Homemade Engine Test Stand?

Ok guys, this is kind of a crazy idea, but i think it'd work so i thought id run it by you all. Im going to be getting a 305 from a friend soon and i want to be able to run it, but since i dont have a car, ill need to make an engine test stand. I came up with this idea to make one out of this wood block that i have in my garage. Its about 16.5in wide, 27in long, and 5in high, so i think it would be big enough to mount an engine to. I was thinking of fabricating two brackets like the ones on the k-frame that id bolt directly to the wood block, and then to the motor mounts. Then i could just make some kind of bracket and mount a radiator to the front and just use the clutch fan to cool it, and since the fuel pump is cam driven, i can just run a fuel line from a little gas can to the pump. I made a lil diagram just to make the idea more clear 8) .

richp85elco said:

the bottom of the oil pan hangs about a foot below where the motor mounts attach, you would have to make a long bracket going from the wood to the mounts. you could make two stack 2x4's or other pieces of wood on both sides of the motor and nestle it in between so it will rest on the motor mounts

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Hmm, didnt think of that. Maybe i could change the design a lil to make it a little higher. Does anyone know how far apart the mounts are on the k-frame so i could see if this would work? Looks like ill have to revise a lil to get it to hold 600lbs.

Wow thanks chris i'll look into one of those. Im surprised there so cheap too, only $33. Yeah i think that might just work.

CHRIS.O said:

Yea well they aren't made to run an engine on, they are just made to hold one in the corner of your garage for storage. They can be modified easily to run an engine though. Goodluck

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Yeah i can see that cuz it only has one side to side crossmember on the front but with a welder and some steel tubing it could be beefed up to run an engine on. I think it would be ok to run this motor on because it the wimpy little LG4 that makes a whopping 160hp

FE3X CLONE said:

I have one of those cheap engine stand holding a 260 Olds engine right now. I hardly trust it with that thing let alone actually running an engine. Those things are EXTREMELY flimsy!

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Well i wouldnt doubt it, it looks kinda cheap, but if i welded a few steel bars on the sides and one on the bottom, itd probably be rigid enough.