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Date:         Tue, 21 Dec 2004 18:25:16 -0800
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Engine Stand [was Re: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69]
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=response

IIRC, I didn't start suffering until I actually got into the engine trying to decipher and fix the PO's 'repairs'. As far as mating the engine to the stand, it was pretty easy once I figgered out the plan. I can see the benefit of the bell housing but I hardly think it's necessary. What happened to you that you call it compulsory suffering?

BTW, I fully agree with you about the tranny jack attachment.

Cya, Robert

----- Original Message ----- From: "Zoltan" <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 5:06 PM Subject: Re: Engine Stand [was Re: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69]

> At Harbor Freight you can buy a nice tranny jack that will do the job for > you easily. > I think it was about $30. No altering. But for the engine stand it is > best > to aquire a bell housing of a transmission to be able to bolt it up with > ease. Otherwise suffering is compulsory. > Zoltan > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Craig Oda" <craigoda@GMAIL.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 4:45 PM > Subject: Re: Engine Stand [was Re: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69] > > >> 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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