I learned to shy away from the 3 wheeled stands after having one of my Chevy 250" sixes on mine. They simply are wobbly. The longer the engine the wobblier the stand will act.

I also have a 4 wheeled gear head stand but I try not to use that for engine storage as it's just TOO cool for working on an engine so I want it available.

Either way, the side mount works pretty well. Any welding shop could whip one up for the price of some scrap steel - I'd suggest the local trade school. I started on the mount plate with a 3 1/2" x 4" piece of 1/4" plate. I just laid it out using the base of the factory mount as a template - the engine studs fit perfectly. Eight inches of 1 1/2" or 2" square tube and a piece of plate that fits the engine stand plate (mine was 8" x 10", again 1/4" plate) drilled to match the engine stand plate. Add some gussets and paint and you're home free.

Bet there's a trade school near you or maybe a friend with a big enough MIG (it'll need to handle 1/4" plate - mine's 190 amps IIRC) and you're there. Believe me, I'm no weldor either!

As far as pickleing the engine - some oil into the bores is a really good idea. Spray some in the injector holes (you'll need new injector seals when you put it back in service) and spin the engine over by hand a rev or two. It's a good idea to spin it over from time to time as it sits and you could even add a little oil when you think of it. DON"T use traditional (blue can) WD40! It displaces water really well but it does not leave behind any lasting film. Croil, Sea Foam, or others are mostly oil and leave a film behind. WD40 has come out with a new line of products and some of those may contain oil - check the can. I've never done anything with the crankcase and haven't had any issues. The bottom end of engines get thoroughly oil soaked in a few thousand miles and it penetrates ALL of the materials down there so as long as it's stored out of the weather it should be OK.

Dan