I want to put my Hemi in the frame so I can leave it there and measure & fab up some engine mounts. The arms that connect the wheels are in the way, so I can't just place a stand on the ground in the way. I could built a taller box-like stand like I have now, but want to be able to have something that's adjustable in height. I don't know how to weld (but have friends that can) and don't have a pile of square tube steel lying around to mess with. Here's the home-made crate I have now. What have you guys done to put your blocks in the engine bay to fab up stuff? Any creative adjustable engine stand ideas you can share? Because of how things are situated in the garage, I can't just put it on the hoist and leave it there (the door won't close). And the engine is heavy and the hoist not easy to move around, so I don't want to have to R&R the engine a bunch for trial fits. Here's the truck as it sits now. You can't see the steering links well, but they go from wheel to wheel.
Get yourself an engine hoist. $220 or so delivered. You'll need it anyway, and it has tons of other uses.
I have a hoist...but I'm looking for an idea for a stand I can make/buy that will allow me to leave the engine in the frame. Needs to be height adjustable so I can measure up & fab mounts.
Set it in place with the engine hoist then adjust position with s****s of wood under the pan. I used to use a beam across the rafters and a com-a-long! My 392 sure strained the rafters!
Gotcha. I've always used a floor-jack to accomplish that. But I suppose some sort of stand can be fabbed up to accomplish this. It might be more work than fabbing the mounts though.
Other than wood or steel, what would you make this theoretical engine stand out of? Get your friends to make an adjustable stand sorta like one I saw at Don Garlits' museum of drag racing, but with a narrower base to fit within your truck's frame and steering linkage:
Harbor Freight has a 1500lb ATV Motorcycle lift on sale now for $79.99 reg $109.99. It closes to 4 1/2". In fact as soon as It gets cooler I think I might go get one for myself. ****
I've used a one of these in the past for exactly what you're doing! Can't think of anything that will work better, and ya can't beat the price!
I have positioned the motor where I want it with the hoist and then built a very simple metal stand that basically looked like two upside down 'T' s where the legs went up to the oil pan rail. I then tied the 'T' s together at the bottom by welding (Get that friend over) to keep them from spreading. Works like a charm and isn't' in your way for fabbing mounts
as already said ... just block the motor in place with 2 X 4s / angle iron / square tubing etc exactly where you want it. make sure you allow for all clearances like water pump to radiator, starter to steering , firewall to distributor etc. then make your mounts no offense , making a temporary engine stand to hold the motor in place so you can then make your mounts seams like a lot of extra effort
Minimalist: Buy 2 pieces of stout angle iron. Bolt one straight across the back with one bellhousing bolt on each side. Do similar up front...looks like engine has no acessories on yet...with whatever bolt holes are available up there. Space out with blocks and long bolts.(the angle iron, not you!) if needed to clear something. Set on frame by angle irons, shim up to desired height with chunks of wood.
Hi I got one of the plastic hemi motors on ebay, weighs about 40 pounds and has all the bolt holes for all accessories. One man can pretty much move it where ever easily. Jan in Ojai, CA
The Jalopy Journal
