MGB: Engine stand (roll around) from Moss and others? Want to make a cradle.

Has anyone bought the little wheel around engine stand from Moss and others that goes for a little over $100.

I would like to see a picture of it, given that I am considering making one myself to cradle my engine when transporting it - minus wheels.

Or if you have created your own engine cradles, post that too.

Thanks.

I bought one from JC Whitney several years ago. A bunch of angle iron on castors.

Works well...it's held my Rover V8 as well as an MGB 4-cylinder with transmission attached.

It's extremely makeshift, but I use one of the small furniture dollies available from Harbor Freight. 9.99 when they are on sale. The flat bottom of the oil pan sits nicely on it. A 2x4 crosswise at the front of the pan prevents tipover forward.

If you wanted to weld one up out of 1" square tubing, you could make them just like the commonly available stands for American V-8's. 4 uprights welded to a rectangular base with casters welded to the corners. The two front uprights having angled flat plates to accept the motor mounts or bolt where the motor mount bolts onto the block and the two rear ones drilled at the appropriate height to accept, on both sides, a bolt through the transmission mounting bolt holes in the rear plate.

I have a furniture dolly too - lots of them. I could mimic that design minus the wheels.

I made one out of scrap 2X6 glued & screwed plus 4 - 4" casters. Be sure you through-bolt the casters...

Gordon sells the roll around dolly, which is good for most hobbyist, but not that ideal for racer. Fred eventually you will have a secong motor like alot of racers if y9ou stick at this long enough, so castors don't work well when tranporting. I'll make you one when you bring the engine down, or now you are taking stell classes, I'll et you make it when you come, we can knock one out in a hour or so, just let me know, and I'll make sure I have the steel if I don't already, we'll make it out of 1x1 steel tubing, and some falt bar for mounting to the motor. I made dozens of these, it anit' no big deal, we can make it custom to your liking for less than half what they want for a store bought unit.

Yeah, I don't want the castors. I'll add this to the list Hap. We are going to be busy.

With my 80 that's apart and awaiting paint, I made my dolly on the cheap. Used some 2x4's cut to size, some casters that I had, and used an eye screw in in each corner with a piece of 1/4" rope to tie off the respective corner of the motor to. I needed the rope to hold the motor due to the activity of my kids in the garage, and while nothing gets bumped over in your garage, ..........

I have 4 of them - all identical and fitted for the MG engines. The thing that I've been happiest with is that the wheels come off so that I can bolt one into a crate for shipping an engine and then bolt the wheels back on at the destination and roll it around :-)

Made several these. Make an atatchment plate to engine, bmake frame which fits directly bellow, then cut uprights to fit. Here is also an engine test stand ilt in same maner. Most these built in hour or two.

One thing, GOOD casters are Key!!!! Watch you welding heat on casters. It can mess up bearings!

Let's all give Gary a hand! He has a sweet garage, cool cars, great tools and the talent to use them. Plus he flies planes for a living. He probably looks like Paul Newman too!

Ryan Reis Wrote:

I was actually going to reprimand him for posting these pornographic images.

What is the gauge of the metal used at the attachment point?

LOL, I can look at it when I get back in town this weekend. I usually look at the gauge and go "yea, that's good". Probably in the range of 3/16 for plates and 1/8" for tubing.

If you find a steel shop in your area you can buy steel for about 25% of what you pay at the harware store. You can find almost and shape and size desired. I cut most of this with the HF orange 4 1/2" grinder with the real thin disk. I would sugest you use a GOOD air mask. The amount of airborn metal and broke down disk finger can not be good for you.

DON'T forget eye protection!!! I was cuting some steel monday and the disk actuall broke a part when I got too agreesive with it. One piece abrazed my arm and drew blood from an area about 1" by 2".

If I wans't wearing eye protection it certainly could have taken out an eye. I wear long sleeves when I do this too but try to tuck in your shirt. Loose clothing can wreck you too.

I actually wear cheap aprons when I do this work because I can take off the apron and walk in the house. In fact when I cut steel I only use the bathroom in the garage. The wife has called me for the rust on the toilet a couple times where small pieces of metal fall on the rim. It seems to embed in the porcelin. Seems like a small thing but if she is happy you will be too!

I have a full face shield that I wear. I have had hot fiberglass get in my eyes, as well as hot pieces of metal stick in my lips and face.

Thanks for the input. Great work.

Do you think a similar designed as employed here would work with the B motor and its engine mount locations.

blackmgb Wrote:

gow589 Wrote:

This is a different project but similar in method. I have better photos of this. I am moving the transaxle mount from the rear of the trans to the side.

First build the mounting plate. Us postar board to make a mock up of size and locate the holes:





Next build the base. In this case I made the mounts:



At this point I ust need the tubing between the trans and the mount. OR in the case of an engine stand, you just hoist the engine over the stand, cut tubing to fit between the mount on the engine and the base.

IS that helping?

I understand the process you are describing, but was confused that I only have two motor mounts.

So, I build the base.

Then I create two vertical "posts" that meet each of the motor mounts coming from the center of the right and left sides of the base.

Where is the third support?

Or is the base, plus two mounts sufficient - evenly balanced?

If the mounts are not too far from the center of gravity it shouldn't be a problem but I think the Mg mounts are farther forward are they not? (Mine is GMC V6 now). If that is the case it would not hurt to have even a vertical piece right in the back to help suport the rear. As long as the mounts are bolted down it would not have to have bolts in them. Do you weld?

Here are some of my most valuable tools in the shop. These are HF tools I have used the stink out of (dsclaimer, the blue tools not worh having):

Chop saw on sale often in the $45range:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44829

Grinder and the thin disk I use. Grinder often in 17-19$ range:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91223
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96903

Move gas tanks and flamables to another room! Operate these at least once at night with limied lighting just to see how far these sparks REALLY go.

Cool. Yes, I weld and I have the saws you mention. I have been collecting and am now venturing into project making.

I think you are right about the vertical support in the rear. I'll post my progress in the future.

Saturday I am pulling my motor and transmission and Sunday I am finishing up my the tire rack for my trailer.

Thanks.

I look forward to seeing the photos.

Gary

Fred's requirments for a engine stand is very much different than most of you all, his need a stable engine dolly to transport a engine, not roll it around in the garage floor. I know exactly what he needs, I built dozens of them, and know exactly what to make and what metals to use. Fred, this ain't my first rodeo :), I got you covered bud. We''l built this together, and then all your questions will be answered.

Club racers are nomads, and the stuff they build to mount stuff to has to be made to travel and travel safely, a totally different world from the guys making toys to stay in their garage, castors are a big no no for example unless you want you engine dolly to become a wrecking ball inside your trailer. Over the years we made transportable engine dollies, transmision dollies, diff containers all designed with travel in mind. Remember guys, racing is a traveling show, tha garage is only a storage facilty. :) Think about how you would prepare yourself to change a engine in a parking lot a couple hundred miles from home, not your garage, and then you have now entered the world of a club racer.

Even with the offers for help, I still decided to try it out on my own. I'm pretty happy with what I ended up with as a first go at it, especially when using sort of a creating it along the way approach.

My situation is just as Hap described - needs to travel, so wheels are not an option. My primary need right now is being able to put this in the back of my truck to transport to Hap's shop without it bouncing around and/or tipping over.

Right now I can just rest on the mover's dolly which works for while in the garage and gives it the mobility I need.

I'm going to make another one for my dad, so it will be improved.

Once I sorted through my welding issues it came together quickly. It rests on the back plate and then on the oil pan via a crossmember. The engine mounts then connect - yet not transferring a lot of weight to the simple flat iron mounts.

You can also admire my aluminum backplate, flywheel and other goodies :)

Also, just because ...

I am having a good time welding and fooling around. So I created a bracket for my remote oil filter housing. Pretty simple, but nice and clean.

Just using the opportunities to make life easier, improve my game and clean up my presentation.

My aching back does like the idea of the removeable casters, though.

The more you do; the more you can do!

Get good caster!