I'm doing a rebuild and need a good solid engine stand, that I can rotate to work on all parts and do a test run. Not interested in Harbor Freight's three-legged cheapo.
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I never seen one that does both - rotating and yet sturdy enough to test run. Why not the cheap HF for building then an old trans case with starter mounted on a frame.
This home made one would work -
I bought the "cheapo" one from Harbor Freight. Works perfectly. The engine mount adaptor (black piece that goes through the stand and locks with a pin) and engine run kit I bought from the Samba. The engine run kit is made locally by a guy in Huntington Beach, CA.
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Where are the water hoses .... Just kidding 
*LongFella posted:I bought the "cheapo" one from Harbor Freight. Works perfectly. The engine mount adaptor (black piece that goes through the stand and locks with a pin) and engine run kit I bought from the Samba. The engine run kit is made locally by a guy in Huntington Beach, CA.
Who did you buy the adaptor and run kit from? Can you run the engine on that stand?
Running, I would think it would dance around being so high up? Maybe locking casters on all 4 wheels would help. I use the cheap Harbor Freight one with cheap VW engine mount (a piece of crap as it bends easy) to store an engine in the air and one on the base. This is the bench mount - it is not up to job of holding a complete heavy engine as the 2 mounting tabs bend.
If you don't have a welder...
Rusty S posted:If you don't have a welder...
This is the set-up I use. He happens to be local (to me) in Huntington Beach, CA. really nice guy AND a big Porsche enthusiast...
wombat posted:*LongFella posted:I bought the "cheapo" one from Harbor Freight. Works perfectly. The engine mount adaptor (black piece that goes through the stand and locks with a pin) and engine run kit I bought from the Samba. The engine run kit is made locally by a guy in Huntington Beach, CA.
Who did you buy the adaptor and run kit from? Can you run the engine on that stand?
Rusty posted the link to the engine run stand kit above. It works perfectly!
This is what you need to attach to the engine stand:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/cl...etail.php?id=1176339
And yes, the engine in the pic was the first engine I had in my Speedster and I spent several hours tuning the carbs and running the engine on this engine stand.
You can ask @MusbJim - he helped me install the 1915cc engine and was there for the first drive 
A VW engine, unless it is REALLY badly out of tune, really doesn't move that much. Most of the torque is rotational anti-clockwise to the crankshaft and even that isn't that much, so an el Cheapo engine stand is fine - it won't walk. If you're afraid that it might walk, just get three O-Ring doggie chew-pull toys (1/4" - 3/8" thick by 3" diameter) and put one around each stand caster wheel as mini chock blocks - they work.
So if you don't have a welder but you DO have a Sawzall reciprocating saw or an angle grinder, find a clapped-out VW transaxle, any year, either IRS or Swing-arm, and use your trusty cutter to cut a hunk out of the case that supports the starter to look like this:
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/V...ut-Switch-p/vw-9.htm
If you look closely at it, even though it has something stamped into it, all it is, is a hunk cut out of an old VW transaxle case. Mount that to the engine (it should fit around your engine mounts for the stand - at least mine does) and then either use your existing starter or just get a junk-yard starter, a battery, a switch and make up a rudimentary wire harness and fire that puppy up!
IIRC, I got my tranny case for free (it was truly junk after it blew the counter shaft through the side) and the starter was something like $10 bucks if I pulled it (they came over to the bug in the salvage yard and actually turned it over on its' side with a big fork lift, starter side up!) All told, I had, maybe, $20 bucks into that setup and it works great, even after 50 years! Dead VW transaxles are still available everywhere. Just ask around.
Gordon Nichols posted:A VW engine, unless it is REALLY badly out of tune, really doesn't move that much. Most of the torque is rotational anti-clockwise to the crankshaft and even that isn't that much, so an el Cheapo engine stand is fine - it won't walk. If you're afraid that it might walk, just get three O-Ring doggie chew-pull toys (1/4" - 3/8" thick by 3" diameter) and put one around each stand caster wheel as mini chock blocks - they work.
^This. When I first fired up the 1915cc, it was really out of tune. The stand shook, but never walked away. Either way, put a wedge of sorts under the wheels as a safety measure.