Do I need a heavyduty engine stand for an inline 6?

Hey guys,

For the longest time now I have had a Chevy 235 sitting in my garage. I just recently got my engine stand back from a buddy of mine, and I'd like to put the six on it.

I'm worried though, that the inline but be a bit much for the stand. I don't have a pic, but it's your typical engine stand with the 4 wheel pattern. I know it has held an Olds 455 and a Cadillac 390, but I worry about the extended length of the inline six causing the stand to fail.

What are your experiences?

 

This will be really awkward and seriously prone to tipping...consider either making up some kind of sideplate to hang engine 90 degrees to pivot or cutting up a second el-cheapo stand, tilting the tubes to level, and make a 2-headed stand that hangs both ends.

 

I did the first few 235s without a stand, but I was a broke teenager then. I have a heavy duty Mac 4 wheel stand that I use for heavy and long engines now.

Being a 4 wheel stand, the one you have is far better than the really cheezy 3 wheel stands, so it might work ok, but you'd want to be very careful with it. Maybe that would mean hooking the hoist to the engine while you roll it over, which is when it's most vulnerable.

 

I put an inline on a crappy three wheel stand and it fell over when I was pushing it. I recommend a good stand with four wheels and at least as long as the engine.

 

Gas -

The sixes aren't well suited for most engine stands - particularly the cheapo Chinese ones. You will probably notice a much more obvious "sag" in the mounted position of the motor than with a typical V-8.

After having a "three-legged" stand - with a 292 inline Chevy motor mounted - tip and fall while trying to move it (a VERY scary deal), I modified mine by extending the forward lower tube several inches and adding a crosspiece onto the front - making it a much more stable "4-wheeler. I also welded on a lower brace (forming a triangle at the junction of the downtube and the forward tube) for extra strength there.

I would definately recommend purchasing a high-quality unit to begin with (a good idea in any case, as the "head tube" will likely be far stronger than on a low-buck model), then at least extending the bottom tube out to roughly the overall length of the six banger.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. Looks like I'll hold off and get a larger engine stand, and then modify it as needed. Better safe than sorry, if I hurt myself, it's my own fault, but it someone else got hurt I'd never forgive myself.

 

I had my 235 hanging on a 4 wheel stand, an old one, I think USA made, For a couple of years while I gathered parts. It was on a concrete floor and had no problems rolling it or moving it. I think it was a little goofy getting the mounting legs to attach to the back.

I even moved it from the front garage to the big garage out back over gravel and downhill by using two plywood sheets for a temporary road. And did this alone, one guy.

Two people can easy move the bare block, They are not real heavy.

Frank

 

If you can see it, this is a 2X6 front brace I made for my GMC motors when they were on the stand. I had a hydralic jack under the front when it was turned over. This is a Packard engine but same deal. Not perfect but I slept better with it under the motor. The bottom is supported by cross pices between the legs of the stand. It dosn't show but there are two cross braces keeping the wooden legs togeather.

 

good idea about extending the legs.

do you need to be able to rotate it and stuff or just for storage. If you are just storing it, use a shopping cart. they fit 235's perfect once you strip off the basket part and they already come with smooth rolling heavy duty casters plus the center
of gravity is really low so it wont tip over.

 

I've had a 235 on a cheepo(china) engine stand for at least 4 years now with no problems at all. No noticable sagging and no tipping over.

I really should do something with that 235.. hmmmm.

 

I did my 216 on a cheap 3 wheel stand. It took me about 6 months. Never had an issue but was very cautious. I did upgrade to the cheap 4 wheel recently and like it much better.

 

Snapped off the middle finger on my left hand by pulling an engine stand (3-wheeled cheepie) with a 6 by the crank pulley.

A 4 wheel would be better...

Rg

 

I have built one 235 chevy 6 and two MoPar flathead sixs on a three wheel engine stand. The secret is to mount the crank centerline as low as possible. All sixs are tall above the crankshaft centerline and if you mount it like a V8 it will be top heavy and want to tip over.

 

Some volume engine builders don't even use a stand, presumably it takes to long to jack with the stand business.......one uses a sturdy short table with 2x8 wood top on it......about 2.5 feet by 2.5 feet.......the motor is jockied around with an over head hoist

 

While always better safe than sorry...I've had a 292 sitting on a cheapy 4-wheel engine stand for over 15 months now, and even on a wood floor, have no problems moving it. With the head still on, it is awkward to rotate, but just make sure you gotta good grip on the handle....

 

just be aware of what your doing if you need to move it.

 

Gas Giant,

Weight-wise, the 235 won't harm the stand.
They're only around 575 lbs.
However, if the engine sticks way past the "front" foot/feet of the stand, you could weld an extension onto it, possibly with a "T" at the end to mount two swivel casters on.
Make the extension from the same square tubing that the rest of the unit is made from.
Cheap and easy 4-wheel stand, if you're welding skills are up to it.
If you're not sure about the weld, you could always weld-in a sleeve over the weld joint, for added rigidity.

Back when I was in diesel school, I made an engine stand for a 6-71.
I made it like a bed frame and built stanchions to fit the engine mounts and attached it that way.
The bottom of the oil pan sat about 3 or 4 inches off the ground.
I graduated from that school before I finished the engine (it was a voc.-tech. I got a job offer), but I heard they used that stand and it worked great.
BTW, before that stand, it did sit on a 4 wheel stand, but it was made like a pyrimid (4 big triangular plates all welded together).
At the top was a big tube that had a smaller tube fitting into it. The mounting plate was attached to the smaller tube and a simple threaded bung and a bolt with a "T" welded onto the top, sufficed for the locking bolt.
That one worked pretty good, too.



6narow

 

Sounds like me pulling rebuilds out of my parents basement.
Do the work down there, install outside, in the "garage" (you'd call it a carport).
1.5 ton cherry picker with a come-along hanging off its hook.
Set the motor on the stand and point it out the door, hook the come-along to it, ratchet it up the 4 feet it needs to clear the ground, when you run out of chain on the come-along, start pumpin' the cherry picker.

...found out that combo is great for pulling front-drive motor's, too.
Chain the engine to the come-along and drop it out of the car. Once the engine is all the way down, use the cherry picker to lift the car over the engine and drag it out from underneath (makes the car look like its pullin' a really cool wheelie! )



6narow

 

Scary, I usually hook up the 1 ton engine hoist to be safe when I work on engines on 3 or 4 wheel stand.

 

I like heavy duty engine stands, I actually hate cheap stands, I wouldn't put a banger on a cheap stand. Buy one good stand and it'll be with you forever...

 

I'd like to find an affordable stand with a geared head. Or plans to make one. I build about one motor every two years. And I'd like to upgrade.

Friend recently gave me an old stand for scrap. The round tube on the head was almost completely worn through from being rotated. Something to check periodically.

 

I bought one for the shop from my Cornwell Tools guy. They seem to go on sale every couple of months and it was under $200. If you use one regularly than it is worth every penny.

 

found this old shot of my 235 on the engine stand. it fit fine but i remember I used to lean it next to the wall or turn it heavy side down so it wouldn't tip over. It held fine but it did seem kind of heavy on there..

 

Hey guys, was just surfing around the net, looking to see what was out there, as far as heavy duty engine stands are concerned, and ran across this post from 2006 at a message board...

"Advance auto has a 2 ton foldable/extendable boom engine hoist for $148 and deliver for free. I'm getting/just ordered one."

Here's the pic that was included with the post...




Also ran across this one...



It's rated at 1250 lbs. and is currently on sale for $62.50.
Here's the linky - http://www.tool-usa.com/heduenst12lb.html

Finally, there's this monstrosity.

That would DEFINATELY hold a 235 with no problems!


Anyway, hope that helps someone.




6narow

 

That is sweet! The chain would have to be able to swivel 180* though..

 

Really? I don't mean any disrespect, but more details please. Not to be gory, but that is a heck of a story for such a little response.
Wil
www.sakowskimotors.com

 

The last couple of stands I bought were from Napa, 4 wheels, painted yellow, The price was right, and have been fine for heavy big block motors. I would extend the legs a bit for a six though.
W

 

I have 3 stands, two old US made ones and 1 possibly made overseas somewhere.
The possibly probably foreign one has had a fresh 59A hanging on it for years now and I have had to replace every wheel on it form just sitting. Every time I went to move it at least one wheel was cracked in two or crumbled to pieces. If I ever get that engine off the stand, I'm going to put it back on a US one and replace the wheels on the "furriner" with something US made if possible.
I agree on the 6cyl. My 250 Chevy L6 with 3 carbs is on a shopping cart base, easy to move and will probably last forever. Hell, in the country we have a blown 392 Hemi with torqueflite sitting on a shopping cart.

 

Our engine stand has a slack adjuster from a semi air brake set up for the geared head just uses a 9/16 speed wrench or air ratchet to turn it and stays were ever you need it. My Dad built it way before i was born and its held many engines over the years

 

Flopped my 235 about six weeks ago... 3 wheeler........on a heavy duty now ! An improvement to be sure ,but still leaves room for caution !