Is it normal to build an engine test stand?

About 40 years ago I used my first small gas generator on a jobsite. I was quite surprised at how that engine bogged down and labored as I ripped some 2x6 with my worm drive skilsaw. Years later when thinking about hybrids/electric cars I thought to myself what if the brakes employed a generator to add some juice to the batteries. Well I think that happened years ago. And about my brake cooling, this morning in the woodshop I was wondering about recirculating the cooling water into my hot water tank or for morning coffee. I like the dynamo the best. Edit.... Eating a turkey sandwich and remembering my trailer mounted military flathead V8 powered welder. Someone gave it to me 25 years ago. It was really frustrating to weld with as it constantly overheated. I eventually gave the engine to a friend (turns out was in good shape and Factory Relieved). I took that huge copper wound generator to the scrapyard. Talk about a run stand! Probably needed a radiator or serious flusn. Sandwich done, end of novel.....
 
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Watched both vids. Thanks Pete. So say for example, your flathead makes 100 Hp at 4,000 rpm, using his beam length of 2'-7.5", you would only need 50lbs of weight on the end. Like he said, for the larger (steam engines), they would need some type of water cooling on the shaft. I gotta find my machinery handbook. Lol!
 
A idea that I've contemplated for many years, is to use a large disk brake, connected to a drive shaft, on the bolt pattern. Mount the caliper, to a lever, 1 ft long, to a point (say a bolt) from the center of the disk. I would then mount a 1 1/8 wheel cylinder, under the bolt. The wheel cylinder should be honed to 1.1284, for a accurate 1 square inch. That way, your torque will read, directly from a standard pressure gauge.

Run the brake line to a master cylinder, mounted on your panel, with a lever, next to your tach.

You can load your engine for braken and then do HP runs. If the disk over heats, run a water spray, into the center of it, to cool.

The formula for HP, with a 1 ft lever is, Torque X RPM divided by 5252.

Take your max tq reading, then record in 500 rpm increments and do the math for max HP.
 
If a bear shat in the woods would someone post about it. Would the bear shat faster or would it be a post. I do not know.
 
frnkeore said:
A idea that I've contemplated for many years, is to use a large disk brake, connected to a drive shaft, on the bolt pattern. Mount the caliper, to a lever, 1 ft long, to a point (say a bolt) from the center of the disk. I would then mount a 1 1/8 wheel cylinder, under the bolt. The wheel cylinder should be honed to 1.1284, for a accurate 1 square inch. That way, your torque will read, directly from a standard pressure gauge.

Run the brake line to a master cylinder, mounted on your panel, with a lever, next to your tach.

You can load your engine for braken and then do HP runs. If the disk over heats, run a water spray, into the center of it, to cool.

The formula for HP, with a 1 ft lever is, Torque X RPM divided by 5252.

Take your max tq reading, then record in 500 rpm increments and do the math for max HP.
Click to expand...

Frnkeore would you be willing to rephrase your first paragraph or perhaps you or someone else provide a sketch or diagram? Which bolt pattern does the driveshaft bolt to? Clutch cover? And the 12" lever with the caliper on it mounted to a bolt in the center of the flywheel? The whole caliper would rotate, so I gotta be wrong there....And mounting the brake cylinder 'under the bolt'? The subject interests me. Would it be best to start a thread about Engine break in on a stand or some such? We have pretty much answered the original poster's question about being 'normal' :)
 
GB,
I've got to do some shopping with my wife right now but, I'll start a new thread when we get back on Prony brakes.
 
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