Engine run stand

[Deezel]

I said I would start a thread on my engine run stand, so here it is. 

I needed an engine run stand, mainly for my 416 build. I wanted something that was half decent and not just something thrown together to get the motor running on. I also didn't want to break the bank buying something that may only get used a couple times. I started searching and ended up with a Larin Mobile Test Stand. I ordered one through Summit when they were on sale and I had a few Summit Bucks to burn up.

The stand is of just OK quality and needed some upgrades right out of the box. The gauges sucked and needed to be replaced. The only one I still have on it is the RPM gauge and I did end up getting it to work properly so it'll stay in for now. The wheels on it will need to be replaced as well. They are cheap and I find it harder to push around than what it should be when the motor is on it. I'll most likely get some heavier casters from Amazon for it. It could also be a wee bit higher for changing oil after breaking motor in so I will most likely go with 6" wheels. I also changed out the keyed ignition and put in a switch panel. I wish I had bought a panel with one more switch, to turn on/off the ignition. Right now I'm only using an alligator clip connected to the battery. Not really handy if you need to kill the motor in a hurry. I will most likely add a switch in the future.




I picked up a Holley electric fuel pump, Moroso electric water pump and an electric fan for the rad. To wire it all up I ended up buying a relayed fuse box off Amazon. Wiring it all together was super easy. I needed relays for each component and one for the starter. All the blue wires are fused power supplies in the relay box. I used one of them and ran it to the main power switch. Haven't really got use for any of the other fused power supplies but they might come in handy later on.



The electric fan was a cheap one from Summit but it seems to work quite well. Definitely keeps the engine cool. I just used some steel strapping to attach it to the rad. I used the same strapping to attach the rad to the run stand. I used spade connectors to hook it up as I was unsure of which direction would provide the best cooling. Pushing air through the rad towards the motor was far superior than sucking it through.



My ignition box was already mounted to a fixture so I permanently mounted it to the back of the stand. The flywheel is from my A41 and I bought a starter mounting bracket off eBay. I was going to buy a bell housing for it but had no luck finding one.



I placed the rad where the battery tray should be so I'll have to find someplace to put a shelf for a battery. I've grounded the battery to both the motor and to the stand itself. The wiring for the switches and gauges still needs to be tidied up.



I mounted the fuel pump directly to the stand with a bolt hole from where the battery tray initially was. The lower rad hose I ended up extending with a short piece of 1.75" pipe as I couldn't find anything to work locally. I had ordered a universal lower rad hose but got told it was another week out and I just didn't want to wait for one.
 


I have to say that overall I'm pretty happy with the stand. It's perfect for someone who is only building a couple motors.

[pschlosser]

Sweet setup.  Thank you for sharing this.  So what is the budget for something like this?  Under $500?

[Deezel]

Sweet setup.  Thank you for sharing this.  So what is the budget for something like this?  Under $500?

This is what I have into this stand;
I bought the stand on sale for $450 - my $80 Summit Bucks = $370
Electric water pump = $175
Electric fan = $51
Fuse relay box = $30
Fuel pump = $68
Temp Gauge = $20
Switches = $55
Starter bracket - $25
Total = $794 US
I had pretty much everything else for it.

The gauges that came with it will work but I prefer manual over electric. I also opted to run the switches over the keyed ignition. A manual fuel and water pump would work fine as well. I see Larin has these on their site for $400 so quite honestly, you could probably get something similar around $500 US.