Flathead engine stand mounting

H

HCO41

Senior Member
Tried to use my engine stand for an 8ba and found that the arms didn't reach out far enough. A friend with a lot more experience commented that the bell housing mounting bolts are wider than most engines he had built on a stand. I decided to make a new mounting plate and arms that would accommodate the flathead engines. I finished it up today and hung the engine on it with no issues.
Has anyone ever determined the approximate center line for an 8ba engine with heads and without accessories. A measurement from the center of the flywheel up to the center line of the stand pivot would be helpful when turning. Thanks,
Howard
 
Most people hang them off exhaust ports
 

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I have always been told that if you hung a Flathead from the bell housing you could possibly break it, so I have always used the exhaust mount. Was always afraid to try to see if the bell housing would hold.
 
Saved this from an old thread on the Flathead Forum. It is the bolt hole locations for the rear of an 8BA.

There's no problem hanging an 8BA from the bellhousing flange.
 

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Guys, I understand the issue about hanging the engine from the bell housing has to do with the early engines (pre '49). If I've invented something new then I guess I'll have to figure out the CL on my own. I can share with you that I have been in the shop of one of our most respected flathead builders and he hangs 8BAs from the bell housing mounts. If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me. Still looking for an answer to my thread.
Howard
 
HCO41 said:
Guys, I understand the issue about hanging the engine from the bell housing has to do with the early engines (pre '49). If I've invented something new then I guess I'll have to figure out the CL on my own. I can share with you that I have been in the shop of one of our most respected flathead builders and he hangs 8BAs from the bell housing mounts. If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me. Still looking for an answer to my thread.
Howard
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Yup hang it there all day long.

R
 
51504bat, I also have a no name stand. The problem I had with mine is that the fixed length arms, that ride in slots on the face plate, wouldn't go out far enough to reach the bell housing mount holes. I borrowed the slotted arms from a friends stand and was able to use that type. I returned his arms and decided to fabricate a new plate and arms. I over killed the whole thing using 1/2" hot rolled for the plate, 5/16x1" upright, bent into hairpin shape for the arms, 1/2" sched. 80 pipe for the arm extensions and 2" sched. 80 pipe for the pivot. Worked out great but I probably could have bought a U.S. made unit that worked "out of the box" by the time I was done.
If I ever work on one of the earlier engines, I will fabricate the mount using the exhaust manifold mounting holes.
Any answers to the original thread????
Howard
 
I think what you meant to ask was the location of the Center of Gravity? The centerline of the crankshaft is shown in my drawing. Just seat of my pants, I'd put the centerline of the pivot halfway between the pan surface and the intake deck.
 
Hi Howard, the dimension on the 2 corner (bellhousing) bolts very close to a conventional SBC/BBC, so close we fabricated an existing stand (cradle) designed for the Chevy's and the 2 rear corner bolts were just about lined up to the Flathead.

If it fits these cradles it will fit the engine stand as well??

(Add) We've always mounted the (later) Flathead's on the conventional stands, never a single issue!

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Here's a couple shot's of the block mounted on the "cradle". You can see the only mod is for the front flange (exhaust mount) area!
 

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ReggieK said:
I have always been told that if you hung a Flathead from the bell housing you could possibly break it, so I have always used the exhaust mount. Was always afraid to try to see if the bell housing would hold.
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Thats an old wives tale !!!!
I have hung every find of flathead V8 there is off the bellhousing over the last 44 years & never had a problem !!!! I have 6 right now that way .
I am in Charlotte nc reggie .
cheers
Tony
 
Sounds good Ross, I'll give it a try. I think I'm close to that as it is. Just didn't want to have the engine flop over without being able to control it.
Thanks,
Howard
 
Has anyone actually seen a flathead that snapped off at the bell housing?
I haven't, I would be amazed if they did break off.
Martin.
 
Gary, that's a nice cradle you designed. I see what you mean about the SBC being close to the flathead bolt spread at bell mount. I assume I couldn't have gotten the SBC mounted either with the stand as it was. The stand was rated at 2000# (???), but the arms wouldn't slide out far enough and plate slots were too close to the edge to elongate them safely, so I just fabricated the new mount as described above and it worked with no issues. Thanks,
Howard
 
scooder said:
Has anyone actually seen a flathead that snapped off at the bell housing?
I haven't, I would be amazed if they did break off.
Martin.
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I have welded/pieced back at least 3 bell housings that, was broken over the years, I was told that they put them on an engine stand by the bell housing and they broke. That is all I have to say on the subject. If you can do it and get away with it have fun!!!
 
scooder said:
Has anyone actually seen a flathead that snapped off at the bell housing?
I haven't, I would be amazed if they did break off.
Martin.
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I 've only seen it once but that was enough,cast iron section was still attached to the engine stand fingers but the 59AB was sitting on the garage floor. The guy was never actually working on the engine he had it stored on a conventional engine stand instead of a cradle and moved it around quite a bit over the years on an old rough cement floor. Looking at the hollow cast iron mounting area and no bottom support simple physics should show you not to do this on earllier blocks.
 
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