IIRC, I didn't start suffering until I actually got into the engine trying
to decipher and fix the PO's 'repairs'. As far as mating the engine to the
stand, it was pretty easy once I figgered out the plan. I can see the
benefit of the bell housing but I hardly think it's necessary. What happened
to you that you call it compulsory suffering?

BTW, I fully agree with you about the tranny jack attachment.

Cya,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "Zoltan" <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 5:06 PM
Subject: Re: Engine Stand [was Re: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69]

> At Harbor Freight you can buy a nice tranny jack that will do the job for
> you easily.
> I think it was about $30.  No altering.  But for the engine stand it is
> best
> to aquire a bell housing of a transmission to be able to bolt it up with
> ease.  Otherwise suffering is compulsory.
> Zoltan
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Craig Oda" <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 4:45 PM
> Subject: Re: Engine Stand [was Re: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69]
>
>
>> Robert,
>> First, thanks for the advice on the engine stand.  Your explanation of
>> bolting the engine onto the plate is great.  The mounting plate for
>> the three styles of engine stands looks the same.
>>
>> My van is still running and is my daily-driver to work.  For the past
>> 2 years, I've had a misfire in one of the cylinders.  It doesn't
>> affect engine power, but it does affect emissions.  And, there is more
>> vibration, which probably contributed to the problem of my tranny
>> torque converter shearing off from the drive plate.
>>
>> I have received a free 2.1 engine from one the generous list members
>> (Yoel and Tina Crane - Thanks!!).  I'm going to take the bits and
>> pieces off the 2.1 and fit it to the cooling of another 1.9 (I've got
>> a third parts engine in the garage).  Once I have the 2.1 long block
>> fitted with the cooling of a 1.9, I'm going to swap the engines.
>> Then, when I have the 1.9 out and the known-working 2.1 in, I'm going
>> to take off the heads and inspect the valves.
>>
>> Thus, the reason for the engine stand.  Not really necessary, but nice.
>>
>> Thanks again for your help with engine stand advice and your previous
>> advice on the tranny replacement.   Once I fabricated a tranny jack
>> adapter for my garage jack, the tranny slid right in.
>>
>> -- Craig
>>
>> On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 16:11:37 -0800, Robert Fisher <refisher@mchsi.com>
>> wrote:
>>> Craig,
>>> I don't know about that particular stand (can't tell from the picture),
>>> but
>>> the 1000 lb. version had slots in the plate where the arms are attached;
>>> these, along with the ability to move the arms around or reverse them if
>>> necessary allows the thing to accommodate a variety of mounting
>>> situations.
>>> What I did was: pulled the engine out from under the van on the floor
>>> jack
>>> and parked it in front of the stand. I took the plate off the stand and
>>> fiddled with the arms until I found a combination that worked to bolt it
>>> up
>>> to the transmission mounting bolt-holes on the engine, then we just
>>> picked
>>> up the engine and slid the plate back in its place and put the bar back
>>> in.
>>> Simple, eh?
>>> Sort of. I was concerned about the engine case being strong enough to
>>> support the whole thing just by those four bolt-holes, but I never had a
>>> problem with it. I was pretty careful in moving it around to avoid
>>> shocks
>>> and such.
>>> The arms can be reversed (there's a long bolt-hole on one end and a
>>> short
>>> one on the other) and I believe I actually had to put one or two on the
>>> back
>>> side of the plate, instead of the front side. It's sort of like a puzzle
>>> to
>>> begin with, but it works out.
>>> I took one of the tranny mounting bolts out and went to the hardware
>>> store
>>> and got four long bolts and four short ones (each maybe an inch longer
>>> than
>>> the corresponding hole on the engine stand) and an assortment of washers
>>> and
>>> nuts. This gave me max flexibility in mounting the thing.
>>> When I had the engine apart, I stripped it down to the point of taking
>>> the
>>> pistons off (didn't get into the case). I had never worked on this kind
>>> of
>>> engine design before and it was a big help in reassembly to be able to
>>> set
>>> the engine vertically, among other things.
>>>
>>> If any of that isn't clear, I'll try to elaborate. What is it you're
>>> doing
>>> to your engine? You may have said, but I don't remember. You have to
>>> pull
>>> the whole thing so soon after your tranny adventure?
>>>
>>> Cya,
>>> Robert
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Craig Oda" <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
>>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 3:14 PM
>>> Subject: Engine Stand [was Re: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69]
>>>
>>> > Zolton and everyone else,
>>> > Thanks for the response.  In the picture below, are you saying that
>>> > the "U" that bolts onto the Vanagon engine housing fits onto the stand
>>> > bracket?
>>> >
>>> > Or, are you saying that you've got a spare transaxle housing that
>>> > you've somehow mounted onto those four arms on the stand?
>>> >
>>> > http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=4420
>>> >
>>> > Having no experience with engine stands, I don't really understand how
>>> > to use those four arms.
>>> >
>>> > My
>>> >
>>> > -- Craig
>>> >
>>> > On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 13:00:35 -0800, Zoltan <zolo@foxinternet.net>
>>> > wrote:
>>> >> The one I got is from Harbout Freight.  Free shipping.  Online order.
>>> >> There
>>> >> is a heavy duty one too.  I also use a Vanagon bell housing that is
>>> >> first
>>> >> fitted to the engine stand and only after did I fit the engin on
>>> >> that.
>>> >> Had
>>> >> to drill a few holes in the plate for it, but this way it is a
>>> >> perfect
>>> >> fit.
>>> >> Zoltan
>>> >> ----- Original Message -----
>>> >> From: "Craig Oda" <craigoda@GMAIL.COM>
>>> >> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>>> >> Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 7:50 AM
>>> >> Subject: Re: Sears Cycle Jack reduced to $69
>>> >>
>>> >> > Kragen has one on sale now in the SFBay area for $49.95 pre-tax.
>>> >> > Not
>>> >> > sure if it's any good.
>>> >> >
>>> >> > What I really want is a better engine stand.  I got an engine stand
>>> >> > from CIP1 for $99.95 and it tends to fall over all the time.  This
>>> >> > is
>>> >> > a "T" type of 2" square tubing.  The weight of the engine in the
>>> >> > rear
>>> >> > seems to push the base of the stand to the left or right.  I would
>>> >> > prefer a four-wheel or point engine stand base.  I want to mount
>>> >> > the
>>> >> > entire engine with exhaust/muffler on the stand for ease of
>>> >> > assembly.
>>> >> > Any suggestions on where to buy such a stand?
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Right now, I've added significant bracing to the base of my engine
>>> >> > stand with 1.5" x 4" wood pieces, metal bolt-on braces, and two
>>> >> > 1.5"
>>> >> > diameter wheels. Right now, it's holding okay, but the wood has
>>> >> > some
>>> >> > flex due to compression of the wood and I want something that is
>>> >> > solid
>>> >> > as a rock.  I've heard people put the "U" part of the VW engine
>>> >> > bracket (the piece that bolts onto the drive plate bell housing)
>>> >> > onto
>>> >> > another engine stand.  I went to Kragen and they only have
>>> >> > something
>>> >> > that looks about the same level of el cheapo base that I got.
>>> >> >
>>> >> > Any advice, thoughts?
>>> >> >
>>> >> > -- Craig
>>> >> >
>>> >> > On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 19:41:01 -0500, Carl Hansen
>>> >> > <carl_hansen@ieee.org>
>>> >> > wrote:
>>> >> >> I was at the Berlin N.J. Sears Hardware store this weekend, and
>>> >> >> the
>>> >> >> Sears
>>> >> >> Motocycle Jack was reduced to $69.95.  Looks like it ought to work
>>> >> >> just
>>> >> >> fine to drop a motor out of the Vanagon (SyncroBeast).  The lift
>>> >> >> height
>>> >> >> is
>>> >> >> 16 1/2 inch.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Thought the lists might appreciate the heads up.  I don't know if
>>> >> >> the
>>> >> >> price
>>> >> >> is the same elsewhere, but it's probably worth a look see.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> This jack was selling for as much as $119.95 last summer and I've
>>> >> >> seen
>>> >> >> it
>>> >> >> for sale before the Holidays at $99.95, with an extra $10.00 off
>>> >> >> now
>>> >> >> and
>>> >> >> then.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Never have I seen it as low as $69.95.  I tell ya, the sucker
>>> >> >> weighs a
>>> >> >> TON!!
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Hope this helps someeone else.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Ch
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Carl Hansen
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> 609-268-8595 - home
>>> >> >> 856-866-6387 - work
>>> >> >> carl_hansen@ieee.org - personal
>>> >> >> carl.hansen@lmco.com - work
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence  SETI
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>   We do not stop playing because we grow old;
>>> >> >>                we grow old because we stop playing.
>>> >> >>                               Never Be The First To Grow Old!
>>> >> >> I need a new tool dear!  Ch
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called
>>> >> >> research,
>>> >> >> would it? - Albert Einstein
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >> Scientific Doohickey Company. Proprietor, Kermit
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>>