Engine Mount to Stand??

[Jeff Wilk]

So what bolts do i use to attach the now removed '59 Fleetwood engine to the engine stand??  It came with none and the instruction sheet says car shop manual will dictate what size bolts. Cadillace shop manual provides no such instruction.  Engine now hanging on hoist supported on ground by wood.   SOS......

[76eldo]

The engine stand should have four adjustable arms coming off of the tilt section and they go into a round tube that fits in the opening of the engine stand.

If that makes no sense, don't go any further.

These arms bolt to the back of the block going into the rear of the block, where the bell housing ( trans) bolts to the back of the engine.

Take one of these bolts to a hardware store and buy four in the proper length in grade eight hardened bolts along with a bunch of washers.

Make sure you. Have the bolts threaded all the way into the block. You may need to experiment with a few washers to get the right combo.  Make sure it is tight and secure the four arms with the round section to the back of the engine.

Lift with the hoist and line it up with the rest of the stand.
Secure the two sections together and make sure it's not too top heavy.
I don't know what kind of stand you have. Most are three wheel stands.

I bought angle iron and two more steel wheels and turned mine into a four wheel unit. But I was working on a straight eight Packad engine back then and the longer block needed more stability.

Look on YouTube and search putting an engine on a stand if you are not sure what to do.
I've been searching YouTube lately before I start a job to see of I can pick up any tips.

Good luck.

[Jeff Wilk]

Thanks Brian,  went to napa and got the bolts. Rest went as you described and am very pleased with what i found in oil pan......... No loose or broken parts and no sludge.  Engine is very very clean......on the inside at least.   Now some new gaskets after a little more degreasing and them some painting.   

Thanks again. 

Jeff

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Jeff,

Sorry I am a bit late, but here are a couple of pictures of my own engine stand with a BBC on it.

The secret of getting the balance right is to align the centre of the stand pivot point with the Cam centreline in the block.

This way you can rotate the engine without too much effort.

Bruce.

[62droptop]

just be carefull as these engines are heavier than most

a cheap stand may break, have heard of a couple of guys that have had their engine crash to the ground when the stand broke

may have to add some extra bracing

good time to get the dipstick out too when the pan is off

[TJ Hopland]

I broke a modern stand with a Ford 200 inline.   It was a standard duty stand rated at 1000lbs.  Don't know what that engine weighed but I can pick up the short block myself so the complete engine can't be 500 so I figured double should give a safety factor but guess not.  Adding a couple braces is not a bad idea. 

[76eldo]

I bought some heavy angle iron about the width of the rear wheels.
I put two heavy metal casters on it and drilled a center hole to mount this to where the single wheel went originally.

This turned it into a square four wheel stand and was very stable.

[Jeff Wilk]

Yup......this 1,000 lb stand is certainly sagging under the weight. I put the hoist back on it to secure it for now while i run outand get the 2,000 lb stand this afternoon.  Then this heap of metal goes back. Anybody know what these 390 cu motors actually weigh?  I had heard about 850 lbs including the transmission but now that seems off based on this stands strain with the engine alone

Jeff

[62droptop]

i had a list somewhere of the engine weights for a lot of popular v8 engines

this is the only one i can find right now
it lists the 59 390 at 720#

http://www.strokerengine.com/EngineWeights.html

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

The load capacity of things like engine stands is very odd, as it all depends on the actual size of the engine being fitted.

I would hate to try and put a long engine, say a V12 or v16, or even a straight 8 on one of these lightweight stands as the mass of these engines is way out away from the pivoting point.

These 1000lb stands I would only use on a light-weight V8, V6 or 4 Cylinder.

Don't forget, that when rolling the engine on the stand, one has to be extremely careful not to tip the whole thing over.   Especially when moving it around the garage.   One of the biggest problems is the rotating mechanism which creates too much friction, and thereby too much strain on the stomach muscles.

Had that nearly happen to me once, on a borrowed one, which is why I built my own.

Bruce.

[Glen]

I would imagine that the rating for the stand is for a weight directly on the plate where the engine mounts.  As that weight moves away from the mounting plate the rating goes down. 

The same applies to the engine hoist.  The rating is for the fully retracted position of the boom.  If you extend the boom the rating is reduced.