Engine Stand Modification for L series Blocks

[Byron510]

It’s not really a welding project, but it is a project worth considering if you are building a motor. There was a bit of welding involved, but this is a really useful mod to your engine stand. It uses the two motor mount holes on the oil filter side of the block, and I made a special pipe thread stud to mount into the water drain hole at the back of the block. The idea is Nissans in the first place. You could – many years ago – buy an engine stand from Nissan that mounted just like this. So the idea had been around for a while. My LZ motor has many more holes, but these three are in all motors (68 L16- 83 Naps 24), so the engine stand is very universal. The location of the pipe is the CG in two planes (that was a fun one to figure out as I rolled the complete short block around on a 1” pipe – vertically!). It works great, the block spins with no effort at all. The magic spot is about ½” rearward of the motor mount holes, and about 1” below the filter thread hole CL.

Please don’t judge me on the engine stand itself. This was actually a grade 10 (yep – 15 years of age) metal work project. I think it took me three months to build it in metal work class. But it’s made for me – it stands a good 12” taller than any regular engine stand (short I am not). The welding was the very first arc welding project I’d ever touched – it not only made the grade back in high school, it’s survived the years of abuse as well. The one thing nice about my stand is that I bought premium wheels that are softer and have bearings in them as opposed to cheap casters.

Anyways, just a mod I thought you’d all like to see and possibly use.

Byron

[Byron510]

Here's a shot of the special NPT stud that had to be made. I drilled through the hex plug, and then tapped the hole for a M10 stud - then tig welded the back side of the stuff to the plug so that I could extract the unit as one and not just extract the stud from the plug stuck in the block. A standard hex NPT plug would be better, as you wouldn't have to weld it and you have a hex to turn with a wrench - I just didn't have one on hand yesterday.

Byron

[510Martinez]

. The one thing nice about my stand is that I bought premium wheels that are softer and have bearings in them as opposed to cheap casters.

Byron

Pics of wheels?

[rnorrish]

. The one thing nice about my stand is that I bought premium wheels that are softer and have bearings in them as opposed to cheap casters.

Byron

cause the shops you work in these days are too rough and shabby, huh?

[Byron510]

Honestly - the casters are just rubber ones instead of the usual hard plastic. In other words, when rolling the thing across the floor loaded and you hit a cord, bolt or other small object, the wheels don’t grind to a halt.


Eh Rich - I'm proud of how clean I keep my shop at work. That responsibility lies squarely on my shoulders I am the only guy there to keep it that way.
Byron

[imtb]

very nice.... I did see them in the Haynes Manual and thought thats a nice engine stand. Any chance you have a drawing of the hole pattern or could make a full size templete and post it . I'd like to build one myself.

thanks
mike

[Byron510]

I just took a piece of construction paper and laid it over the block to get the bolt pattern! Pretty low tech, but hey it worked good

I've spent another part of a day working on this engine stand, and I have to say it's nice.

Byron