Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 16:45:36 -0800
Reply-To: Craig Oda <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Craig Oda <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Engine Stand [was Re: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69]
In-Reply-To: <008a01c4e7ba$cdd2bcd0$3cf3db0c@MAIN>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Robert,
First, thanks for the advice on the engine stand. Your explanation of
bolting the engine onto the plate is great. The mounting plate for
the three styles of engine stands looks the same.
My van is still running and is my daily-driver to work. For the past
2 years, I've had a misfire in one of the cylinders. It doesn't
affect engine power, but it does affect emissions. And, there is more
vibration, which probably contributed to the problem of my tranny
torque converter shearing off from the drive plate.
I have received a free 2.1 engine from one the generous list members
(Yoel and Tina Crane - Thanks!!). I'm going to take the bits and
pieces off the 2.1 and fit it to the cooling of another 1.9 (I've got
a third parts engine in the garage). Once I have the 2.1 long block
fitted with the cooling of a 1.9, I'm going to swap the engines.
Then, when I have the 1.9 out and the known-working 2.1 in, I'm going
to take off the heads and inspect the valves.
Thus, the reason for the engine stand. Not really necessary, but nice.
Thanks again for your help with engine stand advice and your previous
advice on the tranny replacement. Once I fabricated a tranny jack
adapter for my garage jack, the tranny slid right in.
-- Craig
On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 16:11:37 -0800, Robert Fisher <refisher@mchsi.com> wrote:
> Craig,
> I don't know about that particular stand (can't tell from the picture), but
> the 1000 lb. version had slots in the plate where the arms are attached;
> these, along with the ability to move the arms around or reverse them if
> necessary allows the thing to accommodate a variety of mounting situations.
> What I did was: pulled the engine out from under the van on the floor jack
> and parked it in front of the stand. I took the plate off the stand and
> fiddled with the arms until I found a combination that worked to bolt it up
> to the transmission mounting bolt-holes on the engine, then we just picked
> up the engine and slid the plate back in its place and put the bar back in.
> Simple, eh?
> Sort of. I was concerned about the engine case being strong enough to
> support the whole thing just by those four bolt-holes, but I never had a
> problem with it. I was pretty careful in moving it around to avoid shocks
> and such.
> The arms can be reversed (there's a long bolt-hole on one end and a short
> one on the other) and I believe I actually had to put one or two on the back
> side of the plate, instead of the front side. It's sort of like a puzzle to
> begin with, but it works out.
> I took one of the tranny mounting bolts out and went to the hardware store
> and got four long bolts and four short ones (each maybe an inch longer than
> the corresponding hole on the engine stand) and an assortment of washers and
> nuts. This gave me max flexibility in mounting the thing.
> When I had the engine apart, I stripped it down to the point of taking the
> pistons off (didn't get into the case). I had never worked on this kind of
> engine design before and it was a big help in reassembly to be able to set
> the engine vertically, among other things.
>
> If any of that isn't clear, I'll try to elaborate. What is it you're doing
> to your engine? You may have said, but I don't remember. You have to pull
> the whole thing so soon after your tranny adventure?
>
> Cya,
> Robert
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Craig Oda" <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 3:14 PM
> Subject: Engine Stand [was Re: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69]
>
> > Zolton and everyone else,
> > Thanks for the response. In the picture below, are you saying that
> > the "U" that bolts onto the Vanagon engine housing fits onto the stand
> > bracket?
> >
> > Or, are you saying that you've got a spare transaxle housing that
> > you've somehow mounted onto those four arms on the stand?
> >
> > http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=4420
> >
> > Having no experience with engine stands, I don't really understand how
> > to use those four arms.
> >
> > My
> >
> > -- Craig
> >
> > On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 13:00:35 -0800, Zoltan <zolo@foxinternet.net> wrote:
> >> The one I got is from Harbout Freight. Free shipping. Online order.
> >> There
> >> is a heavy duty one too. I also use a Vanagon bell housing that is first
> >> fitted to the engine stand and only after did I fit the engin on that.
> >> Had
> >> to drill a few holes in the plate for it, but this way it is a perfect
> >> fit.
> >> Zoltan
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Craig Oda" <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
> >> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> >> Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 7:50 AM
> >> Subject: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69
> >>
> >> > Kragen has one on sale now in the SFBay area for $49.95 pre-tax. Not
> >> > sure if it's any good.
> >> >
> >> > What I really want is a better engine stand. I got an engine stand
> >> > from CIP1 for $99.95 and it tends to fall over all the time. This is
> >> > a "T" type of 2" square tubing. The weight of the engine in the rear
> >> > seems to push the base of the stand to the left or right. I would
> >> > prefer a four-wheel or point engine stand base. I want to mount the
> >> > entire engine with exhaust/muffler on the stand for ease of assembly.
> >> > Any suggestions on where to buy such a stand?
> >> >
> >> > Right now, I've added significant bracing to the base of my engine
> >> > stand with 1.5" x 4" wood pieces, metal bolt-on braces, and two 1.5"
> >> > diameter wheels. Right now, it's holding okay, but the wood has some
> >> > flex due to compression of the wood and I want something that is solid
> >> > as a rock. I've heard people put the "U" part of the VW engine
> >> > bracket (the piece that bolts onto the drive plate bell housing) onto
> >> > another engine stand. I went to Kragen and they only have something
> >> > that looks about the same level of el cheapo base that I got.
> >> >
> >> > Any advice, thoughts?
> >> >
> >> > -- Craig
> >> >
> >> > On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 19:41:01 -0500, Carl Hansen <carl_hansen@ieee.org>
> >> > wrote:
> >> >> I was at the Berlin N.J. Sears Hardware store this weekend, and the
> >> >> Sears
> >> >> Motocycle Jack was reduced to $69.95. Looks like it ought to work
> >> >> just
> >> >> fine to drop a motor out of the Vanagon (SyncroBeast). The lift
> >> >> height
> >> >> is
> >> >> 16 1/2 inch.
> >> >>
> >> >> Thought the lists might appreciate the heads up. I don't know if the
> >> >> price
> >> >> is the same elsewhere, but it's probably worth a look see.
> >> >>
> >> >> This jack was selling for as much as $119.95 last summer and I've seen
> >> >> it
> >> >> for sale before the Holidays at $99.95, with an extra $10.00 off now
> >> >> and
> >> >> then.
> >> >>
> >> >> Never have I seen it as low as $69.95. I tell ya, the sucker weighs a
> >> >> TON!!
> >> >>
> >> >> Hope this helps someeone else.
> >> >>
> >> >> Ch
> >> >>
> >> >> Carl Hansen
> >> >>
> >> >> 609-268-8595 - home
> >> >> 856-866-6387 - work
> >> >> carl_hansen@ieee.org - personal
> >> >> carl.hansen@lmco.com - work
> >> >>
> >> >> Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence SETI
> >> >>
> >> >> We do not stop playing because we grow old;
> >> >> we grow old because we stop playing.
> >> >> Never Be The First To Grow Old!
> >> >> I need a new tool dear! Ch
> >> >>
> >> >> If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research,
> >> >> would it? - Albert Einstein
> >> >>
> >> >> Scientific Doohickey Company. Proprietor, Kermit
> >> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >>
>
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