I want to build an engine stand... don't try to talk me into buying one... I want to over build one . My plan is to use two 2" pillow blocks mounted on a piece of flat plate that sits on top of the 'stand' . the stand will be 4" square tubing... U-shaped base (4 wheel) with 4" tubing for the upright..

I will use a piece of 2" round stock that goes thru the two pillow blocks to which the 'engine mount plate' will be welded. Some type of brake will be added to either the 'engine mount plate' or to the round stock.

I've seen a picture of this type stand 'somewhere' on the net and can't find it... any help with pics or drawings will be appreciated

I don't care how heavy it's gonna be, I don't have to lift it, it's got wheels. When I'm through with it it will either sit under the shed for someone to borrow/steal or it will be sold.

some body find me this picture I remember...


thanks
John

 

I can't direct you to plans, but a neat thing I've been seeing lately is stands that have a worm gear and crank, so you can position the engine accurately and in control. I want one of those!

 

FL
those ARE nice and I'm already trying to figure out a way to incorporate that into my design...... but still searching for that picture

john

 

Check out my gallery. You will see almost exactly as you desribe except mine uses the hex shaft that was removed from a baler drive roll. The bearing came from the same baler. They are 1.5" hex.

 

Not exactly what you described, but here is my engine run stand.

http://frederic.woodbridgedata.com/i...=yard-runstand

 

This is the engine stand I built a few years ago. The frame is made from 4" channel iron welded together to make tubing. Not my idea, but I got several long pieces of this stuff free while doing some clean up on a piece of property.
I still want to go back and replace the single front wheel with two wheels spread apart a bit.

 

96 ??? tell me about that head unit.... what it is ?? where you got it ?? that rreally is neat way to do it... how much weight will it handle

thanks
John

 

That home made engine stand looks pretty nice

 

I saw one on this site somewhere and I can't remember who but they had built one out of an rear end axle housing.They cut it from the pumpkin and added a bearing at the cut end. Used the axle shaft and welded a similar set up like 96's stand, a little more beefier looking and I really liked the the "T" handle screw to tighten it so the engine could be at virtually any angle w/precision accuracy if needed w/out any effort as the bearings made it spin with ease. I would suspect that a big block or even bigger could hang of of it as it looked like the main "trunk" looked like it was a piece of 6" pipe and 2" square tubing for all the other pieces w/ball bearing urathane caster wheels to roll around on. I know that if I ever go to build a engine stand thats how I will do it or similar to it any way. Hope this helps!

 

ok, here's what I'm looking at so far and the questions that I've come up with




might need some of you ford truckin millwrights or engineer types here
overbuild is the optimum word here... I don't care how heavy it is.. it will be on wheels. It's not like I've got to bench press it to use it. I'd rather have it too strong than not strong enough. so..... as I mentioned 4" tube for the base/upright with appropriate gussets at intersections. I'm thinking maybe 30" spread on the legs... and legs that are 36-42" long...stability being the goal... 4-5" casters (four of them) and will drill the legs for 'feet' that can screw down and render it unmovable (for those high-torque head bolt twisting sessions). A removable drip pan will be attached either to the upright or to the base.


first question...

what distance would be best between the two pillow blocks with the 800# load twisting on the outer end ??? I doubt that with 2" rod stock and no more than an inch or two outboard the bearing to the mount plate that there will be much deflection...but bearing load calculations elude me...

second question (and third) I'm thinking 1/2" plate for the base plate under the bearings and also for the engine mount plate (where the adjustable arms bolt on... is this enough or should I go to 3/4" . Again can't see much deflection with 1/2" but if that is sufficient then 3/4" is more better.

steel is not an issue so it's just as easy to cut one as the other...the price is the same for the material

later questions to come..... brakes and possibly a gear drive unit to turn it


appreciate all the input so far and to come..

later
John

 

You would be better off IMO with a tube of say 3"- 4"-dia. than 2" solid shaft. You really don't gain anything by using pillow block bearings, compared to having smooth tubing running inside machined (relatively tight tolerance) tubing. Most cheap stands have a really sloppy fit between the two tubes, so that there is some angle between the two tubes which eliminates the even spread of loads along the tube, making it two small points of contact ( = high friction). For instance, 3" pipe (OD = 3.50"will fit snugly inside 4" Schedule 160 pipe (ID = 3.438"). Schedule 160 is around, but not at Home Depot. An alternative would be to use more common 4" schedule 80 (also known as XS or Extra Strong) and bush it for an even closer fit.

To answer your question on the spacing of the pillow blocks, there is no optimum spacing, but the further they are spaced, the higher the load on the one near the block and the less on the one further away.

 

John

If you can take an hr. or so to wander around a Tractor Supply Store, number of different possibles from trailer axles to half shafts, splined drives and maybe even some little furry things.

One of my favorite places for getting parts and ideas.

 

John -

My background is as an aircraft mfg tool designer. We don't do a lot of calculations. Those are for the engineers who worry about weight. Tools are about stout, which seems to be what you want here. My tool design mentor once told me that "if 1/2" will do it, and 3/4" looks good, make it 1". So, with that in mind....

1. Think of the 2" shaft acting as a first class lever, with the engine weight on one end. The forward-most pillow block is essentially bearing the entire engine weight and acting as the lever fulcrum, with the aft pillow block acting to stabilize the reaction load (i.e.: the load on the fwd block is down, the load on the aft block is up). If the pillow blocks are both rated for the 800# load, the optimal distance required between them should be the distance from the forward pillow block to the center of gravity of the engine, which I'm guessing will be about 24". That means that a 24" span between supports puts equal load on the supports, one down, one up.
2. 1/2" steel plate sounds bulletproof for both locations. The pullout strength of 1/2-20 threads thru 1/2" steel is huge. The bending over the relatively small span (with gussets underneath) is basically nothing. 1/2" will be fine. 3/4" is better....(what he said..)
3. My concern on this design is how you will stabilize the cantilevered legs under the engine. I would suggest (2) more 4" tube struts, one on each side, running at compound angles from under the upper plate to as far out on the legs as will clear the engine swing.
NOTE: If you can find a hand crank gear drive for the rear end of the shaft, you will have both brake and rotational control. These units are used all the time for large assembly jigs with heavy parts on them. 2" dia shafts are also common inputs to them. I would suggest McMaster Carr as a good source for the gear drive. In fact, you could easily replace the aft pillow block with the gear unit. You might find a bargain on one as a used unit from a local tool supply or mill....or a tractor supply, like Dick said.

That's my 2 cents...

 

Dodge bearings for pillow blocks with 2" ID is what I have at work for holding the rollers on my saw table. The roller is induction hardened bar at 70mm thickness, (2.75") the ends were turned down to fit the dodge bearings (it's a U-shaped casing welded to the support). Now this will hold over 3000 lbs, pretty well. If you can duplicate that with the 2" shaft running through the bearing and putting the mounting plate on it, I'd say you'd have no problems. The yield of the 2" bar would then be the weak point. That said, steel prices are through the roof, so it may end up being a matter of what you can find and/or afford. A measly .02 from me


Think heavy duty boat crank

 

NOW !!!

THAT'S the kind of response I've been looking for instead of " I think I saw one once that looked kinda like that"

Ross... you described mine perfectly... load it up ?? and it binds up. so if I understand right I'd be better off with a close tolerance (how close??) longer bearing surface that two tubes gives you than a solid shaft supported at two relative short bearing surfaces. Actually "I think I saw one once that looked like that" it was at a Air Guard shop at the airport... anyway... if you will... give me some tolerances for the fit and I'm assuming there should be zerks on the sides and end to get/keep it slippery right?? or would you oil it ?? ?? Somewhere I remember what each type fit... i.e. press, friction, slip, slop , whatever used to be in thousanths but it fell out of my head a long time ago... so some guidance please. I can come up with the materials probably... even the double X pipe ( I work for a pipefitting co at a steel mill)
also how long a section of pipe would you recommend ?? 12"- 14" ???

it's pretty much like what 96f showed with his trunnion bearing set up right ??? larger bearing surface spreads the load.

RJ... your comment #3 I read it as two struts from the upright to each leg as far as feasible out the leg and still allow rotation of the engine... diagonal braces at something approximating 45° right ???

and in your "NOTE" the search for the gear drive is on and hopefully a suitable unit will surface soon


Penn Dick... I got almost organic last weekend ... we were traveling back to B'ham from a delivery and about 30 miles from the house was new construction of a Tractor Supply Store... that makes two in this area about 80 miles apart and I'm right in the middle..go figure. I've never been to one but am looking forward from the reports I've heard.

all... stryder had a design in his gallery with a flange bearings on either side of a 4" drilled tube... which esentially did away with the whole head end with the pillow blocks... the more I read the more I think I like Ross' plan of two tubes... just like the junk I have now... but with the tighter tolerances providing a better bearing surface and smoother turning.

And since I heard no negatives on the tube/caster size I'll assume you all think my plan will work for the bottom end (adding RJ diagonals of course)

I appreciate all the input... drawings will also be accepted (and appreciated) in jpg or pdf format (I got no cad)

thanks
later
john