Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

John D · 2K+ Club

Engine Test Stands

dashboard · 2K+ Club

After using Chris’s and seeing what a great tool they can be I thought it would be a great tool for the club to buy for members use. Then possibly make it available to other clubs for a fee. Easy to convert from old school to LS engines, they don’t take up much room and can easily be transported in a pickup.

-- Edited by dashboard on Sunday 1st of June 2014 07:24:48 AM

bowtie · Secretary

When we made the ones for work, we overbuilt them but took into account what was needed. Eventually, GM bought them from us and made the little JR dragster looking stands and their big running display based on our design. I would have changed a few things on ours like making it lower for stability, adding a dyno-like throttle control (which GM did), and faced the gauge panel sideways instead of off the back. I also would have made all 4 casters on ours swivel. We did a steering/handle like little red wagons use which was had to do on non-pavement shows.

Tony Hoffer · Moderator

Bryan are there plans ?

hkgmillette · President

I used one that my friend build to break in the motor on my car. Very handy.

The rear of the motor was mounted to an aluminum plate and that plate bolted to the rear of the stand. Then you could use the motor mount holes on the block, or other holes on the front of the engine for support. All of the supports were moveable front to back and side to side.

The biggest thing we ran into was mounting the headers. I did not have factory exhaust manifolds. The headers would keep hitting the rear mounting brackets. We ended up having the headers point forward instead.

His was wired with electric fuel pump.

If you are going to redo a motor, I would very much encourage you to rent or borrow one. It makes things a lot easier. You can easily set the timing set, adjust the carb, or repair any leaks that occur, before the engine is put in the car.

bowtie · Secretary

Tony Hoffer wrote:
Bryan are there plans ?

nothing I have found. I'm sure someone drew it up, but they are long gone now.

Essentially, they were a 2x2 rectangular box with another about 2 feet higher and 2x2s in the corners and on the long side for support. The engine mounts were on the upper one, the lower was for caster mounting/fuel tank/battery/lower perch for radiator. We used ram horn manifolds with 90 degree pipes to cherry bomb type mufflers.

The big block was essentially the same but with upturned boat style headers. Both had pneumatic tire casters. The big blocks we had were torquey enough to make the thing rock if you went on and off the gas a couple times quickly. The 509 was almost to the point of needing outrigger arms or staked in straps for the sides.

BLyke · 1K+ Club

www.ebay.com/itm/331051831960%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
here is a link for a similar setup, plans only

Chris R · 2K+ Club

I remember several years back the shop in Shakopee we toured that had that black pro-touring Charger, had one of these test stands with a nice sounding BBC they test ran for us. For the price they cost, I would rather build on myself as well. The cheapest way I have seen is to just hack off the front section of a junk frame and build a stand out of that.

67ss · 1K+ Club

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200334501_200334501

Larin mobile engine testing station

This is what mine started out as and then I modified it, can also be found on Amazon.

dashboard · 2K+ Club

Chris didn't you raise your stand up to afford better clearance for the cherry picker?

67ss · 1K+ Club

dashboard wrote:
Chris didn't you raise your stand up to afford better clearance for the cherry picker?

Yes, that was one of the many upgrades I performed.