Hey.

I just bought a cool little engine stand at Auto Zone for 40 bucks. What's cool about it is that you can rotate it 360 degrees so you can basically work on any angle. I'm planning to play around with the engine, cleaning it up and changing anything that needs to be changed.

I have two questions hoping that someone will answer....

1)How much oil do I keep in the engine while it is stored and just sitting there ?

2)How do I attach the engine to one of these ?

Your help is appreciated.

thanks

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Audi TT

It may be 'cool' but make sure it can hold an engine of at least 750 lbs or so.

next get 6 8M bolts (4" long)

** hope you have a hoist or 2 VERY strong buddies ***

hoist the block up and bolt the tranny bellhousing bolts to the bolts threaded thru the stand face (the fingers that are on the plate)

next 2 weeks - build muscles using the puny Autozen handle on the plate and try to turn the engine block

ooops - did you assemble the stand with feet sticking out before step 1 ?

just kidding - ask away if you need more pointers (I cracked the rear boss on a AMC block 22 yrs ago when I did not bolt it in right, got my ass kicked by my boss then (yes child labor was legal in India back then )

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1982 300SD (214 k, excellent shape) kidmobile running mostly biodiesel, gets 31 mpg hwy with 2.82 rear from a euro 500SEL



1976 115 body 240D 4-speed (traded for Jeep parts) - Engine lives on in my CJ7

it states that the engine stand can support weight up to 750lbs. I thought it was alright for 40 bucks.

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Audi TT

you'll do fine, BUT - when you move it beware of the stability.
Also, how long is this going to be stored ? anything more than a few months - drain the oil, spray WD-40 into the cyls thru the injetor holes and leave it.
Some even put refrigerator moistre absorbent packs (silica gel packs) in the injector holes, but I am not that anal

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1982 300SD (214 k, excellent shape) kidmobile running mostly biodiesel, gets 31 mpg hwy with 2.82 rear from a euro 500SEL



1976 115 body 240D 4-speed (traded for Jeep parts) - Engine lives on in my CJ7

It will be stored for a while... I'm talking about years possibly.
Anywhere else to spray WD40 ? just in the injector holes ?

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Audi TT

yup, glow plug holes open into the pre-chamber so thats not much use.

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1982 300SD (214 k, excellent shape) kidmobile running mostly biodiesel, gets 31 mpg hwy with 2.82 rear from a euro 500SEL



1976 115 body 240D 4-speed (traded for Jeep parts) - Engine lives on in my CJ7

thanks for the quick answers

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Audi TT

You should turn the crank once in a while a measured number of degrees to be sure some of the valve springs do not stay compressed while others do not.

BIG garbage bags with some descicant in it pulled around the motor around to the stand pivot and taped closed.will help keep dry and clean. Dust has a way of finding its way into the smallest holes .....or open valves.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Around here, anything metal that sits for more than a few hours will have any hole in it plugged by some kind of wasp building it's nest (holes are filled with mud and various insects and spiders). You may not have that problem but if you can seal it up where dirt and critters can't get in that would be good.

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1985 300D Turbo ~225k
2000 F350 (Powerstroke) 4X4, SWB, CC, SRW, 6spd ~148k
1999 International 4900, DT466e (250hp/660 ft/lbs), Allison MD3060 ~73k

good advice, also - what are you planning to do ? go into the armed forces for a period or be cryogenically frozen ?

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1982 300SD (214 k, excellent shape) kidmobile running mostly biodiesel, gets 31 mpg hwy with 2.82 rear from a euro 500SEL



1976 115 body 240D 4-speed (traded for Jeep parts) - Engine lives on in my CJ7

I have a perfect 240D right now with only 190k on the car. I am converting that into the manual that I bought and the engine is left over. I am planning to keep that as a spare engine just in case mine decides to die in a few years. Hey, you never know when an engine might come in handy.

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Audi TT

We have a bunch of home made engine stands floating around here...my favorite (which has since been dismantled) used a semi-truck front end adjusting part to rotate the engine (gear reduction)
Dad built one at work that holds a humongous detriot diesel engine for pushbacks, air-starts, and other such airplane supporing equipment. You want to talk about a engine stand...must weight 500lbs alone.
Also...be VERY careful when mounting/rotating the engine becuase if one side is heavier than the other it will literally FLIP the stand right out fron under itself...

I did this move one time with a complete V-8 hanging on a engine stand and loosened the holding bolt to slowly turn it over and WHAM it met the floor a lot quicker than I wanted it to...
Luckily my toes are still all intact!
Be careful...try to balance it along a longitudinal axis of weight and turn SLOWLY..
all else fails...spring out of the way

I guess all us young guys need to learn the hard way sometimes.

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Audi TT

I WAS going to leave the crane attached to it (was at dad's work) but apparently he thought that it was balenced enough? I was like 12-13 at the time so its not to nessisarily be expected haha.
Makes a pretty loud sound though in a empty shop that size.
Pictures http://importtransmissionexchange.com/bug.htm