Topic: Christmas present for myself - engine stand

[eigenvector]

Something I got myself this year was a motorcycle engine stand.  The idea was to grab the engine from the front and rear mounts and be able to swivel it around like a pig on a spit.  The only problem I'm running into - how to actually get the engine on the mount.  See the problem is that the stand is 2 pieces with a crossbar running down the middle
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2003/5794912673_f440d7a62d_z.jpg

That's not it, but it's close enough.

In order to mount it, it has to be in the air, but to get it in the air you have to jack it up, but to jack it up that crossbar has to be out of the way!

I'll give you the lowdown once I figure out the technique.

But for now, it's nice being able to suspend the motor in the air so you don't bang it against things trying to flip it over.  Keeps it nice and steady and clean while working on the insides.

[USMC5811]

Can you take the cross member out?
The engine would act as the brace between the two ends - like bikes where it's a stressed member of the frame.


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[eigenvector]

That never occurred to me.

Yeah, that's a fair option.  It's bolted directly onto the engine mounts, so sure, that's an option.

Thanks.

[bill440cars]

      So, I assume that this is the main frame of the stand? Following this, to see how it works out. I am possibly going to be in the need and I have been checking out other's ideas and such. 

[eigenvector]

I'll let you know how it works in the morning.

I'm finding out that somewhere in the process you have to be able to hoist the engine around  - overhead chain hoist or the like.

I have it 50% mounted, so it's a good place to stop and plan my next step.

[RAFster122s]

Do you have a pedal operated platformtype lift used on some bikes?  They go for about $70 at Harbor Freight and are a sissors type jack  operated by hydraulic ram w/parallel pads to catch the bike/atv/etc from beneath and it lifts the bike 12-18 inches.  That could be used to lift the engine to mount on frame rails.  You make the base a U shape deep enough to accommodate the lifting device.  I have seen a floor jack modified by welding a steel plate to a pipe that fits in the cup for the floor jack, replacing the cup with the platform.  The steel cup or plate attachment being held in place by a hitch pin or lynch pin affair for quick change.

[RAFster122s]

An option on stand as configured would be to construct a ramp plate to abutt against the crossbar on either side with gentle taper over a couple feet befor a platform higher than the cross bar to roll your lifting device/presuming a floor jack or similar up the ramp onto the platform.  You could fasten a piece of hardboard across the crossbar linking both sides so it drops in place.

You also may find it handy to drill a hole or two through the interior pipe so you can lock the stand in rotation every 45 degrees.  Drop a pin in place to stop the rotation. It keeps from worrying about out of balance condition when the motor is assembled or disassembled on the stand.  The center of gravity shifts as you add or subtract the top end or case contents, etc.

[70CB750]

Rob, you need u joint on both ends.  Been there with stand I adapted to engine rottiserrie.

[70CB750]

Like this. Each end rotates and svivels at the same time. If you have ends rotating only it wil not work.

[eigenvector]

I'll show you what it looks like when I have it set-up.

It's fine, it's a rotisserie set-up

[RAFster122s]

Rotation only works if anchors center through case on same plane...Rob is mounting side to side instead of longitudinally, so his design works fine for rotation without Ujoints.

Look forward to your photos.
David

[eigenvector]

Well, for what it's worth I have the engine mounted on the stand finally.

Took a bit of doing - mostly getting the engine up on a hoist so that I could lift it high enough to sit level with the mounts.

I can't begin to describe just how worried and anxious I was.
A few things that popped out at me during the install.
The cross-bar they provided was too long for the engine - I had to cut about 3 inches off it before it would allow the stand to cleanly mount.  Of course the cross-bar wouldn't slide on smoothly either - I had to take a file to the ends to knock down the machining marks, hose it down with WD-40, then tap it in.  Try doing that while you have a 150 lb engine dangling over you

But, it's on the spit as it were.  I'm keeping the hoist under it until I'm confident it won't come crashing down.  it rotates and does everything it's supposed to do.  Now comes the fun part - actually working on the engine.

[ekpent]

 I'm wishing I had something like that right now for an engine that I am working on, I want to open the bottom and the top. Seems like I saw member Sean have a 750 engine mounted up on a regular car engine stand once at his shop.
  Glad you got it figured out.

[eigenvector]

It's really nice now that I've got comfortable spinning it around.

The top mounts are great for holding on to the upper case, flip it over on it's back and you can remove the bottom and have full access to the gearbox.  To make it better - the engine is sitting at chest height, no leaning over it, no kneeling down, no worry about it falling over or bending something.

[RAFster122s]

Very nice gift to yourself.  Back breaking work bending over wrenching as we get older...with arthritis making things we used to do talk to us about it a lot when doing them later in life...or just reminding us of what we did in our youth.

[bill440cars]

Very nice gift to yourself.  Back breaking work bending over wrenching as we get older...with arthritis making things we used to do talk to us about it a lot when doing them later in life...or just reminding us of what we did in our youth.

       Boy, you sure said a mouthful of truth there. At this point, in My life. I have gotten to where I do my best to plan things a lot better, as far as what I will need to accomplish something and try to set things up as well as possible, to keep from have to get up or down and such. But, for me, it is worse, working on my cars, than my motorcycles. things end up taking a lot longer to accomplish, if I have to get up and down much.  At least the reward of being able to ride the motorcycles or drive my cars, is nice.   

[martin99]

At least the reward of being able to ride the motorcycles or drive my cars, is nice.

That's what it's all about Bill. Takes me an age nowadays to do things I used to do in five minutes, but the reward at the end is still well worth the effort. 

[bill440cars]

At least the reward of being able to ride the motorcycles or drive my cars, is nice.

That's what it's all about Bill. Takes me an age nowadays to do things I used to do in five minutes, but the reward at the end is still well worth the effort. 

             absolutely right, about that. time may seem to have speeded up, just like my Mom tried to tell me about, years ago, but time to get things done, has increased, just as you said. But, the "Ride" is still as Sweet.