I dont know why. but they do.
It seems like the mounts would snap off because of the small amount of metal. (where the stand bolts go into)

also, does it matter which mounts you use to put the stands bolts into?
one of mine is cracked. so i would prefer not to use it.

 

cracks are not good...

What is the rating of your stand ...

I once put a stand on a 460 Ford in the back of a truck, tied a rope to it, and pulled the truck out from under the engine...

It dropped 3" with no problems ...

 

On any engine stand, be sure to use good hardware such as grade 8 bolts. They'll likely have a black oxide finish or be gold anodized. You can probably find them at any Ace Hardware.

 

Engine mounts are just designed to allow work on the block from convenient angles. Good engine stands have rotating head mounts. They are engineered to take the stress of the engine weight. It's ok to be nervous until you get used to them. Check the rating on your engine stand; they're not all the same. A lot of them are 750 lb rated (which is a lot more than the weight of a cast iron 350 or 455) some are more like in the 1250 lbs range. Lite duty ones may be as low as 120 lbs. If you have mount that is cracked, get it welded or get a replacement mount head from the manufacturer. I wouldn't even think of bolting up an engine to a mount that's cracked; it could result in an eccentric load and put more stress than should be on the remaininig 3 mounting bolts.

 

well the stand im using is rated at 1000 lbs. but it only has four arms. and i believe the 455 has 5 mounting points? so i was thinking of using the other 4?
this is the crack i was talking about. and those are the mounts im worried about breaking off. theres just not a lot of metal there
trannymount001.jpg?t=1267501879

 

I think he thought you were talking about the stand being cracked.
Get that welded up and re-tapped so when you install the engine you won't have to worry about it.

 

i agree! but first i need to get it apart. lol. which is why im wondering if it will be okay to put the motor on a stand without using all 5 mounts

 

4 is fine , 1000 lbs is more than fine ...

When you position engine it should turn freely through 360% ...

Are you sure there aren't 6 holes in the block ..?

 

yeah, 6. im sorry.
i have the engine mounted up. and im hoping this will be okay. heres a pic.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...i/DSCN0154.jpg
i had to use the one that was cracked. the stand wouldnt let me use the upper mounts. tell me your thoughts.

 

You need to swing the mount brackets so you can use the upper holes. I put a brace under the front unless I am actively turning the engine; I also don't put more than a short block on the stand, and use a 2000 lb stand. Better overkill than overdead! I much prefer to build a short block sitting on its bellhousing end on top of an oil drum, with a come-along to a beam overhead just in case.

 

i tried, but theres no way i can use the upper mounts. the stand just wont let it.

Putting it on the bellhousing is a great idea! im just tearing it down. I wont be the one building it up.

How do you get the harmonic balancer and flexplate off?
Im assuming you just need a breaker bar for the big nut on the harmonic. but what about the flex plate?

 

When I was looking to buy a stand last year there was a wack of them for dirt cheap at a local store. They were the standard three leg stand. Of course my Olds buddies informed me that I should spend the extra money and get the 4 leg stand. Sure, it wasn't their money, but I figured I'd feel stupid with an engine sitting on me wondering if I should have spent the extra bucks. So I bought the four leg 1,000 lb. capacity stand. The engine hooks up like yours and at first was not sure if the stand could hold me engine...but so far so good.

 

to me the way you have mounted It I would be happy, as you have got the centre of gravity lower down which helps when turning it. if in doubt what I do is cut a piece of wood to go under the snout of the crank when the pulley is off. make it a little bit longer than what you measure from the floor to the underside of the crank. about a half inch. this will take some of the weight off the stand, and distribute the weight.

I do this with flatheads as when I put them in the stand they seem to sag forward and I just like to be a bit safer. the other sort of stand is like this, this is a sort of copy of an original ford part that mounted off the exhaust bolts, very sturdy and stops the weight hanging out away from the mounting surface so much.

I also prefer the 4 leg ones as they won't tip over and these things are like motor bikes, if they start to go your in trouble.

 

Mine has a removable pan that sit between the legs to catch oil. It's a nice feature. Sorry I can't find the pic.

 

ooOooOoohh engine stand p0rn!

heres mine

PICT2675-1.jpg


its your typical 750 lbs chinese import engine stand. suits me fine and the yellow paint is sporty!

 

I think I have the same pretty yellow one..., but it says 1000lbs.

I cut a piece of plywood, notched it around the upright, put a pan under it. Works pretty good at catching all the gunk

BTW, I only use four bolts, no problem.....If I can lift the motor and trans together, out of the car, with two bolts and a chain.....four should be good for the block....

New motor 094.jpg

New motor 092.jpg

New motor 086.jpg

How the heck do you guys get your picture to come out LARGE?

 

Are you sure your not linking to the thumbnails of your pictures??

 

Hey! That's my engine stand!

 

hes attaching them. im linking from a picture hosting site.
thanks for the info so far guys

 

I have a four wheeled stand, Would never use a tricycle stand they tend to tipe over

 

A 750 lb stand should take 1000 easy as they are under rated ...

Luva luva Flathead rig ...

I like a Cherry picker on the nose ...