RicardoD

So you are thinking you want to rebuild yourself and any sane person would just go buy a generic engine stand like this one for $60 from Harbor Freight and then buy a Porsche 5-arm engine yoke for $100 on Ebay. But what if you are insane like me and don't want to deal with yet another piece of garage equipment that eventually have to sit there doing nothing in one corner of the garage. Then you decide to build one yourself! Through the magic of the internets I found that Porsche/VW has already figured this out and in 1958 in one of their workshop manuals they tell you exactly how to make it (see attached photos).

The VW 643 engine stand is the inspiration for what I will be making and chronicling in this engine stand build thread. I will be making a simple post that I will screw into my garage floor and then adding the VW 313 engine yoke holder on top and then the P201 engine yoke hooks into that.

First I scored a used $50 VW 313 on ebay and still hunting for a P201 5 arm engine yoke. The 964 factory workshop manual specifically states to go with the 5 arm version of P201 for safety.

RicardoD

I don't need the swing out arms of the VW 643. All I need is a top plate, some square or round tube, and a bottom plate. I have no idea how to weld so looked on online on You Tube and learned all about MIG welding. I learned enough to realize I will not be investing in welding equipment (as much I want to).

I am a member of a really cool mailing list in my neighborhood called "mountain shops" with other gear heads like me, wood workers, and other garage tinkerer types. I emailed those guys and a neighbor who I have done favors for in the past offered to do the welding for me (good thing I gave him my old lawnmower last year for free).

Ok, so now all I need is some steel plate and some steel tubing. My neighbors told me about a local metal supply shop that will cut steel tube to length and will also shear some steel plate to my dimensions. I also found an online source called MetalsDepot.com and their prices seemed reasonable and the shipping wasn't bad. I like to have the UPS man deliver my stuff during the week and attack my projects on the weekend.

So at MetalsDepot.com I ordered

10" x 10" 1/4" steel plate for the base
7.25" x 8.25" 1/4" steel plate for the top
4.5" OD round tube, 32" long, at 0.237" wall thickness

I will get all that delivered to my door for under $140. Its a bit cheaper with square tube but I like the looks of the round better. I also ordered some extra steel plate and I will use that to make an adapter plate for my vice. Yes, you have to anchor this thing into the ground but I will explain that part later.

I have full size drill press and will drill the holes in the 1/4" plate myself. Then the bits will go off to the neighbors for welding.

I am just starting this project and should have it done in about 4 weeks and post more details as I build this thing.

HiWind

nice idea Ricardo .. a "12 gauge garage" in your future no doubt
and clearly your cars are in such good shape and all mods
done so you need something to fill your schedule

greg1990964

I applaud the effort. Hurry up and get it done. Otherwise I will give you **** for not going the cheaper/faster route.

jstyer

I honestly really like the DIY spirit. But just in summation... This method is $20 cheaper than the harbor freight route, and you have to finish it yourself, and you can't sell it when you're done like a normal stand, and you can't wheel it around the shop???

Good on you for the effort, but can't say I'll go the same route!

RicardoD

I am making progress slowly as time allows. Engine drop occurring slowly in parallel.

I finished putting the threaded Wej-it epoxy anchors (5/8" hole, for 1/2" bolts) in my garage floor that will hide under one of my race deck tiles when not installed (didn't do the cleanest job with the epoxy). My neighbor helped me weld my 1/4" thick plate to the 4.5" OD tube with 1/4" wall thickness. Plenty of strength with this setup.

Next step is for me to get the fasteners and the paint it all to match the Craftsman Red & Black theme of my garage.

Laurence Gibbs

You seem to have deviated from the original drawing on the dimensions for the bottom plate (not sure about the other parts either)? The drawing shows an offset plate, yours appears to sit square ? I would have thought the length of that plate and offset was important ! I would be concerned about the fixings tearing out the ground .
I built my own yoke but bought a standard clarke stand which has served me well a few times now.
I hope you test it before trusting your engine weight on it !

axl911

Sir, you are insane! Gonna paint it Hazet light blue???

You are going to build a base on it so you can wheel it around?

RicardoD

I am going to follow the red & black Craftsman color scheme. In terms of strength, this rusty mechanical engineer calculates about 900b of force on each bolt head if I use 500lbs for the engine with a CG 3 ft from the centerline of the post. Those epoxy anchors are rated at 13,000lbs each and the class 8 bolts even higher. This thing is very overbuild with 1/4" thick steel everywhere. Of course this assumes I installed the anchors properly!!

Laurence Gibbs

This equally rusty engineer is happy to take your calcs as read. My concern would never be the chemical anchors, as they are always ridculously overrated. But the material they are anchored into. I would jump at any extra mechanical advantage i can get, which is what I think Porsche did by making their design have an offset base. It might be belt and braces and without doing the maths (which would make my head hurt) who knows if it offers anything extra?
Still should be no reason for it not to work. Many two post lifts are anchored in exactly the same way.

RicardoD

All finished. Now on to dropping the engine.

Goughary

Very cool Ricardo....

Can't wait for the build thread to begin...