My engine test stand

tubman

Well-known member
I was going to add this to the current Engine Test Stand" thread, but decided it would not be a good idea to clutter that up, so I am starting a new thread.

When I went to the shop today, took some pictures of my test stand for general information and because I promised "rockfla" that I would. I will emphasize to start that I intended this stand to be as universal as it could be. It is still a "work in progress" but it is almost done. One of the things I want to do is to replace the "dashboard" with something more substantial with better labels.

Starting at the front, there is a huge gap between the radiator and the engine. That is intentional, in case I ever find the 356 ci 9-bearing Packard I want or maybe a 320 ci Buick Roadmaster that's always been on my list. I have also attached a garage sale "box fan" in front of the radiator so I don't have to fool around with engine fans. It has 3 speeds, but only needs to be run on low. Although that's an 8BA on it now, it has truck pumps so it picks up the standard '41-'48 Ford mounts, which will accommodate the Hurst series of engine mounts.

In the rear, you can see the cut up Harbor Freight engine stand that I use as a rear mount. In this case, the bell housing is mounted to the engine as it is required to have a starter. If necessary, the back of the block can be mounted directly.

The "dashboard" is quite confusing at first as the stand is set up to run 6 volts positive ground as well as 12 volt negative ground by changing the battery and flipping a switch. There is a Master Power Switch and also a "6/12 volt" Selector switch. Above that is a switch that allows me to use a ballast resistor in the ignition circuit if desired. The stand has a standard suite of gauges consisting of a voltmeter, an oil pressure gauge, a water temperature gauge, a vacuum gauge, a Tachometer, and an O2 meter. There is also a starter button, a hand throttle, and indicator lights that tell you what voltage you are running.

For those of you who are worrying about rings not seating, I intend to use this mainly to test used engines. As I stated in an earlier thread, I have already had a couple of flatheads on it, as well as my spare early hemi and a '51 Olds Rocket. Oh yeah, that red box in the last picture is an old engine test box I also got at a garage sale. It is there because it has a couple of functions that are missing (a dwell meter for one), and because I have no where else to put it.
 

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Denny, This sounds like a monster of an engine stand. It seems like you are intending to post up some photos of this rig, but I have not seen any yet. Like you I normally run used engines on my stand.
 
Gary,

Thanks for mentioning the missing pictures. I thought I had no problems with the original post, since it gave me no error message(s). I checked the text and thought all was well, but not so. I had originally uploaded all 7 pictures at once and it doesn't like that. When I added them 2 at a time all went well. Forum software.:confused:

I think they're there now.
 
Wow, thank you, Denny, for posting your pictures. I would also like to make mine as "universal" as possible SO there are still a few avenues of decisions I need to make one is the radiator? I am thinking on going with a single inlet/outlet radiator and having one of my customers make me a manifold for a flathead AS I have a 9N 4cyl, B 4cyl and a 351C that I would like to run before installations and I think more of what I would "potentially" run would use a single inlet and outlet format. Do you OR have you run into "adjust ability" issues front or rear (more so front) with your set up, I wonder IF my front mounts "should" be?? Like the cross bar able to move forward or aft (engine length), engine supports able to move inward or outward (engine mounts)?? The box fan is certainly a simple solution and hadn't thought that simple. I was originally planing to do a rad fan on an electric temp sender. I like your dash set up!!!
 
I have a '50 Ford radiator on my stand, simply because I had one that didn't leak and the first engine I ran on the stand was an 8BA. When I ran the Hemi and the Olds, I found some proper sized vinyl caps on the internet that go over the unused radiator outlets, secured with a hose clamp. I was lucky that the hose sizes were right for those engines, but would expect to run into problems with other engines. The rear mount slides back and forth and I have Hurst mounts for the Olds and Hemi, so everything dropped into place. As I said, when I run an 8BA, I have a set of truck pumps. I imagine that if I do find the Buick or Packard, I'll have to do some modifying on the front mounts, but that's to be expected.

This thing "just grew", as witnessed by the cross outs on some of the labels on the "dashboard". I looked under it intending to perhaps come up with a wiring diagram, but as you can imagine, it's a "rat's nest". My intention is to replace the whole thing with a more substantial material, better labels, and neater wiring, but that will probably never happen because it just plain works. You know what they say about the "Road to Hell".
 
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