The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop engine stand / 216 & 236 engine weight

A friend has offered for me to use his engine stand that is rated 750 lbs. What is the approx weight of a 216 or 235? Also, isn't it preferable to keep the bellhousing on these IL 6 engines and bolt the bellhousing to the stand as the bolts are much larger diameter from housing to engine stand.

It is probably not enough. These motors get top heavy and you need a stand with 4 legs/casters in my opinion. I always bolt to the block and leave the bellhousing off.

IIRC, the 216/235/261 are roughly 637 pounds, give or take. Given the length of these engines, I would strongly suggest removing the bellhousing and flywheel to reduce the weight as much as posible, as well as to put as little strain on the mounting points. This will make things much more stable.

Agreed.

This stand has a T design on the bottom with 3 casters. If I leave off flywheel and bellhousing has anyone used a 750 lb rated stand for this application?

The T-base stand I have with 3 rollers (Harbor Freight) was very unstable with a 235 on it. I would modify the base to an H-shape with 2 more casters before I use again.

This is most likely the style of stand you are referring to?

Buy good insurance for you and your engine.

Do not try to roll it around - it would be unstable. Do not try to rotate the engine.

That stand is a deathtrap- - - -RUN- - -do not walk away from it! One of my students turned a stand over with a 235 on it after mounting the bellhousing and flywheel to the rebuilt engine and re-installing it, and the stand was a heavy duty professional-type one. It was just too short. He had massive cuts to one foot, and needed over 50 stitches to close the wounds. He also broke several bones in the foot. After that,we extended one of our stands a foot and added another caster wheel, and used that one for inline engines only. Get a good stand!
Jerry

That picture is just like the one I have.
Buyer Beware!

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.

How many stovebolt engines have you rebuilt? The bellhousing on a 216/235/261 has some bolts attaching it to the block that are hidden by the flywheel once it's installed. It's not uncommon to install the bellhousing (which is heavy cast iron, BTW) then install the flywheel and clutch assembly, and remount it on a stand for the installation of the manifolds, water pump, etc. If it's done properly, with a sufficently strong (and long) engine stand, no problem. The danger is in trusting overly optimistic "weight ratings" dreamed up by some advertising copy writer.

"Ignorance can be fixed- - - -Stupid is forever!"
Jerry

I've rebuilt 2-261s and one-235 back before "cherry picker" hoists and "engine stands" where availible. They were built on the garage floor (never dropped one), rolled over, head was placed and torqued. Then the flywheel and cast iron bellhousing/etc. attached, and then chain hoisted into the car/truck. I have since been exposed to and used both the 20th century aides and found them pretty nice. All the later engines (small block chevys,a 230, and one 455 pontiac-with a 4x4 post under the crank snout) I then rebuilt had aluminum bellhousings or were automatic trans units (which had the automatics removed prior to hoisting). No fingers or toes were harmed (too much) during rebuilding of such motors.
And yourself?

Mainman got his answer - there is no disagreement that a 750lb engine stand, designed like the one shown, would be unstable and probably dangerous with a stovebolt engine on it (with or without the clutch housing).

Get the 1000 lb lift from HF. It has four casters and is more stable. But, after you put the head on the block forget about rotating the engine from that point forward. Do not mount from bell housing as it will put the engine mass too far forward and risk breaking mount bracket. I have the HF 1000 pounder and it works fine.

A conservative estimate- - - - -500+ engines over a 50+ year career as a shop owner and auto mechanics instructor.
Jerry

The 1,000 lb stand would be much better. The 2,000 lb stand costs a lot more but it is the safest and is great for moving and rotating the engine.

A lot of good advise has been given. Bottom line is how far you want to stick your neck out. Read the above posts and decide yourself. Just remember, body parts don't grow back.

I have this exact HF stand holding my 216 with head. It seems OK to store it in the corner of the garage, but as you said it's too unstable to rotate or roll. Works great for my MGB engine though.
Dave Evans
52_3100

Dave, I also have one of those 750lb stands holding an engine in the back of a garage. The one time that I tried to move it alone, it almost tipped. I have only moved it twice - the second time I called a friend to help me steady it. Better safe than sorry.

I thought so

Thanks to all for your feedback on the engine stand. I ended up building a dolly from the TECH tips page and it is holding the engine fine.

Thanks again.