The Ford Barn

HCO41 · 04-22-2014, 05:10 PM

Tried to use my engine stand for an 8ba and found that the arms didn't reach out far enough. A friend with a lot more experience commented that the bell housing mounting bolts are wider than most engines he had built on a stand. I decided to make a new mounting plate and arms that would accommodate the flathead engines. I finished it up today and hung the engine on it with no issues.
Has anyone ever determined the approximate center line for an 8ba engine with heads and without accessories. A measurement from the center of the flywheel up to the center line of the stand pivot would be helpful when turning. Thanks,
Howard

Fairlane500 · 04-22-2014, 05:16 PM

Most people hang them off exhaust ports

ReggieK · 04-22-2014, 05:45 PM

I have always been told that if you hung a Flathead from the bell housing you could possibly break it, so I have always used the exhaust mount. Was always afraid to try to see if the bell housing would hold.

Ross F-1 · 04-22-2014, 05:54 PM

Saved this from an old thread on the Flathead Forum. It is the bolt hole locations for the rear of an 8BA.

There's no problem hanging an 8BA from the bellhousing flange.

HCO41 · 04-22-2014, 06:02 PM

Guys, I understand the issue about hanging the engine from the bell housing has to do with the early engines (pre '49). If I've invented something new then I guess I'll have to figure out the CL on my own. I can share with you that I have been in the shop of one of our most respected flathead builders and he hangs 8BAs from the bell housing mounts. If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me. Still looking for an answer to my thread.
Howard

HCO41 · 04-22-2014, 06:03 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Thank-you Ross.
Howard

51504bat · 04-22-2014, 06:07 PM

I've got an 8ba mounted to a cheapie no name engine stand - bolted up with no problem.

Ronnie · 04-22-2014, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HCO41

Guys, I understand the issue about hanging the engine from the bell housing has to do with the early engines (pre '49). If I've invented something new then I guess I'll have to figure out the CL on my own. I can share with you that I have been in the shop of one of our most respected flathead builders and he hangs 8BAs from the bell housing mounts. If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me. Still looking for an answer to my thread.
Howard

Yup hang it there all day long.

R

KiWinUS · 04-22-2014, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReggieK

I have always been told that if you hung a Flathead from the bell housing you could possibly break it, so I have always used the exhaust mount. Was always afraid to try to see if the bell housing would hold.

Thats an old wives tale !!!!
I have hung every find of flathead V8 there is off the bellhousing over the last 44 years & never had a problem !!!! I have 6 right now that way .
I am in Charlotte nc reggie .
cheers
Tony

dude · 04-30-2014, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KiWinUS

Thats an old wives tale !!!!
I have hung every find of flathead V8 there is off the bellhousing over the last 44 years & never had a problem !!!! I have 6 right now that way .
I am in Charlotte nc reggie .
cheers
Tony

Why take a chance??

Mart · 07-07-2015, 04:05 PM

People say that having the motors fall off the stand if hung from the bellhousing is an old wives tale.

Try telling a friend of mine about this old wives tale. He's just posted pics of the engine lying on the floor after the bellhousing bolts pulled out. So on top of the spun bearing he was investigating, he now has to deal with a damaged bellhousing.

If you have hung them off the bell and not had one fall off then that's your good luck. But if you do, it's probably better not to discourage others from using the safer method. Ford hung em off the exhaust bolts, that is the safer way.

Mart.

lonewolf · 07-12-2015, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mart

People say that having the motors fall off the stand if hung from the bellhousing is an old wives tale.

Try telling a friend of mine about this old wives tale. He's just posted pics of the engine lying on the floor after the bellhousing bolts pulled out. So on top of the spun bearing he was investigating, he now has to deal with a damaged bellhousing.

If you have hung them off the bell and not had one fall off then that's your good luck. But if you do, it's probably better not to discourage others from using the safer method. Ford hung em off the exhaust bolts, that is the safer way.

Mart.

Pics please....if the bolts pulled out he did something wrong....why wouldn't the pull out the exhaust they are smaller bolts?

JSeery · 07-12-2015, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonewolf

Pics please....if the bolts pulled out he did something wrong....why wouldn't the pull out the exhaust they are smaller bolts?

The leverage on the side is much different than the bellhousing and the metal is thicker on the exhaust vs the bellhousing. If you look at the photos I think you can see that it broke the metal out around the holes, it didn't strip the threads out.

Capn John · 04-22-2014, 06:33 PM

CHECK WITH STUMPY'S!!!!!

http://www.stumpysfabworks.zoomshare...and%20adapters

HCO41 · 04-22-2014, 06:49 PM

51504bat, I also have a no name stand. The problem I had with mine is that the fixed length arms, that ride in slots on the face plate, wouldn't go out far enough to reach the bell housing mount holes. I borrowed the slotted arms from a friends stand and was able to use that type. I returned his arms and decided to fabricate a new plate and arms. I over killed the whole thing using 1/2" hot rolled for the plate, 5/16x1" upright, bent into hairpin shape for the arms, 1/2" sched. 80 pipe for the arm extensions and 2" sched. 80 pipe for the pivot. Worked out great but I probably could have bought a U.S. made unit that worked "out of the box" by the time I was done.
If I ever work on one of the earlier engines, I will fabricate the mount using the exhaust manifold mounting holes.
Any answers to the original thread????
Howard

GOSFAST · 04-22-2014, 07:00 PM

Hi Howard, the dimension on the 2 corner (bellhousing) bolts very close to a conventional SBC/BBC, so close we fabricated an existing stand (cradle) designed for the Chevy's and the 2 rear corner bolts were just about lined up to the Flathead.

If it fits these cradles it will fit the engine stand as well??

(Add) We've always mounted the (later) Flathead's on the conventional stands, never a single issue!

Thanks, Gary in N.Y.

P.S. Here's a couple shot's of the block mounted on the "cradle". You can see the only mod is for the front flange (exhaust mount) area!

Ross F-1 · 04-22-2014, 06:53 PM

I think what you meant to ask was the location of the Center of Gravity? The centerline of the crankshaft is shown in my drawing. Just seat of my pants, I'd put the centerline of the pivot halfway between the pan surface and the intake deck.

HCO41 · 04-22-2014, 07:02 PM

Sounds good Ross, I'll give it a try. I think I'm close to that as it is. Just didn't want to have the engine flop over without being able to control it.
Thanks,
Howard

HCO41 · 04-27-2014, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross F-1

I think what you meant to ask was the location of the Center of Gravity? The centerline of the crankshaft is shown in my drawing. Just seat of my pants, I'd put the centerline of the pivot halfway between the pan surface and the intake deck.

I positioned pivot as you suggested and engine turned easily with no out of balance issues. Thanks Ross.
Howard

JSeery · 04-27-2014, 10:49 PM

My current block has a repaired broken bellhousing because it was hung on an engine mount! Seems like a really poor idea to me, the metal is very thin in the bellhousing area and nothing like mounting a modern block. There is both the thickness of the metal and the leverage of the block bellhousing combo. Don't think I would attempt to mount a modern block off of a bellhousing ether as far as that goes, a lot of weight and a lot of leverage! Maybe you can get away with it most of the time, but to me a flathead block is worth too much to take the chance, mine get mounted on the side using the exhaust ports.

04-22-2014, 05:10 PM	#1
HCO41 Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Lyndon, Vt. Posts: 456	Flathead engine stand mounting Tried to use my engine stand for an 8ba and found that the arms didn't reach out far enough. A friend with a lot more experience commented that the bell housing mounting bolts are wider than most engines he had built on a stand. I decided to make a new mounting plate and arms that would accommodate the flathead engines. I finished it up today and hung the engine on it with no issues. Has anyone ever determined the approximate center line for an 8ba engine with heads and without accessories. A measurement from the center of the flywheel up to the center line of the stand pivot would be helpful when turning. Thanks, Howard

04-22-2014, 05:45 PM	#3
ReggieK Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Troutman, NC Posts: 119	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting I have always been told that if you hung a Flathead from the bell housing you could possibly break it, so I have always used the exhaust mount. Was always afraid to try to see if the bell housing would hold.

04-22-2014, 06:02 PM	#5
HCO41 Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Lyndon, Vt. Posts: 456	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting Guys, I understand the issue about hanging the engine from the bell housing has to do with the early engines (pre '49). If I've invented something new then I guess I'll have to figure out the CL on my own. I can share with you that I have been in the shop of one of our most respected flathead builders and he hangs 8BAs from the bell housing mounts. If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me. Still looking for an answer to my thread. Howard

04-22-2014, 06:03 PM	#6
HCO41 Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Lyndon, Vt. Posts: 456	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Thank-you Ross. Howard

04-22-2014, 06:07 PM	#7
51504bat Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: SoCal-Redlands Posts: 3,015	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting I've got an 8ba mounted to a cheapie no name engine stand - bolted up with no problem. __________________ Making the simple complicated for over 30 years.

07-07-2015, 04:05 PM	#11
Mart Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Solihull, England. Posts: 8,750	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting People say that having the motors fall off the stand if hung from the bellhousing is an old wives tale. Try telling a friend of mine about this old wives tale. He's just posted pics of the engine lying on the floor after the bellhousing bolts pulled out. So on top of the spun bearing he was investigating, he now has to deal with a damaged bellhousing. If you have hung them off the bell and not had one fall off then that's your good luck. But if you do, it's probably better not to discourage others from using the safer method. Ford hung em off the exhaust bolts, that is the safer way. Mart. Last edited by Mart; 07-07-2015 at 04:30 PM.

04-22-2014, 06:33 PM	#14
Capn John Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: BIRTHPLACE OF SPEED, FLORIDA Posts: 531	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting CHECK WITH STUMPY'S!!!!! http://www.stumpysfabworks.zoomshare...and%20adapters

04-22-2014, 06:49 PM	#15
HCO41 Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Lyndon, Vt. Posts: 456	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting 51504bat, I also have a no name stand. The problem I had with mine is that the fixed length arms, that ride in slots on the face plate, wouldn't go out far enough to reach the bell housing mount holes. I borrowed the slotted arms from a friends stand and was able to use that type. I returned his arms and decided to fabricate a new plate and arms. I over killed the whole thing using 1/2" hot rolled for the plate, 5/16x1" upright, bent into hairpin shape for the arms, 1/2" sched. 80 pipe for the arm extensions and 2" sched. 80 pipe for the pivot. Worked out great but I probably could have bought a U.S. made unit that worked "out of the box" by the time I was done. If I ever work on one of the earlier engines, I will fabricate the mount using the exhaust manifold mounting holes. Any answers to the original thread???? Howard

04-22-2014, 06:53 PM	#17
Ross F-1 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NM Posts: 2,438	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting I think what you meant to ask was the location of the Center of Gravity? The centerline of the crankshaft is shown in my drawing. Just seat of my pants, I'd put the centerline of the pivot halfway between the pan surface and the intake deck. __________________ '52 F-1, EAB flathead

04-22-2014, 07:02 PM	#18
HCO41 Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Lyndon, Vt. Posts: 456	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting Sounds good Ross, I'll give it a try. I think I'm close to that as it is. Just didn't want to have the engine flop over without being able to control it. Thanks, Howard

04-27-2014, 10:49 PM	#20
JSeery Member Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 16,132	Re: Flathead engine stand mounting My current block has a repaired broken bellhousing because it was hung on an engine mount! Seems like a really poor idea to me, the metal is very thin in the bellhousing area and nothing like mounting a modern block. There is both the thickness of the metal and the leverage of the block bellhousing combo. Don't think I would attempt to mount a modern block off of a bellhousing ether as far as that goes, a lot of weight and a lot of leverage! Maybe you can get away with it most of the time, but to me a flathead block is worth too much to take the chance, mine get mounted on the side using the exhaust ports.