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MG TD TF 1500 - How to mount engine on rotating stand?

I have the lump without the tranny,or sump, hanging on the hoist, and cannot fit up the rotating engine stand....
I have the correct bolts, but the arms of the stand will only allow connecting to the block with three of the four arms....
Never ran into this problem with any other engine...
Anyone have photos of their engine attached to a rotating stand?...Would be very helpful.
Thanks
Edward

E.B. Wesson

Here's one:
Bud

Bud Krueger

Another:


Bud Krueger

Ed,

I use only three of the four bolts on my stand and that works just fine. I could not get all four to line up with the stand I bought either. Gives a bit more access into the flywheel area also. Using only three allowed me to move the pivot point further up the block for easier rotation with the head installed. The center of the rotation needs to be well above the crank center or its a bear to turn on the stand. You might want to consider spacers (about 3" long) between the block and arms. Just use longer bolts. Makes it so much easier to access the clutch, flywheel and various plugs and things on the rear of the block with the extra few inches. I remove the locating pins and had the holes drilled and tapped for the next smaller size flywheel bolts while it was apart. The flywheel can now be easily removed if necessary without pulling the crank out of the block.

Frank
F Filangeri

Ed,

Mine just barely fit with all four bolts but it was very tight. I think it just depends on the stand you have.

Rob
Rob Welborne

I bolted the arms to the two threaded holes on each lower side of block. It took a bit of fiddling, but the stand's mount is just a standard configuration, as far as I can tell. Cheers Phil

Phil Atrill

Ed - You are going to repaint right?
Bruce Cunha

Since I also have a MGB, I modified a MGB back plate such that I can bolt either the B series engine or the XPAG engine to it. The problem with this approach is that the flywheel has to come off before mounting it or come out with the crank. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

It looka like I got 4 bolts to fit but it was 23 years ago. I did make spacers to move the engine back.

I know that I used a "come-along to lift it.

Jim B.

JA Benjamin

Here you go...

Steve S

My engine stand is like Steves and it works very well. A couple engine types I had to make a special mount, such as a VW mount and an aircraft engine.
P Jennings

My stand is accustomed to V8s but just before I started to weld up some custom mounts I found it would work if I was willing to accept that the engine would not be straight up and down.

JE Carroll

Thanks , guys for all the input....
My stand has the arms and the standoffs, but is made for 1200lbs, and I guess, not for these "little" lumps....
I printed some of the photos, and will see if I can line it up...
Spent two hours trying to do it yesterday....I could have made my own arms in that time.
Edward
E.B. Wesson

Made my own quickie engine stand out of scrap iron. Figured 3 would do the trick.

LaVerne

I much prefer a 4 legged stand but figured 3 would do here. I once tipped a 396 over that I was turning upside down to finish up...putting on the oil pan. Just about cried when it hit the floor, Fortunatly the only damage was a broken carb stud on the intake manifold and my pride asking 3 other guys to help stand it back up. Cleaned this one up after all was done and used up the black wrinkle paint on it. Bought a el cheapo one from Harbor freight when I rebuilt the B engine. Don't much care for the pin placement. Gave both to my nephew after I finished the TD.

LaVerne

LaVerne
That is why I use a four-wheeled stand...But they are very awkward to mate to a hoist, whereas the three-legged stands are easier to mate up, but will tip over....
Using some of the ideas in the thread, I was able to finally get all four mated up...Took two hours , though.
Image attached....
Incidentally, the good news is that the rumored re-build of my engine was true (PO that did it had died, and the one I bought it from didn't know for sure)....
Check out the second image of the internals....Cam is like brand new...YEAH!
Edward

E.B. Wesson

Image of internals of engine , follows.
Edward

E.B. Wesson

I might consider a 3-legged stand for this little engine but the one I already own I bought for 454s; there's no way I'd trust a 3 leg on a big block.

Great to actually find the engine has been overhauled! Sometimes you win.:-)
JE Carroll

Ok, I looked at the pictures and would like to know what bolts you have used for those with the stand offs. The Engine Stand I have has the standoffs as part of the arms. The 8 x 1mm Rocker bolts would work with about 1/2 inch of engagement. Is that enough? If not, where do I get some longer 8 x 1 mm bolts?

Thanks

Riok
RG Taylor

Rick,

Do you have an Ace Hardware? That is where I got mine.

Rob
Rob Welborne

EB Wesson - In your photo of engine internals I don't much like the cotter pins on the main nuts. There is nothing to stop the entire main stud coming unscrewed from the block, with disastrous results. The only safe way to do it is to use lockwire on both studs and nuts, twisted so that if one nut tries to unscrew it tightens against the other stud, preventing any movement.

The rod bolts would SEEM to be OK with cotter pins because they can't rotate, but the cotter ears have a way of breaking off in use due to vibration - they usually drop to the bottom of the pan or to the oil pickup, but I don't like having large bits of metal moving around in the sump. So I lockwire them, as well, and have never had a problem.

Tom Lange
Bar Harbor, Maine
t lange

Tom
Thanks for that input, unfortunately everything is already buttoned up....
Nothing is perfect,( and anything can happen), but the probability of the entire stud coming out, after it is torqued onto a lock washer, is slim....Of course, Murphy's Law can come into play!
Keep in mind that this engine has more than 4000 miles on it since the rebuild.
There are many other possible failures in an engine like this , that would be more likely....As in a broken crank (Knock on wood!) Or a spun bearing (UGH!).
I have built several engines (not TD's),where a bolt and lock washer were used, and no provision for safety wire or cotters at all....Never had one come loose.
Edward
E.B. Wesson

R.G.
I made new bolts....Bought extra long 5/16" bolts, cut the old threaded part off, and re-threaded 8x1, as I could not find these bolts locally. A genuine PITA, but I had no choice....My bolts go all the way through, almost to the edge of the flywheel.
Edward
E.B. Wesson

Lockwasher??? Nothing inside the engine has a lockwasher, as far as I can remember...

Tom Lange
t lange

tom, i don't know of a shop in my area that uses cotter pins either. regards, tom
tom peterson

Tom
Since I did not build this engine, I guess I "assumed" that lockwashers were used....It is the way I got it, and I have driven the car this Spring, and Fall, putting more than two thousand additional miles on it...Runs very well....I did check the crank for "play", and the rods for movement, and there was virtually none...
I'm changing the spigot bushing, as well as the clutch disc , and the throw-out bearing, but honestly, there was virtually no wear on any of them....The flywheel, and pressure plate are like new, as well.
The main reason I'm in there, is to stop most of the oil leaks....Hopefully, with some success.
Edward
E.B. Wesson

On the rod bolts, you can also use lock tabs from MGA / MGB.
Steve S

Edward - I completely understand your position. I suppose I wanted to voice my concerns to future users of the BBS looking for information, although, in retrospect, I doubt they would ever find it under the heading, "How to mount an engine stand..."!

I tend to be ultra-cautious in assembling an engine I expect will last 50,000 miles, or more (88,000 is my personal record so far).

Tom Lange
Bar Harbor, Maine.
t lange

Tom
You're right , of course....I went back and looked at photos of the type of rod bolts, used....They cannot turn, as the heads are milled on one edge, so the cotter pins would work...The problem , would be on the main caps, where studs are used...If I had built the engine, I probably would have used Locktite on the engine end of the studs...But , with safety wire, that would have been redundant.
Edward
E.B. Wesson

Edward - cotter pins will work on the rod bolts, but they vibrate badly inside the engine, and the ends break off without warning. I don't like stray bits of metal floating through the engine, so I be sure, and use lock wire. All a matter of preference and trust! I don't even bother using Loktite, since with lockwire the studs can't budge.

I'm sure all will be well.

Tom Lange
Bar Harbor, Maine
t lange

Hi Tom,

I'm new to the TD community and I'm certainly not an accomplished mechanic. This is my first restoration project. Just wanted to say that I appreciate your comments about the safety wire. I tore down the engine of TD24953 about 3 months ago and everything was held together by cotter pins. Number one was seized and two weeks of soaking with everything under the sun would not free it. I eventually coaxed it out of its forty year long paralysis with the aid of a very large hammer! It still pains me to think of it...At any rate I did find your info and it is duly noted. It only took a couple of days to discover it. My point is, thanks for thinking of us much less experienced newcomers. It probably would be a little easier to find under a more appropriate topic though, as you suggested. ;)

Thanks again,

Kirk
Kirk Trigg

This thread was discussed between 22/12/2011 and 03/01/2012

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