Soon, I'll have my 7.3 out of the truck. I want to build a wood cradle to store it on, and to eventually load it into the back of a pick-up and haul it around. I am thinking: no casters, close to the ground.

Not an engine stand for working on the motor.

I am sure I can figure out a design...but, if someone has already done it, I'd appreciate seeing how theirs worked.

Thanks,

Roy

 

I have a 7.3 sitting out in my shed on a pallet. Its supported by a couple 4x4's standing upright under the motor mounts. I think there is a piece of metal bolted to the motor mount and screwed to the top or side of the 4x4 to keep it from moving around. In the back of the motor I think there is a board propping the flywheel up.

Unfortunately there is a huge pile of stuff in front of it so I can't get in there to get any pictures right now. I'm not sure I would load it into a truck and drive it around, but it was stable moving the short distance from my garage and down into the shed (there are casters under the pallet so I could push it around).

 

Tecgod,

Thanks for the reply. I agree, upright 4x4s will probably not be stable enough for trucking around. But, I expect I, like you, will end up with the two mounts and the rear (or front) supported. This motor will have a flexplate not a flywheel, and I wonder if the flexplate would be a less-good thing to base a support on.

Roy

 

Why not steel? Metal would be a safer bet, especially if transporting these 1/2 ton beasts. Plus then you could add straps to stabilize the motor at the top.

 

Just put the motor on top of an old tire or two, lashed to a pallet. Strap it down and call it good. The tires should deform and keep anything from getting damaged.

 

Ha,

One vote for steel, one for old tires. Thanks.

I don't have excess steel around, and want it cheap. I will be selling the motor and whatever it is sitting on.

I know lots of motors sit around on tires; and, some are trucked that way. I would like to thread the needle between a nice steel stand and two tires.

Roy

 

Build a wooden box around the oil pan. Attach the box securely to a pallet. Sit motor in box. Run some straps across top of engine. DONE

 

Your box would be 2x8s or 2x10s...or whatever height it would take?

Roy

 

Yes . Build it so that the oil pan flanges sit on top of the wood and only as wide as the oil pan. The length would be the length of the oilpan. When we did the one for l10 we braced outside and bottom of the box. We used 2 1/2 inch deck screws with the torex head and a strong drill.

 

Not sure about clearance between the pan and oil filter area for 1.5" material - I might use 3/4 plywood to make the box; just screw it together. Doesn't need to be fancy, just cut to right height and size.

 

weigh the cost of a sheet of 3/4 plywood against 1x**

 

Right. I'll check the clearance.

I have some left-over plywood chunks in several thicknesses.

Roy

 

Here is one I snagged off the internet. Looks pretty good.

Roy

 

The engine or the cradle ? The cradle is similar to what we did, but we added skids to lift with the forklift. The L10 85 that motorhomes can only come out from the bottom.

 

The cradle. I don't need an internet pic of a 7.3, as I have one out in the yard.

Out the bottom...oh man, glad I'm not dealing with that.

Roy