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Thread: Engine stand rotation

  1. #1
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Engine stand rotation

    I bought a 2000 (?) pound engine stand from HF years ago and it seems to work great to hold my BBC. However, it's almost impossible to rotate with the full engine weight on it. What can I do to improve it? I didn't grease it and it has no zerk to do so. I thought about maybe using some sort of hub like one from a tri5 and machining a spindle to fit inside the engine stand tube so I could use bearings. Any other ideas? I don't want to be screwing around with it when I re-assemble my 502.
    Last edited by chevynut; 03-13-2016 at 02:13 PM.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


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  2. #2
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    I never consider flipping or rotating the engine if it has the heads on it. Short block, definitely. Otherwise no.

    If you insist, look at the CG. It's probably very top heavy with the heads on. For me that's fine, I want it closer to balanced as a short block.

  3. #3
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    A short block flips easy. I have never needed to flip a complete engine, or don't know when it would ever be needed to do so. Top always comes off first, goes on last. I built 2 427 Vette engines when I was in the service, without an engine stand. Just simply stood it up on the flywheel. Instant engine stand. One of them was done on a kitchen floor, and ran perfect. It is actually much easier to install pistons in that position, which is the way we did it at the engine factory I worked at.
    Last edited by 55 Rescue Dog; 03-13-2016 at 04:04 PM.

  4. #4
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    A four foot pry bar works for me. I have a couple stands I built in HS.

  5. #5
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    You guys haven't addressed the question....how can I make it rotate easier ? I don't care to hear about other ways you can do a redneck engine assembly without an engine stand since I already have one.

    My short block didn't "flip easy". I can (barely) turn it with a bare block on it, but while I was taking the pistons out and the crank was still in it, it was a pain to get it to turn 90 degrees. Surely it should turn easier than that. Will grease help?

    I'll be taking the block off of it tonight or tomorrow morning to take it to the shop for honing. I'd like to do something about the rotation before I get it back.

    BTW, the sticker on it says it's good for 2000 pounds, but I'm skeptical.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  6. #6
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    Why wouldn't grease help a lot? It helps a lot to lift on the front, and stand on the base, while trying to rotate it too. But someone that is not a redneck could probably engineer a servo drive to spin it to the perfect position within 1/10th of a degree.

  7. #7
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    Now that you've addressed a practical question, you can get some answers.

    What kind of fit on the tubes that form the rotating assembly? I would think grease would help. My guess is the HF stuff is small diameter and lots of clearance.

    My "redneck" made in USA engine stand is 40 years old and has been used hundreds of times. It's a steel tube on a steel tube, probably about 3" diameter with lots of clearance but I can measure. I don't lube it. Length of the telescoping tubes is a factor too. I mostly do small blocks but have done several big blocks and it works the same. It's also 3 point not 4 point which the rookies think is bad about tipping but the key thing is the casters are spread out and 3 will always sit on any floor and not rock unlike 4. And yes if I do need to flip an engine with heads on it I can with the help of a 4' bar like markm suggested.

  8. #8
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Actually the rotating head is pretty big in diameter on this stand (2 7/8" OD) but the outer tube isn't very long at 5" , which I suspect contributes to the problem. I didn't lube it before putting my engine on it because I didn't think it would be a problem. Sounds like a cheater bar isn't out of the question either. I did some research on the web and it looks like this is a common problem with many of these stands.

    I just removed my engine and looked at the rotating head more carefully. It's pretty "sticky" even with no load on it, and I realized it's powdercoated inside the outer tube and outside the inner tube. That seems to be the majority of the problem since powdercoat on powdercoat probably doesn't slide very well. I thought the inner tube was just painted black and the inside of the outer tube was bare. I took a scotchbrite wheel to the inner tube and lubed it with wheel bearing grease, and it made a huge difference. I'll see how it works when I get the block back. Thanks for the input.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  9. #9
    Registered Member NickP's Avatar
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    I hated all of my old ones (3 and 4 point). My most recent unit is a smidge better but still has issues as you mentioned. It has a gear head that allows rotation but in all honesty, I don't know that a manually rotating head with bearings would be very safe. I can see it getting away from you, swinging back and flipping over, even with 4 points of contact on the floor versus the common 3 points.

  10. #10
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    I am with you on the bearings Nick, in HS we made the frames out of heavy wall 3 inch square tube and welded heavy wall 3 inch pipe for the head to rotate in. We turned down a piece of 3.5 solid steel shaft to fit pipe snug. Never minded the four foot bar, we built them that way.

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