Engine Work Bench (manipulator)

[Jan Roelse]

Photo of my just finished engine work bench. It's a manipulator not (yet) a test bench.
It makes cleaning, painting, fitting and mounting of the parts much more easy.
I used std. pipe clamps, bolts, nuts and some workshop scrap and weld- and grind equipment.
Most work was to find the gravity-points and the best mountings.
The front bracket was easy but the rear needed some attention because of the possibility to use the bench with and without the bellhouse.
Kind regards, Jan






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[acmack]

Wow, that looks great Jan. Beats trying to flop it over while lying on the bench. David

[Jan Roelse]

David,
Thanks. In time I will try to make a drawing for interested members of the list.
The right gravity point posision is important.
It's in front nearly in-line of the 3 horizontal tread holes under the waterpump.
About 3/4 inch (19 mm)left of the middle tread hole (front view!).
To get the right posision in the rear you can make (vertical) by measurements from the top of the engine and the valve cover side (horizontal).
O.c. the gravity point can/will change when you mount parts or fill oil to the engine.
Hope you can make your own eng. work bench now ! :-)
Jan

[acmack]

Jan, this may not be GPA related but it sure is related to your "Manipulator" - I just finished watching an episode of Tank Overhaul. This episode showed Dave and Dave on the Isle of Wight working on the Sherman that they restored by cutting two damaged units in half and then welding the good halves together. The relation to your manipulator is that they also had a jig to rotate their work... only this jig held THE ENTIRE SHERMAN CHASSIS, which they then rotated to make the welding easier!
I mean really, no tank restorer should ever half to climb all over his tank just to weld it together, should he? ;> David