it aint the weight so much as the amount of cantilever involved.
Most of these engines are bolted to the stands using 3/8" dia bellhousing bolts to the backside of the block and nothing bends or nothing breaks off at the block end. These little bolts are plenty strong. Bolt size or strength aint the problem.
Try holding a six cylinder head (or even a battery)at arm's length verses against your waist. And as you can see, you have almost no control of the object while it is being cantilevered away from your body, you cant roll, or rotate the object.
Its never preferable to bolt any engine by way of the bellhousing to an engine stand as tragically seen in above posting.
These engine stands are designed for close coupled mounting. They will tell you at the courthouse that their product is an "engine stand" not an engine and bellhousing stand, nor an engine,bellhousing and transmission stand, etc. You can also bet those weights are virtually without any safety factors involved.
I have never heard of using the bellhousing to bolt an engine to an engine stand before, what happens if its got an aluminum bellhousing, wont the bellhousing break and then drop the engine to what ever is below it (feet,etc.)? Just dont do it.
