I used to share a shop and equip with a buddy and when he moved we divided it... now I need a new engine stand- the harbor freight stand are fairly cheap but how sturdy are they? The old one I had was made by an old timer so I have never had a store bought stand. I may need a shop hoist too. Anyone have any suggestions? I am looking to pull the motor within the next week- maybe two. Thanks, Spaz
whatever you get for an engine stand make sure it has 4 casters on it , those with 3 casters are very tippy i can't really advise you which one to buy because i have never bought one, i made both of mine about 25 years ago out of heavy steel and they have served me well
the best one i have is an old one also, most of the new ones ive seen are pretty flimsy and tip easy. the ones that cost a lil more usually hold up better.
Make sure the one you buy is made to ANSI specs. If it does it will have a sticker saying it meets the specs. I know for a fact that the Harbour Freight ones do NOT meet ANSI specs. ANSI = American National Standards Institute. If it meets ANSI it meets a minimum standard and won't break and fall on your poor little footie.
I got a HF 1000lb engine stand. I bolted it all together, then cleaned off the powdercoat at the joints and welded all the pieces together, much sturdier now. Also, I ran some emory cloth inside the cast wheels and smoothed the powdercoat off the axles to make sure they spin freely. I've had no problems. About a year ago I went to the metal recycler and picked through and found a nice engine stand for $5 among a ton of early Ford axles and other goodies. Headed back over there today to see if I can dig up some more goods.
I have a harbor frieght cheapie, and a napa stand. the napa stand is much nicer than the harbor frieght one, and its not much more expensive.
no,sorry i don't ....i borrowed and copied one made by a company called Bluebird International. it was heavy duty and made in the USA. checking their website i see they no longer make an engine stand. i guess there was too much cheap offshore stuff coming in for them to compete anymore. their website says they made their first engine stand in 1969 i also copied one of their engine hoists...they made their first one in 1965 as a recent thread said , things aren't the way they used to be. i guess i shouldn't complain because i didn't buy one and just copied their's...but at the time i had more time than money and access to free steel , plus a Linde mig welder
who posted the tech on the engine stand built from a rear axle end? with the bearings and stuff, that was a nice stand....
Make your own... all the ones under $300 are junk and good ones are all expensive as hell... same with engine hoists IMO...
I have 3 different engine stands that I bought used except one . They all do what they are suppose to BUT if I was going to be doing a lot of engine rebuild I would fork out the bigger bucks with the crank that turns the engine over . They are nice and easier on the back . The e from china do what they are suppose to but are not sturdy . They seem to bend over with a heavy engine on the stand . I do agree to get a 4 wheel stand and weld it together ! Just remember you do almost get what you paid for with the cheepo engine stands ! RetroJim
ZMAN , That's the one I was thinking about . They use them on the GEARZ show and he uses Cornwell tools . They are worth their weight in GOLD ! RetroJim
With engine stands.....there's a few understood rules of thumb here........ 1. 3 wheels will get you mashed.......... 2. Don't hang a Hemi off a 29.95 special........ 3. If you do alot of motor work.....get a gear drive on the rotation......if you've ever been smacked by a fully assembled BB.......you know what I mean................. 4. When you buy a bolt together.....if it looks too light.....it probably is.......if you can make do.......bolt it together tight.....then weld the piss outta it too!
i bought the heavy duty one from the traveling tool guy probably the same one harbor freight sells it was a good thing in laid down in slow motion with my new crate motor on it ("DONT BUY CHINESE JUNK")
I do have access to steel scraps as I work in a steel mill. If I can find some specs I will build one. I do like the chevy converted to universal that you guys linked up. I know I have seen plenty of axles in the scrap pile. I will see if there are any old gears out there to make a hand crank. I am all for doing it right. Thanks for all the feedback! I think I will stray away from the HF and look towards building one then. If I do that then I might as well build a shop hoist to go with it.
4 casters are key! i bought my engine hoist at sams club for 100 bucks! good year one!! or you can get luck at a swap meet good luck
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