Project 2-5 From Hooda- Engin stand mod for HD use.

[hooda]

So, I'm going to be building an engine for my '78 Lowrider coming up pretty quick. I'm going to be doing a bunch of serious performance work, and one of the tasks calls for actually "cc'ing" the combustion chambers to verify actual compression ratio. This is normally a royal pain, usually people use a bunch of procedures, pouring liquid into the tops of cylinder heads, measuring pistons down in bores, and pouring, then using a bunch of complicated math to get a number, which, in my opinion leaves waay too much room for error. What I prefer to do is pre-assemble the motor, and angle it such that I can bring the piston to top dead center on the firing cycle (both valves closed) and pour directly into the spark plug hole, using large syringes to measure directly how much liquid it takes to fill. This gives a real, direct number with little to no margin for error. I've never yet seen anyone use a conventional automotive engine stand to mount a Harley engine, much less make the mount able to articulate, so this is all off the top of my head, and may change in design time in time again before I get it done, but it will give me a good chance to use my Everlast welder and plasma cutter to do the job. The one tool that I'm finding myself in need of is a drill press, so I may be on the hunt for one, but I'm seriously low on funds, so I may have to make do with what I got. The pics below show the auto engine stand on the left, with the engine cases mounted in the motorcycle engine stand on the right.





The bottom picture shows one of the pieces of 3/8" steel that I managed to rescue when my dad scrapped all the repair stock that he had accumulated over the past 40 years. Let's just say, I was given no consideration, so from here on out, I have to buy my materials, but that's another story. The m/c engine stand crudely made, and came with a 1955 engine that I bought about a year ago (ans sold). The first thing I had to do was drill the holes to bolt the engine to the stand. Now comes design time. I will post pics of the progress, and time is of the essence. Anyone with ideas on how to improve on the idea, feel free to chime in.
DISCLAIMER: If I come up with a marketable design, I will make a few and try to sell them, so if you do offer any pointers, please understand that I'm a guy just trying to eek out a living. If I do end up making something using a feature that you suggest here, I will consider it as "free advice" and use it with great appreciation, however, if it's something that you feel you would need to be compensated for, now or in the future, please refrain from posting it.
Please don't let this put you off, but I'm currently watching a friend go through the ugly process of fighting over "intellectual property rights", and it has turned this once easygoing, nice, generous guy into a bitter, angry, stressed out man who has lost his sense of humor about life in general. I don't want to go through that, ever. Thanks again, and stay tuned.

[dyethor]

Looks like a good idea. Is the pivot point going to be the center of the engine so its balanced and easy to turn with the top end on?

[charger891]

Nice set up! always wanted a stand similar to the one you built for motorcycle engines

[hooda]

So, I was busy today helping the 2 guys I had putting up a new door on the shop, but after they left, I managed to figure out how to get a couple of holes drilled to some degree of precision for the mounting plate. I had a piece of 1/2" plate about the size I needed, but the closest to a drill press that I currently own is the gem seen in the pics below. I picked it up at a pawn shop a while back for $15.00, and after some deft use of 18 gauge steel wire, I was pokin' holes!. This plate is now fit up and will serve to have the rest of the apparatus I have in mind welded to it. Yup, the actual use of my plasma cutter and welder is IMMINENT!!, and I can hardly wait!! Stay tuned.

"DRILL PRESS"



Base Plate, bolted to the engine stand.

[hooda]

Looks like a good idea. Is the pivot point going to be the center of the engine so its balanced and easy to turn with the top end on?

That was the original idea, but to do so will take about four times the material to accomplish than I have on hand, plus it will require thicknesses for strength that I don't feel like drilling through (see my "drill press"?). In the very near future, I will build this mount down and out so the crankshaft centerline is at or slightly below the pivot point of the engine stand mount, but for NOW, I'll be making it just so I can get the motor oriented for combustion chamber pouring. Come to think of it, all it will take is another mounting plate similar to the first one, and a piece of 2 x 4 square tubing to lower and center the crank c/l. I'll do that once I get this done.

[hooda]

These photos are better explained in the stick welding section.

Arc force max:



Arc force min:

[hooda]

I finally got down to business and got this finished to the point where I can use it and see where I need to go from here. Below are a few shots of what I came up with.





I plan to modify this for more precision placement of the engine, but the tilt seen here will make for easy assembly of the gear chest without things falling out.



Left/Right articulation will aid in cylinder assembly, and combined with the back/forth movement, will aid in cc'ing the combustion chambers, which was the original idea behind the whole project.





So what do you think? Future improvements will be to lower the whole assembly so that the center of gravity is closer to the rotating axis of the engine stand, making the unit more stable, and safer. (I would NEVER offer this unit for sale to the public as it is now, due to safety issues). And I think that I can simplify the design to make it easier to make.

Next up is a transmission adapter to mount the tranny in much the same way. Rebuilding a Harley tranny requires manipulating the box in several different angles just like the engine.

Feedback anyone??