DIY Engine Run-up Stand

[narly1]

OK, so as my engine build nears completion it's time to start thinking about a test stand to run it up on.

So my plan is to modify a build stand for the purpose, the end result being a set-up that looks similar to this:

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So far I have picked up the following:

Power Fist stand from Princess Auto (the Canuck version of Harbour Freight): $45 used

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Bell housing to use as an interface between the back of the engine block and the stand: $25 used
(it got a clean up and fresh coat of paint....OCD kicking in)

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Rad Fan brand new Amazon returned unit: $20

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Rad: $20 never used, inlet and outlet are reversed to what I need but I'll make it work for that price.

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"Control panel: top piece of metal off of the back of our old washing machine that blew up: FREE!

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As an aside I was thinking about all of the meters I would want/need on the panel and realized that I don't need to buy much as the Pro Flo 4 displays most of the parameters that I'll need to watch.

[narly1]

To reverse the inlet and outlet locations could I maybe run the rad upside down with something jammed into the cap to keep it closed? I'll be running a filler neck with rad cap on top of the thermostat housing, so there would be a pressure relief/overflow present.

[narly1]

Picked up these stock headers for $50:

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[narly1]

Picked up these older Mustang take-off mufflers today for $50. No carbon inside, they look like they were never run.

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[fletch]

To reverse the inlet and outlet locations could I maybe run the rad upside down with something jammed into the cap to keep it closed? I'll be running a filler neck with rad cap on top of the thermostat housing, so there would be a pressure relief/overflow present.

I don't see why you couldn't. The radiator is part of a pressurized loop and is intended to be completely full of coolant during operation. So long as you have a portion of the loop that's higher to collect & vent air and a pressure relief cap somewhere it should work fine.
I like where this is going.

[narly1]

I don't see why you couldn't. The radiator is part of a pressurized loop and is intended to be completely full of coolant during operation. So long as you have a portion of the loop that's higher to collect & vent air and a pressure relief cap somewhere it should work fine.
I like where this is going.

Thanks...the other other option is that I just run a really long pair of flexible rad hoses.

The way lead times are going on the balance of my engine parts I may have the stand done before the engine is, LOL.

Part of the reason for this stand project besides the break-in aspect is to ensure that I find any fuel/oil/coolant leaks (hopefully there aren't any) well before the engine gets dropped into the car.

For my crude but functional exhaust system I think all i need now are a couple of the below adapters, a couple of clamps and some flex pipe to connect them up to the mufflers. At some point I'll will have to drill a hole and weld a threaded bung into one (or both) of them for the EFI system.


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[narly1]

It's been a while since I posted on this thread. The balance of parts to complete my engine are on back order until late June so to keep busy I'm going to do some more work on the engine stand. I just ordered about $120 worth of metal to make up the cross piece and 2 stanchions that will adapt between the engine mounts and the existing stand.

[narly1]

The part itself may not look like much but it's significant to me as it marks the first time that both my boys have collaborated together with me on a single project.
I conceived the design and made a rough sketch of it.
Cameron drew up the drilling templates for the end pieces using Solidworks.
Matthew welded the end pieces to the cross bar.

I should also add that this is one three pieces needed to adapt my engine build stand into a run stand. I will post more pictures when they're all done and installed...

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[fletch]

The part itself may not look like much but it's significant to me as it marks the first time that both my boys have collaborated together with me on a single project.

Worth its weight in gold.

[flyboyjy]

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So here is mine. 2x2 square tube with 1/4” thick walls all welded together. It is universal and has run Fords and Chevys on it. Cheap Mustang radiator for the Fords and cheap one for the Chevy. I have 5 foot long exhaust pipes with glass packs that fit the headers. Definitely makes testing and tuning much easier before stuffing in the engine bay.

[narly1]

OK so here's the more-or less finished idea. The crosspiece (part already painted black) attaches to the stand using bolts and clamping plates which also allow for fore/aft adjustment. The two vertical stanchions will bolt to the cross piece in the same manner and allow for width adjustment. Conventional motor mounts will be bolted to the tops of them.
The beauty of this scheme is that the engine stand can be returned to it's original configuration/use by simply unbolting everything.

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[narly1]

Three decades of scrounging and hoarding vindicated tonight as I was able to cobble together the rad and fan mount out of some pieces of reddi-rack that I liberated from a dumpster at one of my previous employers. The finished result:

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You can't see them in this picture but there are two more short sections of rack tack welded to the uprights to create U-channels. The tanks down either side of the rad slip into the channels and 4 bolts clamp them in place.

[Florida Dave]

I still have to get a build stand, I really like the thought of being able to bolt on some bracketry and have the build stand become a run in stand. I appreciate the pictures and details of your build!

[narly1]

I still have to get a build stand, I really like the thought of being able to bolt on some bracketry and have the build stand become a run in stand. I appreciate the pictures and details of your build!

I think you really have to get the right type of stand to start with, meaning one with a U-shaped base. That way it's the most stable. The bolt-together cross-piece and stanchions idea came from another build I read up on. Another plus of that set-up is that it makes the stand a bit more universal.

[narly1]

So of course the (starter) mounting holes in the bell housing that I picked up locate the starter incorrectly for the 164 tooth flex plate that works with the AOD transmission and that I already have.

The starter is too far inwards and jams against the flex plate when you try to use the existing holes in the bell housing.

So the solution is that I have to use a smaller diameter 157 tooth flex plate. No problem, right? Wrong. It turns out that Ford never made smaller diameter 157 tooth flex plates with the 50 oz imbalance, only 28 oz or 0 oz ones.

Fortunately the aftermarket came to rescue for guys (like me sort of) who wanted to run older (requiring the smaller diameter/tooth count flex plate) transmissions with newer (requiring 50 oz imbalance) engines.

So it turns out I need one of these:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SFI-Ford-Sm...X33ZuDXCPos5mo

[narly1]

A quiet morning in the garage while patiently waiting for the last of the engine parts to arrive.

So I took it upon myself to do some more mock-up work on the run stand.

First I worked on mounting the bell housing. I found that I could get the existing flange to bolt up to two of the bell housing holes. I think this is all I will need, see below.

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Doing this sets the engine height and allows me to measure out what needs to be done with respect to the vertical stanchion heights. Turns out they need to be about 4" shorter.

So before taking them off for cutting down I thought I would work a bit on how to marry the rad/fan/mount assembly to the engine stand.

Diving back into my collection of racking pieces I came up with the following:

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Note that nothing has been squared or lined up, but it will work. I will finalize the rad frame part once I have the engine mounted to the stand and know what room I have to work with.

I do think that I will stick with the C-clamp mounting scheme (idea stolen from another build thread) though.

[narly1]

Some more pieces to puzzle arrived yesterday:

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[narly1]

What you end up with when you strip everything except for the main shaft away from your old 302 distributor:
A driver to prime your newly rebuilt engine with oil prior to its 1st start-up.

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[narly1]

Looking for suggestions as to what to use for a remote throttle (so I don't have to reach in and stick my hand in under the air cleaner while the engine is running).

What I've come up with so far (keeping in mind that I'm trying to do this on the cheap):

1. Lawnmower throttle lever & cable.

2. Piece of bicycle brake housing & cable with some kind of homemade/scrounged lever.

3. Cheap only because it will get used later on the car option : Nice Lokar throttle cable with some kind of homemade/scrounged lever.

If I go with #3 how long a cable do I need?

[j33ptj]

Some tractors use handgas levers and throttle cables, might worthwhile to investigate what is available...

[narly1]

Thanks, the operative word here is CHEAP, I've seen some very nice lever/cable setups but the prices....LOL.

[narly1]

It's about twice what I wanted to spend for a remote throttle control but at least I've got something coming:

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[narly1]

The one engine parameter that the Pro flo 4 system I have on order doesn't monitor (and that is arguably the most important to know) during run-up is oil pressure.

Picked this unit up last night for $20.

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[narly1]

New remote throttle lever & cable arrived yesterday. Because it's meant for a garden tractor it "stays put" at a given setting. I don't want this for my engine stand, the return spring on the EFI needs to be able to pull everything back down to an idle when you let go of it..
So drilled out the lever pivot rivet, removed it and the friction washer, replacing them with a 1/4-20 bolt and a nylock nut.
Now it has the buttery smooth action needed.

P.S. heated the lever up a bit with my heat gun and pulled the T-knob off so I could get it to fit through a slot in my "control panel".


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[narly1]

Work continues on the engine run stand.
The flat shelf is where all of the controls and gauges will go.

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[narly1]

Ongoing work on the engine stand. Frame completed and painted. Control panel laid out, keyswitch, oil pressure gauge and throttle lever installed. Some of the wiring is done, When you turn the key to the "run" position the fan comes on (via a relay) and the oil pressure gauge lights up. Both good reminders that the system is "hot". The blank area in the middle of the panel is where the Android tablet will sit, showing RPM, coolant temperature, vacuum, battery voltage, air/fuel ratio, etc.

Also fixed the transmission cooler line fittings. One was leaking and the other was missing. I'm not using any trans cooling but still needed to fix these as these fittings do double duty in that they seal the cooler buried inside to the plastic tank wall. Without them you have engne coolant leaks.

The beauty of this set-up is that you loosen the two C-clamps and the whole fan/rad/panel assembly slides off and out of the way for when you want to mount up the engine. And it's fun to turn the key and hear the fan come on and the gauge light up. Small things amuse small minds, LOL.

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[narly1]

At the moment I'm on the hunt for a cheap set of booster cables to repurpose for the battery and engine ground connections. After I cut the existing clamps off I'll squash some short pieces of 1/2 copper water pipe I have lying around onto the ends in my vise. Then drill through holes to fashion the pipe into terminal lugs....cheap, cheap, cheap, but functional.