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How I Made My Engine Dolly
- Thread starter krazykuda
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Oklacarcollecto
Life is an experiment
That is sweet Karl! I need to make some of those for a few engines I have in the shop floor. Do you have the measurements of the base plywood?
The base is 24"x23" in 3/4 plywood. The 24" is the dimension that is parallel to the crank.
You could go 24"x24", but I'm going to roll these under some heavy duty shelves with engines on them, and the extra inch I saved on the width may help me try to go 3 wide under the shelves.
You then get 2"x10" and cut it into two 24" lengths and then two 6" lengths. Then cut the 6" boards diaganally. But instead of making the top of the tirangle sharp, I moved it over so the tip was 1/2" wide at the top to avoid the sharp point.
Then get 3" or 4" wood screws and screw the triangular pieces to the same side of the 2 foot pieces (I made mine 6" from the ends - 7" would give better clearance to mount the caster wheels). Then drill and screw them in from the bottom using an oil pan to find the correct distance for the spread of the two 24" pieces.
Then you get your caster wheels and mount them.
You could get away with 2"x8" board for the "rails" but then it will have less than 1" clearance to the bottom of the standard stock oil pan. I used 10" width board for extra clearance or in case I have to deal with a deep sump pan. The stock oil pan hangs down 7 1/4".
The engine is pretty close to 24" from front to rear of the block. The vibration damper and pulley hang over slightly.
So if you get one full sheet of 3/4" plywood and it can make 8 bases, then get eight 2"x10"x8' boards and that will make eight dollies. Then you will need a few boxes of 3" or 4" wood screws for the wood (approx 32 wood screws per dolly). And a box of 5/16" x 18 x 1 1/4" bolts (16 per dolly) and a box of 5/16" washers (32 per dolly) and a box of 5/16" x 18 nuts (16 per dolly)[minimum grade five or grade eight]. I went to my local Fastenal dealer to get the wood screws, washers, nuts and bolts in bulk packages/boxes of 100 and can't remember how much each one was.
You should be able to find 3" caster wheels for roughly $20 per dolly. The 3/4" plywood is about $50. The 2"x10"x8' boards are about $10 each for a total of $80 for the 2"x10" boards. Then the price of the wood screws, 5/16"x16x1 1/4" or 1 1/2" bolts with nuts and flat washers (If you choose lock washers, I would recommend using the 1 1/2" length bolts.)
Then when you get them all assembled, you can paint them if you want. I didn't because I have too many to do and it will take too much time for me to paint them. I have thought about painting the stands with themes, like your favorite NASCAR driver's color and then paint the car number on the side. Example: Blue and red base with a #43 for Richard Petty, Black with white #2 for Dale Sr.... Use your imagination and be creative. Rani would probably make hers red, white, and blue for Sox & Martin...
Then when you get enough dollies, and have them all painted up with engines on them, you can position them in a circle in your garage and pretend that it is a NASCAR race.... And put them in the order starting with your first favorite driver to your least favorite... Wait, am I going to far here? I better stop now....
Give it a go Bill, it's not that hard. If you need any other info, let me know. Good luck with yours.
You could go 24"x24", but I'm going to roll these under some heavy duty shelves with engines on them, and the extra inch I saved on the width may help me try to go 3 wide under the shelves.
You then get 2"x10" and cut it into two 24" lengths and then two 6" lengths. Then cut the 6" boards diaganally. But instead of making the top of the tirangle sharp, I moved it over so the tip was 1/2" wide at the top to avoid the sharp point.
Then get 3" or 4" wood screws and screw the triangular pieces to the same side of the 2 foot pieces (I made mine 6" from the ends - 7" would give better clearance to mount the caster wheels). Then drill and screw them in from the bottom using an oil pan to find the correct distance for the spread of the two 24" pieces.
Then you get your caster wheels and mount them.
You could get away with 2"x8" board for the "rails" but then it will have less than 1" clearance to the bottom of the standard stock oil pan. I used 10" width board for extra clearance or in case I have to deal with a deep sump pan. The stock oil pan hangs down 7 1/4".
The engine is pretty close to 24" from front to rear of the block. The vibration damper and pulley hang over slightly.
So if you get one full sheet of 3/4" plywood and it can make 8 bases, then get eight 2"x10"x8' boards and that will make eight dollies. Then you will need a few boxes of 3" or 4" wood screws for the wood (approx 32 wood screws per dolly). And a box of 5/16" x 18 x 1 1/4" bolts (16 per dolly) and a box of 5/16" washers (32 per dolly) and a box of 5/16" x 18 nuts (16 per dolly)[minimum grade five or grade eight]. I went to my local Fastenal dealer to get the wood screws, washers, nuts and bolts in bulk packages/boxes of 100 and can't remember how much each one was.
You should be able to find 3" caster wheels for roughly $20 per dolly. The 3/4" plywood is about $50. The 2"x10"x8' boards are about $10 each for a total of $80 for the 2"x10" boards. Then the price of the wood screws, 5/16"x16x1 1/4" or 1 1/2" bolts with nuts and flat washers (If you choose lock washers, I would recommend using the 1 1/2" length bolts.)
Then when you get them all assembled, you can paint them if you want. I didn't because I have too many to do and it will take too much time for me to paint them. I have thought about painting the stands with themes, like your favorite NASCAR driver's color and then paint the car number on the side. Example: Blue and red base with a #43 for Richard Petty, Black with white #2 for Dale Sr.... Use your imagination and be creative. Rani would probably make hers red, white, and blue for Sox & Martin...
Then when you get enough dollies, and have them all painted up with engines on them, you can position them in a circle in your garage and pretend that it is a NASCAR race.... And put them in the order starting with your first favorite driver to your least favorite... Wait, am I going to far here? I better stop now....
Give it a go Bill, it's not that hard. If you need any other info, let me know. Good luck with yours.
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clhyer
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If I may make one suggestion to this, do not use drywall screws. They are the weakest of the weak fasteners. While the plans do not have any place where shear strength is needed; a good decking screw will not rust, is a stronger fastener and not that much more expensive to start with. We are talking pennies here, spend a couple more for decent screws.
C
C
Nice simple idea! Your garage corner looks like mine. I think mine currently has a 383, a 440, a 400, two 360's, two 340's, a 241 Hemi and a 354 Hemi. May be adding another 400 only because the price is right! I think I need to stand mine up on end like you did - would save some space!
71Scamper
Mopar runs thru my veins!
I put pneumatic tires on a regular engine stand that mounts to the bell housing bolt holes and it was terrible. It didn't roll very easy and was awkward. I replaced them with solids that were 6" vs. the original 3" and it's so much easier to move around now.
How the hell did you know that's a powered puff girl? and nice stand, I'll be building a few.
Just calling them as I see them. The doll looked like the blonde Power Puff Girl, I can't remember her name (I think it's Bubbles).
Good point. I used 4" deck screws from Fastenal. Only the ones at the top of the triangle supports broke through. I could have gotten away with 3" screws, but I like the extra thread engagement with the 4" and will live with the tips poking out or cut off the tips that poke out afterwards.
I hear ya. I have over a dozen engines (mostly small block and one 400). We are trying to organize everything so we have room to work and get a few of our cars running. Currently building three 360's for various projects.
The ones without cranks in them are easiest to stand on end, the cranks make them wobbly. With cranks, I like the dolly to store them. I just pick up the engine with the hoist and then drop them on the dolly, and I'm ready to roll it anywhere I need it. You can put an engine on them without an oil pan and with a crank, but it is not as stable as with the oil pan on.
Are you close to Detroit? I go there now and then to visit family.
dartjack
Well-Known Member
Hate to chime in as a cheapie but I must. Harbor freight sells furniture dollies for about $15. All wheels pivot. Have several with engines on them. Pretty sturdy. Haven't put the pan 2x10's on them but you did give me an idea. Smaller ones are good for auto trannies on end. About $7/8 bucks when they have a sale.
Oklacarcollecto
Life is an experiment
Thanks, I will save this and make some up. I think the only thing I am missing to make several is the 3/4 plywood. mine will be made from 2x12 because I have a stash of them that was cut wrong by the lumber yard and I got a stack of 4 footers for a buck a piece. It will be nice to finally use them and get them out of storage. I have partial buckets of screws too that were left over from contract jobs.
so you think the same stand can be made out of steel and welded ....i don't have much wood pieces laying around but i have a lot of scrap metal of all different sizes that i wonder if it can be used for this
It can be done in steel and square stock. I have one in metal from 30 years ago (with the phone sex phone number on the sticker).
The concept behind this one is to support by the flange area/bolts of the oil pan and then you can just set your engine on and go...
I will try to hunt it down in the next few days and post a picture for you.
Yeah, go to post #1 on this thread and read.
Those are the ones that break with an engine on them. Even the blue ones that they claim can take 1000 lb. I'm sick of wasting my money on them.
Plus my design supports the engine so it doesn't tip/lean over.
dartjack
Well-Known Member
My bad. I read "engine" in there and it wasn't. I have eight or ten of them and haven't broken one yet. Put two of the small ones under the Dart tires for fun to ckeck them out. Didn't break but only moved it a foot or so just for giggles. Did you have the 2x10 on the also? You did good. Was just offering a less expensive/cheaper alternative. Like I said I read in an extra word.
Pictures of the "steelie" engine dolly for all of those welders out there.... Shout out to Rani... Here's the pictures of the metal engine dolly that I copied my concept off of.
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That will buff out.
I have 5 more of them with all wood complete, and all holes for the wheels drilled. Now I have to find the nuts and bolts for the wheels and mount them. My arms are killing me from running all the screws in, even with a cordless, it still gets my old muscles (if you want to call them that) sore....
Kardon1976
Member
Great Idea man. Thanks
inkjunkie
Well-Known Member
Looks like the one I had a motor sitting on. One of the expansion joints in my garage is a bit large, ripped one of the wheels off. I built something similar to yours but made it long enough so that a trans could be bolted onto the back of the block. Was going to use this to slide a block/trans under my car to verify some measurements for something.....been sitting behind the car for over a year now....I am a real motivated soul....
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