Engine Stand, easy question to answer

[jimbrandberg]

I use a normal engine stand bolted to the bell housing.
I've got a wood thing for the crankcase but it looks different than the one above.
I've got another wood thing for working on heads.
Jim Brandberg
Isanti, MN
CorvairRepair.com

[davemotohead]

Ok, I have the factory GM Engine stands used in the service department along with the Jack used and a original GM cradle, I have 2 different engine stands, the factory one and one I modified, I have a special bar on my work bench that holds the engine at a angle to assemble the case 1/2's once I check all the specs, once the case is bolted together I transfer the block to a GM stand and assemble the engine and run the engine to break it in on the same GM stand, once broke in I bolt the trans axel on and install it in the car.

[erco]

Cheap HF stand bolted right to the crankcase of my 140.

[Frank DuVal]

All those Harbor Freight nay-sayers just have not bought their good stuff. I am still using the 12 ton hydraulic press and the floor drill press I bought from them back about 1984. And for 13 of those years it was in my collision shop. Employees tried to break them, but they are still working! And 3/4" drive socket sets, what hobbyist can afford Snap-On for those? And yes, HF will replace the sockets of they break.

Their air nailer for hardwood floors is great. And the 23 ga pin nailer. So are their tool boxes. I've got three, along with Craftsman older slide style and an "Antique Car" Snap-On. The HF boxes are jammed full of heavy tools and work just fine.

I bought an HF generator to build my daughter's house. Ran about 400 hours. Now she has it as a backup power source, since she is out in the country.

Sure I have some bought new Snap-On special tools (and air tools, which needed kits after 10 years of not using them, WT&?), lots of used Snap-On (the 24" 1/2" drive flex head ratchet is wonderful for Corvair suspension work). Now, avoid the HF flare nut wrenches, just buy used Snap-On for those and you will be very happy!

HF ATV jack is the recommended one for dropping Corvair drivetrains for years.

And most every tool today is made in China, read the label.

My favorite wrench brand is King Dick. British made. I only have one set.

In closing, buy what YOU want, I'm not writing here to change anyone's mind, just don't look down your nose at people who use HF for stuff that works!

[Dennis66]

As an almost 50 year professional mechanic, I have a mixture of Snap On, some Matco, Mac, Proto, Craftsman, S-K, and only God knows what other tools including some Chinese stuff. I like to use the cheap stuff where I have to modify a tool like a set of open end wrenches heated and bent 45 degrees (flat) for turning difficult to get to hydraulic fittings. I alway got a kick out of one of my former coworkers when he got out his Harbor Freight wrenches. He'd say "Time to break out the Fine China" Dennis

[vairmech]

Wow, you guys go to some elaborate stuff to pull engines! Back in the early 70's I used 2 of the Corvair jacks to pull an engine, after that for probably40 years I used a floor jack with either a 2x10 or a 2x12 piece of wood. I would get a late engine out in 20 minutes and the complete drivetrain in 30! Earlies, depending on how good I wanted to be with the perememeter seals was either 25 min or 40 minutes. All with a floor jack and a piece of wood.

As far as engine stands go I use a regular stand for the engines, when you have the block stripped just set it on the floor remove the bell housing and then the case bolts, things don't fall so far that way and don't damage anything.

When I build an engine I put a 2x8 in the vice and then sit the case half on the edge of the wood, makes the perfect holder without being some monstrosity. Although I like the milk crates! Once I have the case halves together it gets transferred to the engine stand.

Then I read a little about dissing HF tools? Some of their things are not made so well and I avoid them but I have yet to break one of their ratchets or end wrenches. Keep in mind that I use tools professionally and have Snap-On and all the other name brand tools, I have broken more name brand ratchets than I care to try to count. I always kept a repair kit in my tool box! I even got a HF tool box for my race trailer, it's a good box, almost better than my Snap-On box!

You just have to know and look at the quality of what you are getting. If it looks cheap it probably is.

[erco]

Many HF tools are fine for home use. I did have a good laugh at their recent gold plated SPECIAL EDITION ratchet, offered like a fine collectible. They really put the con in Icon.

https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-dri ... 56907.html

[Lane66Monza]

Many HF tools are fine for home use. I did have a good laugh at their recent gold plated SPECIAL EDITION ratchet, offered like a fine collectible. They really put the con in Icon.

https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-dri ... 56907.html

Must be a 1 mil plating on them, since there is only a $10 difference between the 1/4 dr and 3/8 dr.

But I have my Craftsman socket sets from the early 80s. They will last me until I can no longer pick them up. I fix my own ratchets when the mechanisms start getting to slip.

[kmart356]

Think that "adapt & overcome" should be added to the subject of this thread.

The ATV/Motorcycle jack and a variation of the Fitch cart keeps engine steady and allows work on the exhaust logs, heads, pushrod tubes, cylinder/piston assemblies etc. My safety protocols call for multiple support points so i add some stands and wood or padded rebar at each end. Can't lift the engine to place on bench unless i get assist but I do have the std engine stand for assemble when needed.

.

.

engine on lift.jpg (33.66 KiB) Viewed 313 times

.

engine on stand w_flags.jpg (58.73 KiB) Viewed 313 times

[davemotohead]

Harbor Freight fine China! I had a air filter for my compressor I bought and it exploded the min I put air to it!

HF Line wrenches? NOPE!

[Dennis66]

Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. And some HF stuff definitely can't be trusted, while other stuff is fine. I rarely go out there (it's the other side of town for me in a crowded city), because I pretty much have all the tools I need. Dennis

[erco]

Adapt & overcome! This thread proves once again that Corvair guys are the coolest car guys anywhere.

Sure we're weird. But we're cool.

[Dennis66]

I love that it's "Engine stand EASY answer and there's 27 answers so far Dennis

[Frank DuVal]

Go into a HF and play with the Icon tools. Not your Pittsburg Forged quality. Some Icon tools are clearly labeled Made in USA, just like one wants to buy. Most of them do say Taiwan.

Looked at Craftsman recently? Most every tool is Made In China. Not the size, fit and finish of the Made In USA versions of the same part number! I have broken many a Craftsman ratchet of the 70s and 80s, and there are few repair kits available now, and those are very high priced on Ebay. I'm not even going to buy the new ones.

Wright, S-K, MAC, Matco, Williams, etc etc are very good even if bought used. But they all can wear out. I had a wonderful tiny 1/4" drive Matco ratchet that wore out and was (new or rebuild kit) NLA from Matco. Nothing came close to how tiny it was. I found it in the dash support below the glove box in a Corvair I was parting out! Used it for several years before it wore out.

[Dennis66]

While drifting way from the original "Engine Stand" topic, a big issue with the "cheap" tools is fit. Most of the chinese stuff have large ends that often won't fit in tight areas. I've found this on newer vehicles (well, a few years back) where even Craftsman (REAL Craftsman, back in the day) wouldn't fit in an area, but a Snap On would.
I have a set of HF stubbys that I use at work. Where necessary, I have ground ends down to where they will fit in tight places, but how much force can you put on a stubby (BTW, the stubby sets don't contain all sizes, to make the odd sizes, I bought wrenches from "The Tool Guy" at my local Flea Market, cut them and rewelded them into stubbys. tool guy and Flea Market are both now gone - replaced by housing
To bring it back to topic, the HF engine stand is more than adequate. I bought mine several years ago for th especific purpose of rebuilding a friend's Greenbrier engine (the project the "reinfected" me with the Corvair bug). While I might not trust it with a big block, it's done a few Isuzu cylinders (and they re heavy) and a my current engine. I also like that fact that it can be taken apart and stored in my attic storage. Dennis

[Frank DuVal]

I agree, Dennis!