Engine test stand

GoldenMotor.com

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
Whipped up this test stand for starting rebuilt motors using an old 24" frame I had on the junkpile.
Works like a charm! I'll find a tank of some kind to slap on it.
Still need to weld up a tensioner when I find another stock one. (Used up all mine on the OCC jackshaft build)
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Give some thought to a fan to put in front of the engine. Maybe look for an old squirrel cage (centrifugal) fan section from an old furnace/air conditioning system. Anything to move some air will help.

Tom
 

YesImLDS

Member
Jun 29, 2013
960
12
18
Columbia, Missouri
I like the idea! How do you get it started up? I would assume hand cranking and dropping the clutch would suffice. Or could you use a drill set-up?
 

Davezilla

New Member
Mar 15, 2014
2,705
10
0
San Antonio Texas
Good idea for sure... I've used the drill setup to start my engines in testing before but with the higher compression modified engines I've also stripped out the nut that holds the magneto magnet down so I use wider nuts on the magneto now to prevent that problem again... With the stock nut, it stripped the nut and the threads on the shaft, just a word of caution there, but it works.

the idea of using a squirrel cage type fan is also a good one so you can run longer without the worry of overheating
 

Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
I break my engines in under load. This is missing here...??

Static vibration at the rings makes for poor uneven wear path in jug. From everywhere I have read and my own experiance I agree. Engine under just enough load makes all that crap sit still long enough to break in more true..
 

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
I'm kinda thinking of a fan driven by the engine (just for the cool factor!), but I doubt I'll bother since this is not meant for long periods running, just short test fires. This may change if I decide to finally do some porting again....
Some real porting tools are on my list when (if) I ever sell something.
YesImLDS I fire the engine by hand cranking in a low gear. Not too hard.
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
59
Moosylvania
Very cool, Maniac.

Looking at your pics, first thing I thought of was the DIY, bike generators.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Build-A-Bicycle-Generator/

Could run an alternator (cheap or found) to run truck fan or an electric radiator fan. (would look so roadwarrior!)

But could double as a generator for black outs to run a light, radio or TV. Would also give load if you wanted to run em longer. Be a great way to pre stretch drive chains. (I hate tensioners)

LOL, sorry. to much coffee. But I am gonna dig out an old 2 smoke build and think about this.

Is that a shopping cart? 2 funny. Waste not want not and looks perfectly suited.
 
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crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
4,032
158
63
USA
I started to build one a couple years ago, but couldn't really think of a good use for it. I can run WOT on my build bench, and same on an exercise stand that I have that clamps the rear axle. Had a fan for a while, but found it easier to just spray the motor with an old windex bottle of water.