The bench will work but I can tell you that the engine stand makes putting
the heads back on a very different experience
 When you can tilt the engine you can do things like prepare the outer
gasket surface on the block for the head without straining your neck. I use
the dealer style stands and could not do this for a living without them. The
universal stand tends to be lower while the bench mount stand is a little
thin and weak
Tilting the engine is when you discover the lifters are able to fall out on
there own and you learn just how much oil and coolant is really still in the
engine.
The 1.9 engine needs to have the endplay checked while its out so you can
determine the health of the lower end more than .005ths play and you will
know that the rear main bearing is loose in the case and you should consider
a rebuild with the obligatory align bore
Boston Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rocket J Squirrel" <j.michael.elliott@ADELPHIA.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 11:46 AM
Subject: Stand or Bench for engine?

>I will be pulling the 1.9 to work on the heads. When I work on my
> aircooled 1600DP from the 71 bay window I put it on an engine stand I
> got from aircooled.net that fits that engine. Due to creaky old bones I
> like something that brings the engine up high and lets me flip it to
> work on the bottom.
>
> Working on the 1.9 might be sufficiently different that I may need to
> plan ahead. I'd like to hear from others: is there a good stand for
> these engines? Or do you just plunk it on a sturdy bench?
>
> --
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> 84 Westphalia: "Mellow Yellow (The Electrical Banana)"
> KG6RCR
>