# Mounting on a engine stand?



## LouCabra (Jul 20, 2015)

Hello all,I just picked up a 400 (557 block) and I want to mount it on an engine stand to break it down. The motor does not have a bell housing. Is it ok to mount it straight to the stand without the housing?
Thanks


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## histoy (May 22, 2019)

Yes, it's OK. In fact that's the way I always mount them. If it will be sitting on the stand for a while, I suggest that you put a brace of some sort under the front vibration damper to help support the weight. I feel that it's a good safety precaution.


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## LouCabra (Jul 20, 2015)

histoy said:


> Yes, it's OK. In fact that's the way I always mount them. If it will be sitting on the stand for a while, I suggest that you put a brace of some sort under the front vibration damper to help support the weight. I feel that it's a good safety precaution.


Vibration damper?


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## histoy (May 22, 2019)

Harmonic balancer attached to the front of the crank.


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## LouCabra (Jul 20, 2015)

histoy said:


> Harmonic balancer attached to the front of the crank.


Ahhh... gotcha, many thanks!


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## pontrc (Mar 18, 2020)

Make sure Lou to use grade 8 bolts to mount the engine to stand👍


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## Old Man Taylor (May 9, 2011)

I recommend using Grade 5 bolts, not grade 8's. They are not as brittle. I've never had any issues using Grade 5's, and I've been doing it a long time.


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## Old Man Taylor (May 9, 2011)

I recommend investing in a good engine stand. The one in one picture is acceptable, the other one is not. Both were mine.


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## Old Man Taylor (May 9, 2011)

I just had to post this. The lower engine is on a roll around stand that I built, and the other is on a good engine stand. The model is my 23 year old granddaughter who broke her neck in December. I added a picture of her getting in my car for a "blast" tonight. I haven't figured out how to post a video from my phone messages.


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## LouCabra (Jul 20, 2015)

Thanks for the advise guys. If thats the same little girl in both photos it just breaks my heart. My first grandchild is three-years old. Feel like she was just born yesterday. Another blink of the eye and she'll be a teenager. I hope grand children make better teenagers than our own children!


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## Old Man Taylor (May 9, 2011)

Same girl.


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

You should invest in a good stand to prevent disaster or injury, that fully dressed Pontiac is heavy, ain't no small block chevy, I bought a 2000lb rated one with longer flip up legs and used grade 8 bolts and thick grade 8 washers.


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## lars (Sep 28, 2004)

Before spending time and money on the complete over-kill of using Grade 8 bolts to mount engines to engine stands, be aware of the technical specifications of the SAE Grade bolts: A common SAE grade 5 bolt has a minimum specified tensile strength rating of 120,000 pounds per square inch. A 3/8 bolt has a cross sectional area of 0.110 square inches, giving a single Grade 5 bolt an actual tensile strength of over 13,000 pounds. You could mount your 600-pound Pontiac engine to an engine stand with a single Grade 5 bolt with a factor of safety of 22:1. A "Grade 1" bolt (no head marking), which is the softest, weakest, cheapest bolt you can buy, has a minimum tensile of 60,000 psi, giving the cheap Grade 1 3/8-16 bolt a tensile strength of 4,650 pounds. A single Grade 1 bolt would hold a 600-pound Pontiac engine with a factor of safety of over 7:1. Grade 8 bolts have a minimum specified tensile of 150,000 psi: A single Grade 8 3/8-16 bolt will take a tensile load of over 16,000 pounds.... No need to over-do this - with 4 bolts holding the engine to the stand, use whatever bolts you have that are in visually good condition, and make sure they have thread engagement into the engine block of 1.5 times the diameter of the bolt (9/16").

A good, sturdy engine stand is a very real benefit - don't get the cheapest one you can find: it will "droop" down under weight, and it will be a real bear to rotate with the full engine weight hanging on the head.


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## pontrc (Mar 18, 2020)

Lou use grade 8 safety has no short cuts


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## Mine'sa66 (Oct 30, 2019)

lars said:


> Before spending time and money on the complete over-kill of using Grade 8 bolts to mount engines to engine stands, be aware of the technical specifications of the SAE Grade bolts: A common SAE grade 5 bolt has a minimum specified tensile strength rating of 120,000 pounds per square inch. A 3/8 bolt has a cross sectional area of 0.110 square inches, giving a single Grade 5 bolt an actual tensile strength of over 13,000 pounds. You could mount your 600-pound Pontiac engine to an engine stand with a single Grade 5 bolt with a factor of safety of 22:1. A "Grade 1" bolt (no head marking), which is the softest, weakest, cheapest bolt you can buy, has a minimum tensile of 60,000 psi, giving the cheap Grade 1 3/8-16 bolt a tensile strength of 4,650 pounds. A single Grade 1 bolt would hold a 600-pound Pontiac engine with a factor of safety of over 7:1. Grade 8 bolts have a minimum specified tensile of 150,000 psi: A single Grade 8 3/8-16 bolt will take a tensile load of over 16,000 pounds.... No need to over-do this - with 4 bolts holding the engine to the stand, use whatever bolts you have that are in visually good condition, and make sure they have thread engagement into the engine block of 1.5 times the diameter of the bolt (9/16").
> 
> A good, sturdy engine stand is a very real benefit - don't get the cheapest one you can find: it will "droop" down under weight, and it will be a real bear to rotate with the full engine weight hanging on the head.


That's all accurate math but isn't taking into account any shock load at all. Just pushing the stand/engine combo around will double/triple the load placed on the mounting bolts.
That being said, we do sort of "use what you have" when hanging an engine on a stand. But, there's nothing less than grade 5s floating around the shop. Usually, there's enough 8s sitting on the stand. Use good washers.
The stand you get is far more important. Folks suggest propping the front of the block. If your stand needs the front of the block propped up, get a better stand.


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## gtomike455 (May 24, 2020)

yes 


LouCabra said:


> Hello all,I just picked up a 400 (557 block) and I want to mount it on an engine stand to break it down. The motor does not have a bell housing. Is it ok to mount it straight to the stand without the housing?
> Thanks


you're not supposed to mount the engine to a stand with the bellhousing on it.


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## pontrc (Mar 18, 2020)

By the time this thread gets done Lou has mounted it to the stand rebuilt the engine and now is driving it laughing his ass off


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