Engine stand + junk Softail frame = convenience

[farmall]

Yet another engine/drivetrain stand because manual labor sucks. You could do this with any frame you don't care about, not just solid mount Harleys. Stand was ~ 40 bucks, other metal was scrap. It took a lot less effort to make than wrestling an engine once. Chasing engines around the bench means getting them there in the first place. Neither option appeals to me and making adaptors beats a (second) hernia. It's worth it for one job if it saves your back and takes little time to do.

Engines with or without the stand can be lifted with a chain, strap or cable to the top engine mount.

Remember frames like any weldment have internal, "built-in" stresses so when you cut a frame tube it may pinch the blade or disc as you get to the end of the cut. I use whatever is handy including starting other cuts to release pinched blades. Cutting metal under load is a bit like tree cutting.

I left the seat post in case I want to mock up a drivetrain and to support possible future fuel and oil test tanks. It will make a convenient run stand. I'll eventually put casters on the adapter for easy rolling on floors and stability during transport.

[Tattooo]

Now that's bad ass...........

[farmall]

With scrap Unistrut stabilizers installed. I prefer not being able to knock it over or have it tip in the back of my truck when I transport an engine. The added stability makes it easy to load and manipulate.

The channel leaves space for the downward facing U-bolts holding it to the frame tubes. I'll tack weld casters on the ends when I score a suitable set. Second pic is loading the engine onto the adapter using my patient lift. (Note adjustable leg spread and remember these lifts fit standard doorways with the legs swung inward to suit.)

The cardboard beneath the stand/adapter has a purpose. It slides easily with most of the weight taken by the patient lift and protects my ceramic tile floor. Of course the lift goes much higher but I didn't want to swing the load and nick the furniture next to it.

[farmall]

Finally added casters by welding vertical bolts to the flanges of some I cut off an old cart. Bolt offset leaves center pivot unmolested in case I want to drill them out in future, and so I could rotate the plates if wanted to change center of gravity. I like as is now because I can lift the engine stand head end easily for steering. It's plenty stable enough for an engine run stand. Bikers without welders could easily manage everything with bolted construction.

Whilst fucking with this I noticed the same caster and unistrut (or whatever you can drill holes in) arrangement would be fine for moving frames without wheels around the shop. I may drill some holes in the cross supports of my Bulldog lifts to secure frames during work since a couple minutes and four U-bolts would ensure they don't fall off the jack.

Kinda odd but now my back is destroyed and shoulder replaced (which permanently limits loads unless getting it done twice looks like fun, FUCK THAT!) I can move everything I own easier than when I was young and healthy. MUCH easier.

[thecarfarmer]

looking @ that piece of cutoff frame... welding the bottom part cut off of a shopping cart (a good source of ready-made framework with casters already installed, and they're heavy enough to withstand an iron V8 shortblock) to the Harley frame would make for portability; if you put it together right, you should still be able to stick the frame on an engine stand as well.

[DoomBuggy]

Well a few more bits and pieces and you could end up with a break in stand as well!

[farmall]

It's thoroughly portable which is why I used the casters I did. I made it to roll on hard-ish dirt or better and not be tippy. Self and bro holding the pipe tested it today bringing the S&S to my motorcycle container.

The run stand option is one reason I left the center post (and saved the whole cradle so I can bolt on a Softail etc gearbox) since it's a handy spot to mount an oil bag (which I'd mount much higher than the conventional location). I have an IV stand for holding dummy fuel tanks (bought to use with a Cryocuff after shoulder surgery, patient care gear is handy as fuck).

Gray tube in pic was the right size to drive 39mm fork seals and happened to fit Harbor Freight engine stand heads so it's now a handle and a tool. T-handle hex key shown made a handy pin. Next time I'm welding I'll add a T-tube to the operator gray handle since it fits the rest of my Harbor Freight engine stand fleet.

Goal of an effortless shop I can use when I'm even older and more fucked up is progressing nicely and making these little mobility aids is cheap and easy. After building my '88 FXR (white FXR is a'94) I'll toss the old engine on that stand for easy rolling to my storage container, plop it on a fixed storage stand and free this one for the next adventure.

[shank1kole]

Great Job ,got me jealous and thinking.

[farmall]

Channel your inner laziness.

The frame was convenient and I had the Unistrut lying around but one stick of say 2" angle from yer local metal supplier and some casters would get it done just fine. You only require two casters to move it like a hand truck. I had four (I obsessively hunt used casters but I'm weird like that) so I used them.Bolting stuff together makes it easy to modify. I mix bolting and welding to let me easily change as much as possible.

I consider equipment by function:

Safe easy engine handling on ground.
Rotisserie action.
Convenient engine lifting by any hoist or crane.
Hand truck action for running around shop and property.
Easy to reconfigure and grow with the mission.

Buck Pilkington in this group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1747150225580834/ has a very slick Featherbed Sportster. Pic shows his engine stand attachment which could be mounted adjustably for side loading engines.

BTW my bro rebuilds large casters by drilling out the pivot, cleaning the races and replacing the balls which he gets off Ebay. I have several I'll do that to since it's quite easy.

[farmall]

More of the Pilkington stand. I'll copy that for my Ironhead because the low footprint, positive attachment and total frame access without having to bend over will make life easy. It's all scrap and simple to make.

[Munchie]

a couple of nice setup here I would like to built a break in stand for myself I got a junk shovelhead frame I was thing of using and it would work great but what are you guys using to start the motors I don't has a spare transmission sitting around to use to start the motors

[farmall]

One interesting method I've seen is to spin the engine without running it by removing the plugs and using a motor with a speed reducer, but that's only worth it if you're bored and have the parts handy. A lot of this stuff is built the way it is because someone had the right leftovers.

I will use a Softail transmission for the Denso electric starter if I make it a run stand. Those will bolt to a Shovel frame with an adapter plate and since there's no swingarm on a test stand no case mods required. If you're running in an engine you can use the transmission you intend to install in the motorcycle unless they're different case styles (bagger/FXR/Dyna boxes don't fit Shovel or Evo Softail frames) which won't swap.

If I score a scrap bagger frame I'll make another since I have FXRs too and that will also cover Twin Cams if ever needed. It's easy to make an adapter if ya don't have a bagger or FXR box to fill the gap.

punkrod used an HF stand for his Sporty engine which also (I copied that) works great.

http://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31448