Hey guys, I would like to hear/see some suggestions for building a portable/rollers test jig for bench testing a 110 Offy engine. I'd like to include a small "dash" with basic gages, also incorporate; small fuel tank, radiator, battery, et. Also I'd like to find out what flywheel/starter motor combo someone might have found out works with these little Offys when firing them up on a bench. Thanks!
Thanks, I perhaps wasn't very clear in my message. This is a full size Offy 110 midget engine that I'm trying to fire up on a bench, outside the car.
Wow, if you can build a nice engine like that a stand should be easy. You've already got it on angle iron so there is your start. Just don't run it on a couple of bricks like that guy on YouTube.
First please note this is my picture. I took it. I also allowed the mopar website to use it. In the picture is the 400 B series Dodge engine I built for Christophe Schwartz and his NASCAR RETURNS TO LEMANS project in Europe. The engine was used in the driver training and practice car and was run at several of the big tracks in Europe. Since I built it here complete even with the carb and all done and tested on my 426 Wedge motored Street car I had to send this engine from here to near Hamburg Germany to be installed. I needed, like you ,to run it in and I was especially concerned about camshaft break in. It was going directly from installation to a race in St Crioux France. I made the stand up from wood. Fairly heavy duty and bolted and cargo strapped it to my metal build bench . I made a total loss water cooling system for it which supplied garden hose pressure and water to the engine from the lower rad hose and allowed it to flow through a restricted outlet coming from the upper rad hose. Not unlike a marine setup in function. I fired the engine keeping it above 2500 RPM for over 20 minutes to break in the flat tappet cam. My wife kept time and recorded it as 23 minutes. Even at that RPM it sat firmly in place without so much as a wobble or creak. Last i heard the engine was running around Nurburgring spanking 911s. Here it is sitting on display in the Paddock at Lemans just a month or so after it arrived in Europe. It will be entering its fifth season this year since i built it so the break in was safe , no trouble and succcessful. I know how people have this thing about wood but it is a very practical material for things you need just once or twice and strong and easy to work with. Don
The Offy's a little out of my league but here's a working cam Run-In setup. I welded "Versa Bar" duct hangar, big casters and spring mounted a radiator to the frame. Here's with engine from the Engineering Dept's Dynamometer at Columbia University: I added starter button, electric fan and tach since pic taken "Versa Bar" type steel frame allows easy adjustment for different mounts/needs. The tranny yoke/output bushing had it's own oiler on the Dyno rig. HAve Fun
Sorry for the delay getting back to thank you. What a great project and story! Thanks for the tips and I'm getting closer to firing her up. When I have it complete I'll be certain to post a picture of the finished project. Thanks again
Here are some photos of the finished product guys. The test stand turned out great with the help of my Dad, Grier Manning, Nick Pappas, and Gene Pacheco. The Offy fired and is now on its way to Indiana and Jerry Weeks - Baker.
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Coagulation on both the stand and the engine, they look great I would keep the together and show them that way. Nice build
Looks like a decent test rig. Now, get that POS Fram filter off your engine, or all that testing will be vain.