How do I mount a v6 to an engine stand?

[AlfaNeely@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 8/23/2003 9:48:53 AM Central Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

> Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 07:58:46 -0700 (PDT)
> From: John De Trana <jdetrana@domain.elided>
> Subject: How do I mount a v6 to an engine stand?
> 
> Does anyone have any advice on what types of bolts
> I'll need to mount my gtv 6 engine to the engine
> stand?  Where do I mount them on the engine itself?
> 
> Thanks.  John, Alexandria, VA

       Attached is an article I wrote about the engine stand I built for my 
Alfa work.  It is make from two commercially available engine stands and 
supports the four or V-6 Alfa engine from the motor mounts.
       I did have some photos.  They may be posted to the files section of 
the Alfa Racing list on Yahoo.  Hope this helps.

Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City
      The engine stand at http://www.joninge.com/pix/Alfas/enginestand.html is
pretty wonderful.  The engine in it appears to be an Alfa V-6.  That stand is
rather like the one I built.  Or at least the method of attachment to the
engine is similar.
       That stand is also similar to the factory stand shown in the Alfa shop
manual for the Giulia, Alfa Public. no. 1008-R2, dated 12/68.  On pages 44
though 48 are several pictures of an Alfa four cylinder attached to an engine
stand.  The stands bolt to the motor mounts on each side of the engine.
       The major advantage to attachment to the motor mounts is the ability to
attach the flywheel with the engine on the stand.  With a block fitted to the
flywheel teeth, it is easier to torque the rod, flywheel, pressure plate and
harmonic balancer bolts.  With the flywheel locked at TDC, setting initial cam
timing is easier.  Then with the flywheel unlocked, turning the engine to dial
in the cam timing is pretty easy.  It is much easier to set the cam timing on
an engine stand than in the car.

       The late lamented Maduko Motori used to sell engine stand adapters.
Maduko later sold out to Vick Auto, www.VickAuto.com.  I do not know if Vick
got any of the inventory of adapters or not.
       Maduko owner, Rex Brown, claimed the adapter would hold the engine just
fine on one side of the engine only.  I thought it safer to attach to both
motor mounts at once.  The pictures in the Alfa shop manual convinced me.

      I built my engine stand using two commercially available stands.  I
bought a length of 2 3/8 inch outside diameter heavy wall tubing about four
feet long.  The standard size for the rotating part of engine stands seems to
be 2 3/8 inches.
       I placed the length of pipe through the part where the engine rotates
on both engine stands.  I then built a connector at the base between the two
uprights using the extra parts from the stands.
       I then used the adapter I had purchased from Maduko and I constructed
another just like it.  It is made from about 15 inches of the 2 3/8 tubing
with four inch U channel welded to the end.  It bolts to the motor mounts and
extends upwards to the pivot point.  That is, the center of gravity of the
Alfa engine is above the motor mounts.
       I also built mounts for the V-6 Milano engine.  The base of the stand
is the same, only the adapters that bolt to the engine are different.  The
center of gravity of the V-6 appears to be almost exactly at the motor mounts.
My pivot is very close to the mounts.  That is very similar to those shown at:
http://www.joninge.com/pix/Alfas/enginestand.html
       I will try to take some pictures of my engine stand if anyone wants to
write for them.  I will also measure the distance from the pivot point to the
motor mount attachment point.
       The disadvantage to my engine stand is you cannot rotate the engine 180
degrees with the bat wing pan attached.  That is really not a problem.  You
also cannot turn the V-6 upside down as the heads are too wide.  I probably
should have built the stand wider.  You do have to attach the motor mounts
after the engine if removed from the stand.  And I guess attachment of the
Spica pump might be tight.  I have not built a Spica engine since I made my
stand.

       I also made a bracket to place a steel drip pan between the legs of the
engine stand.  That keeps the oily mess off the floor when assembling an
engine.

Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City
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