[Art Gallery]

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote the autopsy report on the small-block Chevy that lived briefly within the engine compartment of Truck Norris, my 1967 Chevy C10. It suffered an untimely demise due to operator error (me) when something got into the carburetor and took out cylinder No. 8. There is no point in rehashing all that here; you can read about it in the September 2021 issue of HOT ROD or right here in my article titled "How to Destroy an Engine with a $6 Part" for all the gory details.

[darkside]

In full disclosure, Easy-Run Engine Test Run Stands donated the stand, hoping it would be useful to me in situations like this. This article is in no way intended to be an "advertorial" for Easy-Run; nevertheless, I will wholeheartedly endorse the use of any engine run stand, whether it's a contraption you make yourself or if you decide to purchase one of several other brands of run stands available right now. We in the media are spoiled in that most of the engine builds we do are tested on an engine dyno, and the initial break-in process is done on the dyno prior to testing. That's not always the case in the real world, and most people have to perform the engine break-in process with the engine in the car. What happens if something isn't copacetic? That's right, the engine has to come back out of the car for whatever additional work is needed. How often does that happen? If you (or your engine builder) is careful, it shouldn't happen at all, but an engine stand is a great hedge against that bet. Imagine discovering an intake manifold leak at the rear China wall with the engine installed in a fourth-gen Camaro or Firebird? If you have the means, a run stand is a great way to verify the build before you install the engine in a car. Any leaks can be addressed before installation, and more important, you have the ability to break the engine in ahead of time.

[Yahtee]

If there is a bright side to all this, it is that a replacement engine is ready to drop back into the pickup, and my C10 will be back on the road soon. I purchased a new 350 from BluePrint Engines and got it running on my Easy-Run engine test stand. That is a tool I've had for a while but haven't had much of a chance to use. Up to this point, it had been pressed into service for a few product demos and a video on how to perform compression and cylinder leakdown tests, and it served as a storage platform for an engine block for a couple of months. This was the first time I got to use it to break in an engine, however, which, of course, is the real purpose of a run stand.

[dammy09]

Building or refurbishing an engine is one of the most exciting endeavors a hobbyist can undertake. What's the next step after the engine build is complete? Take it for a test run on one of our Summit® engine run stands! These heavy-duty engine stands allow for a place to bolt a motor, then fire it up and run it for break-in, tuning, and to find and fix any problems, like leaks, before doing the final motor installation. The engine run stands are made from sturdy steel construction with a powdercoat finish for lasting service. They include threaded mounting posts to adjust engine mounts for proper height, and feature four sturdy, easy-roll casters with wheel lock to keep this unit from moving about. Take a test run you can trust with Summit® engine run stands!

[enhytgb]

[SomeoneD]

[loadingpicker87]

Like many car hobbyists, YouTuber roscoe445 has limited garage space for storing large equipment. When shopping for engine run stands, he couldn’t find anything inexpensive or collapsible. more

[Randallromans8]

With some tube steel, a drill, and a welder, you can build one of these DIY engine run stands that collapse to a very storable 9″ in a weekend. [links]

[osjak]

Start, run and tune your engine before installing it into your car.

[drwhite]

This is a complete set of plans to build this engine stand. This is for plans only – no materials, parts or engines included. [links]

[Jade E.]

Below the radiator, I mounted a battery (with disconnect knob), a fuel tank, an electric fuel pump with regulator and pressure gauge, and a fuel filter. Also mounted on the uprights is a fire extinguisher � I hope it�s never necessary, but nice to have just in case.

[bitmagick]

From Pull-A-Part, I got a Camaro radiator along with its cooling fan. A Nissan at the same yard donated a radiator overflow tank. I used the rubber pads from the Camaro top and bottom to mount it. The fan in the car was used in a pulling configuration (mounted behind the radiator). I tried it in both directions by changing wire polarity, and it worked, but was drawing very heavy current. I�m not sure if I caused that by running it backwards, or whether it was just defective, but another trip to Pull-A-Part secured another fan that works fine without drawing too much current. I�ve just let it run its normal direction though, I don�t want to risk making another trip.

[Abn0rmal]

I found that the gauges work fine with this project. I had installed both mechanical and electrical oil pressure gauges on the instrument panel since I had an extra hole for expansion - this motor had an oil pressure "issue" and it was nice to have both gauges to be able to confirm proper operation of the gauge and sender. At the local Pull-A-Part I found a single top hose that worked, and was able to cut up and join four for the bottom hose. Lots of clamps, but inexplicably it doesn't leak. [links]