Modified VW Engine Stand

[User Name]

I put a block of wood on the base of mine, for a drip tray or tool box

on the top of the stand I put welded a gland nut on, so I could spin a crank on to build it up, also a couple of extra bolts to hold the head still

[fusername]

I like the gland nut trick. Another good one is to cut up a flywheel and weld it on, or pop it in a vice. Have a t4 flywheel mount set up like that, its nice because it hangs inside the seal surface while you fight to locate the bolts.

as for stand I am lucky enough to have a matra stand with the flywheel lock built into the stand head.

[raygreenwood]

Classic photo.....the kids can play in the kiddy pool/sandbox in the background...while the rest of the family is in the pool that is probably in the background to the right....while you simultaneously bar-b-que and work on the engine. Welcome to 'merica!
If it starts to rain...everyone goes into the dining room and teh engine can be wheeled in with you!
Bar-b-que and pizza sauce are decent (if not corrosive) assembly lubricants! Ray

[david58]

Here is the Ultimate VW engine test stand.


http://www.zalexindustries.com/order.html

Oh it comes in blue too.

[Lew]

Here is the Ultimate VW engine test stand.


http://www.zalexindustries.com/order.html

Oh it comes in blue too.

Only for the Rich David! Looks like someone in Fusername's pic had to give up their bed frame.....

[Glenn]

Only for the Rich

And we all know VW owners are cheap skates

[aircooledtechguy]

Only for the Rich

And we all know VW owners are cheap skates

Tell me about it. . .

[Contevita]

Only for the Rich

And we all know VW owners are cheap skates

Tell me about it. . .

If you got the website, you can rent those engine stands.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I bet the guys in the Off-road forum figured out that this post would eventually come up (I can remember if I posted it here or not… probably have).

I bought a couple of HF engine stands while they were on sale (I think they were about $30 apiece then). I then made a slice most of the way across each of the upright tubes as close to the same distance from the bottom of each stand as I could. I then backed the two stands together, weighted the forward legs down then straightened the vertical tubes upright and then ran a piece of tubing the size of the engine mount tube in the head of the to stands. I then bolted the joining tubes down tight which gave me the two tubes being as close to vertical tubes as I could get and the engine mount heads are in very close alignment. I then welded fill material in the notches that formed on the lower cuts. It is now very solid.

The frame head will bolt to two of the engine mount arms and I made an adapter for the transaxle pickle forks which hooks to all four arms of the other engine mount. Since there is a slight angle of the pickle forks, to accommodate their deflection when engine and transaxle are installed, when you rotate the pan you will get a slight amount of lift of the rear stand leg. I could have accommodated this but I got lazy. It does work though and it does make some things easier.

[Lew]

I have been thinking about a rotisserie. This would be a much cheaper way than starting from scratch building one. Instead of having the two engine stands seperate, you could weld or sleeve and bolt the two together being certain to get the correct measurement between the engine stands. Bolted together would give you the ablility to reduce the size in order to store. The section with the wheels might also need widening. This might just work for my car.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

I've played with that idea but have yet to go there. For shortened pans, a sleeve device with, maybe, a shopping cart style wheel on it might work. It is the need to be able to accomodate both a full size pan or the shortened pan which will drive me to get serious about making it adjustable.

As you could see, the pan will rotate a full 360 degrees with the pan not hitting the stands. With a body on it, you may not be so lucky.

Since I work alone, I have to be able to move the pan around, switch it from end to end in my garage (which usually means a short trip out doors unless it is raining. I can do it inside but it is tight.

Anyway, this has been my buddy and I am presenting it as a "for what it is worth" thing.

[Lew]

I think HB has those engine stands fairly cheap. If I decide to do this, this type of body mounting brackets pictured would be used. Any comments on my idea of this being a working rotisserie?

[david58]

I may have a couple you can borrow.

[Dale M.]

For a engine stand (or maybe rotisserie) I would consider this "base style" with different 'head' it could be rotisserie, or with VW style adapter, a engine assembly stand, or with a bus bell housing bolted to a plate welded to vertical arm (near base) a engine run (test) stand...

Be great 3 in one tool.. (the idea of wide base is for stability and ability to get engine dolly/jack between legs in "test" stand mode).



Dale