load. I haven't done a finite element analysis, I don't know what wall thickness or alloy of steel you're using, ... It might work just fine. But a better solution might be to leave the tube intact and use a long socket extension to tighten that nut.

- The offset flange on Jim Steck's original design (see below) puts the pivot point closer to the engine's center of gravity. Having the pivot near the center of the three studs will really make the engine top heavy, especially with the head installed. I wouldn't want an engine to suddenly flop over when balanced that way (especially if the tube strength was compromised by a notch). Offsetting the flange also solves the problem of accessing the top nut.

 

[xalfaracer]

I'm not sure if all engine stands are created equal. I'm interested in a 4 cyl version if it will fit one of my engine stands. What is the OD of the tube that fits into the engine stand?

 

[AlfafaninNY]

Jay, looking at the O/P image... if i drilled 2 new holes and turned the unit to the right, so the mounting holes are at 9 O'clock, would that provide a stable platform for a 6 cyl ? I think I am going to try it... Waiting to get my friends drill press over here.

 

[Alfajay]

Jay, looking at the O/P image... if i drilled 2 new holes and turned the unit to the right, so the mounting holes are at 9 O'clock, would that provide a stable platform for a 6 cyl ?

Sorry, I didn't understand much of that.

- What is the "O/P image" ?

- "i drilled 2 new holes and turned the unit to the right, so the mounting holes are at 9 O'clock" wasn't at all clear to me. How about a sketch? Still, as I wrote to sono veL.O.ce, I can't predict what will or won't fail just by glancing at a picture; I was just expressing some concerns.

- "would that provide a stable platform for a 6 cyl ?" I sort of understood that sentence, but by "stable" did you mean: a) will the adapter fail due to the greater weight of the V6, or b) will the engine tend to flop over because it isn't supported at its center of gravity? Well, either way, I don't know the answer because my only experience is with 4 cyl engines.

 

[AlfafaninNY]

O/P image referred to the original posters image. ( the first one ) sorry I wasn't clear on that. My question is this.... If the mounting holes are to the left of the unit, as opposed to the bottom as in the first picture, would the stand become unstable. I will try it out. I have a 6 cyl on my stand right now with just a crank, so its pretty light. I can handle it if it gets unruly.

 

[Alfajay]

OK, so you are referring to this image:

And you're thinking of an engine stand adapter with the offset 90 degrees from what is shown in the picture.

Why would you want to do that? Are the three engine mount studs on a V6 biased toward the front or rear of the engine (unlike a 4 cyl, where they are pretty much centered)? And if they are biased, would the engine stand adapter offset you are describing put the pivot point (e.g., the 2-3/8" dia tube) closer to the center?

If the V6 is anything like the 4 cyl, the problem is that the location of the three engine mount studs is below the center of gravity, even with the head off. With the head on, an engine stand adapter with no offset (as sono veL.O.ce has built) will pivot way below the C.G. On a V-6 with two heads, it would seem that this problem would be aggravated.

The beauty of these side-mount stands is that they allow you to constantly change the engine's orientation as you bolt on various parts. But if the engine is highly imbalanced, one person might not be able to control the rolling force when the screw on the engine stand is loosened.

 

[AlfafaninNY]

And you're thinking of an engine stand adapter with the offset 90 degrees from what is shown in the picture.

Yes , exactly. I have that exact adapter.

Why would you want to do that?

Because the top of the adapter interferes with the cylinder head, and will not mount as is.

Are the three engine mount studs on a V6 biased toward the front or rear of the engine (unlike a 4 cyl, where they are pretty much centered)

They appear to be centered... pretty much..

Structurally the part will be fine. Just drilling 2 new holes, re-using one. Once I have the drill press I will take pictures of what I did.

 

[Alfajay]

I have that exact adapter. Because the top of the adapter interferes with the cylinder head, and will not mount as is.

OK, all this is finally sinking in. 1) you already have the type of adapter shown in the first picture in this thread. 2) while it fits a 4 cyl OK, it doesn't fit a V-6 because it interferes with the head. 3) If you drill two, new holes, you can mount it 90 degrees from the 4 cyl position onto your V-6 block. That right?

I guess the answer is: "sure, it will all bolt up, and your engine will be supported by the stand". But I think rotating an assembled engine (e.g., with both heads on) will be tough. The pivot point will be distant from the center of gravity in both the vertical and horizontal planes.

 

[AlfafaninNY]

Jay you got it ! I hope this is not hijacking this thread too far... Here comes the last thought. I will wait until the very end to mount it this way. I just want to be able to work on the back of the motor while its on the stand. Crank seal, flywheel etc.. I will keep it the way it is now until the end. No rotating the engine at that point.

 

[Alfajay]

Here's another idea:

An alternative to the "tube and plate" style of side-mount engine stand adapter is to use a piece of 4" x 4" square structural steel tubing, like the one shown below. Note that the square tube bolts to the original engine stand plate; the plate designed to bolt to the bellhousing holes at the back of your small bock Chevy. The picture below is a friend's adapter for 4 cyl engines, but I would think it could be adapted to a V-6.

If you do something like this, the engine stand pivot can be aligned fore-aft with the motor mount studs. And based on the depth of the notch cut from the square tubing, it should fit under the V-6 head, but allow the pivot to be above the motor mount studs. And if a 4 x 4 piece isn't deep enough to clear the head, a 4 x 6 or 6 x 6 piece should be.

 

[ballough510]

Do y'all really think a complete engine can be supported with one motor mount bolt up?
Maybe comfortable with a 750-101 ... but a 2 liter with an injection pump. Seems kinda heavy

 

[sono veL.O.ce]

The Pipe is 2 and 3/8" od.. Fits harbor freight and most Chinese stands I've seen

The engine stand with the slot is super beefy. getting one to buckle would take a serious effort.

Center of rotation is altered by 2 inches and at least for a 4 cyl the difference in rotating it is nil.. any adapter that would have the pipe clearing the cyl head of a 6 would have the same Center of rotation constraint.

Glad to have started some conversation!

 

[andylarry]

Are these still available for purchase? Anyone?