Engine test stand????

I want to build a test stand to test run engines, anyone got a cool homemade test stand they could post a picture (or several pictures) of to give me some ideas?

Thanks,

Jim

 

i plan on doing my own version of this

http://www.easy-run.net/default.aspx

later jim

 

I had stands similar in design to what River1 showed in the link made for the training engines I had in the high school autoshop I taught in. Basically a rectangular frame with legs and casters with a radiator and a gauge panel. They weren't fancy but they did allow the kids to be able to easily reach and work on the engines when we were using them for class work. And they all rolled over out of the way when they needed to be out of the way.

 

Do a search on this and you should find a few other post on this.I posted this pic on another thread a while back but here it is again.Had most of this lying around.Might have $30 out of my pocket at this point.Found one on the web I liked and basicaly copied it.Still need a fuel cell and aluminum radiator.Also need to build a sealed box for the battery as the fuel cell will be mounted above the battery.Did not want to mount the battery above the fuel cell just in case you got some kind of arc off the battery and the fumes from the fuel cell (being mounted below the battery )could cause an explosion.Can't wait to fire my first engine up on it ,and take care of all those gremlins before it goes in the car.

 

hi Jim
good idea, much easier to work out bugs when it's not in the car
'don't need much more than a place for the gas and battery
and a couple gauges and switches

here's an old clip of mine
small boat tank, shelf for battery, oil pressure and water temp gauges, ignition switch, toggles for electric fuel pump and fan, radiator and electric fan

 

Old irrigation engine stands work well also. they already have the gauge panel Just mount a radiator. Lippy

 

Here's mine:

 

Here's a good one.

 

here is the one I built.

 

best one yet

 

I currently have one under construction that I have mounted on a small trailer. Some of my friends had wanted to test run their engines and I wanted to be able to take the engine stand to them rather than have them bring the engine to my shop. Of course I had to dress up the trailer a bit. Might look good behind my 55 F100.



I still have to build the gauge and control panel and locate the battery box and small fuel tank. I also built a cradle with casters that will allow me to remove it from the trailer and drop it on the cradle so that it can be rolled around in the shop.





Drewski

 

Good stuff guys! Thanks for all the replies!!

 

Ive built 2, they always seem to get in the way after the engine is broken in. I used to build sbc claimer stock car type engines and it was very handy to set valves break in the cam etc. stock car guys dont give a shit about parts and will wipe a cam flat on you.
running the same engine makes things simple, radiator out of a donor car and a shop type fan will let you run for a while, electric water pump is nice, wiring takes time. always seemed like the engine stand got robbed of parts for a car build so each time you went to use it it was like starting over. depends on if you want to run accessories or not. I mounted an alternator on the frame of the stand since the engines I was testing did not include accessories. Battery was always remotely located with long leads, gas was run by old holley blue pump with an old regulator, remotely mounted in the other direction. I had to supply the carb to break them in so a 600 holley was always on the shelf. had to have a decent HEI around that I knew worked. parts to make it work took up a lot of room. real pain in the ass.
Oh yeah they are always in the way.

 

My brother has this one he made that we have used for years, not alot of cost involved.
Set the battery and tank off and it stands up in a corner out of the way.

 

Buy an old sprint car frame, it would have all of the mounts that you need, just ad a battery.

 

These are what i use to test carb and ignition stuff on. The V8 does the four and two g carbs and the six is for strombergs and one barrells.
I use a flow meter on the multiple carbs to make up a matched set etc.
Both are used quite a bit.....

 

One I made for my flaheads

 

There are some great ideas here, thanks for sharing.

 

Very interesting........
Bump!.....

 

For Pontiac engines, three A/C condenser fans, electric fuel pump. Nothing to fancy, but sure makes it easy to break in engines. I also have a water mister I place in the radiator air stream to make sure the engines stay cool. I run four mufflers usually on headers, I want to hear the engine, not the exhaust!