The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Engine cradle?

Anyone ever used one of THESE? or THESE?

no but i got one in the barn,still in the box. bought it at a swap meet for $25.00.figured when i get my engine built i"ll have the shop bolt it to that so i can haul it home easier and be able to roll it out of the way til i get ready for it....dave

i have a friend that has one, pretty flexable but works ok. i made two for inline sixes out of the base of a industrial banding machine. they work great and you don't have to worry about lining up the motor mount position bolts it just tightens up with some long 1" threaded bolts with plastic caps on the ends.

No, but hopefully I will pull my (400 miles since overhauled) '57 235 next week and will need a resting place for it in the bed of my F*&D pickup for the trip back to the remanufacturer. I say hopefully because I have been truly bummed since completing this restoration and discovering that something is just not right with the power plant. Viejo has been sitting in the garage looking good. Just don't go judging a book by it's cover.

Any suggestions?

Don

I'm going to swing by Northern Tool tomorrow and pick one up. Although theirs is made for an SBC I'm sure it can be modified simply for an in-line 6.

I built my own for a spare 292 that I have. It looks similar to one of those, a little lower and narrower. I have a problem with it. I went to put a set of long tube headers on it, so I could mock up power steering on it and the headers don't clear. Trying to design one that is narrow, low, and have the headers clear isn't easy. I may just go back to using an engine stand. I may just cut down and engine stand.

Larry

I have the one from Greg Smith. I got it because it will fit any engine without any modifications. I haven't put my spare engine on it yet but it looks like a sound unit for the money.
Tom

Hi, I have always used old shopping carts with the top of the cart cut off. If you have a welder, you can make some brackets to weld to the frame to bolt down the engine. I never needed to weld anything to the carts as they seem to cradle the engine pretty well as they are. Just a cost effictive suggestion especially if you have more then a few engines laying around.

I have the $29.00 type with a 250 on it, works just fine. I also have several shopping cart specials that I have modified with mounts and they work fine too. I also have a GMC 248 with Hydramatic attached sitting on a 2" X 4" frame with a plywood floor and some unknown source casters that works O.K. too. Whatever you use will be fine just to make moving an engine around.

Hi, those front wheels are unboltable on the shopping carts which I have also used to put everything in my garage on caster. When cleaning or just to rearrange things around the wheels are priceless. I even have my metal lathe and band saw on wheels. As you get older and with my son now gone, putting things on wheels really helps out alot.

I finally got fed up trying to get those cheap Chinese cradles to work so I made one out of wood and Home Depot casters for $25.

Picture It works very well. Very stable and rolls fine with 3-inch casters but would roll better with 4-inch.

That really looks pretty good! I like it.

I took different approach to my V8's because I have so many. I went to Tractor Supply Co. and bought a bunch of furniture dollies and threw a tire on top of them. I set the engine on top and the tire forms around the engine and holds it upright. Tires work good for transporting an engine in the back of the truck.

Last year, I knew a auto scrap yard owner that was going out of business and bought 15 or so adjustable engine dollies. I got to pick the ones with the best casters and I had to pressure wash them off. Now I just need to get them under all my engines. :/

Nice job Woody! Being a woodworker by trade I respect your skills. I made mine using 2" square stock. Didn't finish my cradle as you can see in pic below. Pieces laying on transmission were supposed to fit under bellhousing. Someday....
Dan
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1512705220071274430hzqWNh

Nice job,where theres a will theres a way.

It almost looks too nice to get oily! That's real pretty.

Very nice and it will never rust!!

Woody, nice cart.

I have one I build out of 2x4's and casters similar to a furniture dolly. I use that for small engines (Currently have an Audi V6 on it). I also have an engine/trans dolly I made years ago out of inch and a half channel that has an adjustable rear cross member so it fits engines and trans from V6's to Big Block Olds.

I also used a creeper once with a chunk of plywood on it to not puncture the padding.

Either way, buy one, or build one

Scott