$6 Kohler Engine Rotisserie

[aaytay]

Well, despite having some sort of crappy stomach flu today, I decided to whip up a quick engine stand for a 14hp Kohler I'm rebuilding as I'm sick of flopping this thing around on my work bench like a greasy fish. I have $6 in parts invested in this project. I thought I would post this to show how simple and inexpensive this set up can be.

I wanted to use the corner of my work-bench where the vice is mounted because I didn't want to drill a bunch more holes in the bench-top.

After removing the vice, I dug through my scrap bin of steel and found a chunk of angle-iron that used to be a bumper bracket from a pickup I previously owned. Amazingly, using the right combination of holes in the bumper bracket made it fit the existing holes in the workbench. Bonus!

Next, I dug through the scrap bin again and grabbed a small piece of angle-iron, and drilled a couple of holes in it that line up with the starter-mount-point.....
(Yeah... Yeah... The engine is green. Get over it!)

I kind of got ahead of myself without taking more pics, but in this next pic you can see that I welded a 6" piece of 1" Black Pipe to the inside of the bumper-bracket-channel and then a nut to a hole drilled in the side of the pipe to use as a pinch-bolt. (Ugh, my welds look bad this close up!)

Next, I took a 12" long piece of 3/4" Black Pipe and welded it to the previously mentioned engine bracket...

Then I slid the 3/4" pipe with the engine bracket welded to it through the previously mentioned 1" pipe, put a pipe-cap on the opposite end to hold it in, welded a washer on the other side to hold it steady, and painted it red so it looks like some crappy Harbor-Freight set up.... LOL!

Here's the finished product....

It's not perfect, (maybe a little too long) but it works well, and should be nicer than rolling a freshly rebuilt engine around on a greasy work-bench.

 

[dtanner]

Home of the Plow Special
Art that's a cool engine stand and well I think I might use that idea, Thanks for posting it and I would be happy if I could weld that good. I will post a shot of my work center in front of my stove in my shop in the am and see what you think. Thanks
Later Don T

Is that a Fuller ratchet wrench I see there on your bench? I have a set and there great,

 

[dross]

It's simple, easy and I should've that of that. Nice job Art. Last time I did an engine where I was didn't even have a bench. Rebuilt it on the hood of my truck.

 

[dtanner]

Art A
The fire insurance requested that I build a stand to put the stove in my shop. It seems this was to protect the stove from a car running into it and also gas stored in the shop the stove had to be off the floor because of a fire hazard. this gave me the idea to add this to the front of he stove stand to allow me to store and use some tools without haveing them on my bench. Here is a picture of what I came up with. Each are held in place with w pin and the pin can be removed and then the tool can be removed and store out of the way if needed. Now I think I will add an engine stand to the list of tools that this can hold. What do you think???

Since all shops are to small I try to use what ever I can to help me. Have a great day.. later Don T

 

[kide]

Art:
But where's the vise gonna go?? I couldn't function in my shop without my big 'ol vise that's bolted to the bench (actually bolted through a 1' by 2' piece of 3/8" plate that's on top of the work bench).

BTW - your stomach flu actually turned an engine block GREEN??

Don: They also don't want pilot lights or open flame at ground level in a garage, as most hazardous fumes (like gasoline) are heavier than air, sink to the floor and will ignite in presence of said flame..

 

[kmcconaughey]

Kendell you forgot to add this:

Nice job Art!

 

[aaytay]

Kendell-
The engine stand will be a temporary mount. It takes removal of 3 bolts to remove the vice, and only 2 bolts to mount up the engine stand. Once I'm done reassembling the engine, the stand will come off and the vice will go back on. Oh how we love our vices! LOL (pun intended)

Don-
That's a slick idea. I may have to do something like that if I ever get organized enough to build a welding table. Nice job!