# building a small engine repair stand



## ranger_dood

Some basic guidlines for building a stand for your small engine. This is useful if you want a more stable platform to use while wrenching on your engine. It also allows you to run the engine without having to hold on to it like a bucking bronco... This particular stand works best with horizontal shaft engines, but you can use it with verticle shaft engines, too.

Step 1-

Measure out how big you need the stand to be. I would not recommend that you go any smaller than 12" long, and 11" wide. Cut (4) pieces of 2x4- (2) pieces 12" long, and (2) pieces 8" long. As seen here: Click here for step 1 picture. 

Step 2-

Screw the pieces of 2x4 together. You want the long 12" pieces to be on the outside of the smaller 8" pieces, so that your total width is approx. 11". Predrill the holes so you don't split the wood. I use (4) 3" outdoor screws, going through the 12" board and into the end of the 8" board. Two per side.

Make sure when you predrill the holes, that you keep the pieces all aligned, or bad things might happen. I was lucky and only screwed up a little. The biggest thing to be concerned with is that your top plane is even all the way around. Here's a pic of step two completed 

Another shot 

Step 3-

Double check the surface of your new box. It should be about 12x11". Take a piece of plywood (1/2" minimum) and cut a section to totally cover the box. See pic of step three here 

Step 4-

Take the plywood, lay it over the box, and screw it down! I use 1 1/4" outdoor screws, with a small predrill just to help get them started in the plywood. make sure you put enough screws in that it's not going to want to pull up; this is going to take a lot of vibration when the engine is running or when you're pulling it to start!

Screws not in this picture, but you get the idea. 

Step 5-

Measure out the mounting holes for your engine, and drill holes accordingly in the plywood. If you're using this for a verticle shaft engine, you'll obviously have to drill a large hole in the middle for the shaft.

Use any appropriate bolt/nut combo for your engine, whatever length you need. I used 1/4" hex heads 2" long from the top down, then put a washer and a nut on each one and cranked it down.

This should keep your engine stable when doing test runs!


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## fords-n-mowers

:thumbsup: i have a steel table that was used to hold a brake lathe. i drilled holes to hold horiz shaft engines then i took an old mower deck and welded legs on it for verticle shaft motors. i will get some pics later.


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## bbnissan

I use to have a steel plate welded to a hinge that was bolted to the end of my lift table when I was still a small engine mechanic. The plate had several holes drilled in it (including one large hole in the middle) to alow the mounting of several different engines. It would hold anything from a 3hp up to a large 18+hp twin cylinder.


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## bugman

i use a old murray 11/36 frame stripped for big engines, a small table with a hole cut out for small one's..


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