Help with HF 2 ton engine stand.

[jestlurnin]

Hello everyone. I picked up a 2 ton HF engine stand the other day (I know a little overkill) for a 2nd 2F I have in the garage so that it's easier to move them around as my garage doubles as a home improvement workshop as well as a mechanic shop. The first engine stand I bought from HF (the 1/2 ton) seemed a bit flimsy so I decided to go big.

The questions I have are, am I not solving the puzzle correctly in terms of where to place the "arms" of the engine stand? The plate that holds the arms seems pretty symmetrical (2 straight slots and 2 on an angle) however the way that I had to orient the arms to actually fit the holes for the bolts on the back of the engine is VERY unsymmetric, see image below.

Plus the pin that you are meant to put in the collar doesn't have a hole available wh n the engine is in completely upright stance. Do I just drill a hole in the collar where I need one to be or did I just not figure out how to orient the arms correctly when I mounted them to the engine.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pin_Head]

It has been a while, but IIRC, I mounted the slotted plate directly to the upper bolt holes using the tube end of the arm as a spacer and leaving the arm ends free and then used the arms to mount the lower bolts. This makes for a better balance too. You might need longer bolts, but I think you can just get rid of the stack of washers.

 

[jestlurnin]

Thank you pin head!!

Let me write back to you what I think you did pinhead.

You used arms as spacers only for the 2 top bolts, not actually attaching the arms to the plate itself.

Then you did attach the arms to the engine and the plate on the bottom 2?

Im scared as hell of this thing snapping and the engine falling or something crazy if I screw this up. We all know how heavy these darn thing are. Plus then I'd trash the engine that came out of my 45.....which I'm going to rebuild and put back in.

 

[Pin_Head]

Zakly.
I don't have the same engine stand.

 

[Jdc1]

If you zoom in on this pic you can see what I did. Engine mounted lower and I was able to flip it myself (I'm about 175lbs)

 

[Bluegrass40]

Looks much more balanced.

Now I want an engine stand, a spare 2f.... and a garage:/

 

[Jdc1]

I also found it easiest to mount the plate on the engine while it was on the ground and then install into the stand.

 

[sadam_husain]

if you look at google images it shows most engine stands with the mounting plate rotated 90 degrees to how you have yours set up, that may make your engine block mount up better and should bring the hole for the locking pin up to the top

 

[jestlurnin]

Guys thanks a ton for the replies. Never even thought that not attaching the arms to the plate was an option and just using them as spacers.

It definitely is a square peg in a round hole thing if you try and attach the arms to the plate..

I'll fix both engines tomorrow.

 

[Splangy]

It has been a while, but IIRC, I mounted the slotted plate directly to the upper bolt holes using the tube end of the arm as a spacer and leaving the arm ends free and then used the arms to mount the lower bolts. This makes for a better balance too. You might need longer bolts, but I think you can just get rid of the stack of washers.

I do the same thing.

 

[skully3]

here's a better pic, same stand.

 

[jestlurnin]

Great picture wrong end of engine. Kidding, I think I have enough pictures to do this job correctly now. I'll post up this evening when I sort it out.

 

[jestlurnin]

Well everyone thank you very much. Took both engines off the 1/2 ton and 2 ton stands and rotated the mounting plates. I'll say this, the 2 ton stand is freakin rock solid compared to the 1/2 ton stand but crazy enough the 1/2 ton stand isn't unsteady and I'm not going to be worried working on the 2F that is on the 1/2 ton stand. Never been this excited to "fix" something not on one of my cruisers. See pictures below. This will make moving these monsters around the garage pretty easy. Hopefully the pictures help someone else.

 

[toyotaspeed90]

On the subject of engine stands.....

Always buy a 4 wheel stand.... the 3 wheels can be upwards of 1 ton, but are dangerous and tippy..... at one point I had as many as 4 stands (4age/variant engines on them... so small 4 cylinders) and the 3 wheel almost tipped constantly.

 

[KFJ45]

Thanks for this thread and the pics Jest. I'm at this point and the pics back up what I was thinking. Thanks!!

 

[jestlurnin]

No worries man. I tell you what I can usually figure out mechanical things like stupid engine stands but I stared at that damn thing FOREVER and thanks to MUD finally figured it out. This website never stops giving! Glad I could help!

 

[Vae Victus]

Awww yeeaaa! Finally a clear shot of how to mount the 2F so I can Balance the thing better! @Jdc1 you were holding out on me!