Engine: Run newly rebuilt engine

[feralcat0_0]

Gentlemen: Has anyone run a newly rebuilt engine on a rebuilt frame(body off) with no transmision. I don't think it can be done, but I'd like to be proven wrong. How could it be done? Thank you, Bob Fish

[Mike Van Veghten]

As long as you can start it, have a fuel system and a cooling system...what's the problem ?
You basically have a run-in stand...on wheels.. Kinda like a dyno...without the loading system.

Mike

[53commander]

It's done all the time. Some places sell stands just for that purpose but I have seen much nicer homemade ones using old frame sections.

[Deaf Mute]

I test ran my '51 Commander V-8 on an engine stand made of slide together exhaust tubing with the engine laying in a cradle of tow chain.... it ran fine until I cracked the throttle and it torqued over spilling the gas can and pulling off the battery cables (we were using jumper cables & I was 16 years old at the time). DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME !!
I have since run engines bolted to a shipping pallate with no problems.

[Flashback]

Could the problem be, you don't have anywhere to bolt the starter ? Is it a auto or std shift? Or is there no flywheel (auto) If it's a std, then clutch housing and flywheel. Is this the problem?

[rockne10]

Here's a ready-made unit but many folks have built their own.

[feralcat0_0]

Gentlemen, my point is how to hook up the starter without the transmission & flywheel on the converter.

[studegary]

I can remember running a V8 engine that was hanging from a chain. This was in my youth. I do not recommend it now.

[mbstude]

Gentlemen, my point is how to hook up the starter without the transmission & flywheel on the converter.

I don't think the starter will have anything to turn without the flywheel.

[rockne10]

Gentlemen, my point is how to hook up the starter without the transmission & flywheel on the converter.

Flywheel with ring gear from a standard transmission should work. An automatic trans vehicle would have the ring gear on the torque convertor with a flex plate. That's not going to happen without the transmission. Maybe hand crank from the front pulley like the old days.

[mbstude]

Flywheel with ring gear from a standard transmission should work.

Maybe not. The standard shift crankshaft bolts are longer than the automatic ones.

[rockne10]

True. Changing those would require dropping the rear main seal; a lot of trouble to go to to do a test run.

[Deaf Mute]

Without a flywheel... I don't think it would run... the momentum of the flywheel is pretty necessary, I would think.

...but what would I know, I lost an exhaust manifold in my shop for almost a year!

[Kurt]

Couldn't you mount a flex plate and an "old" torque convertor and start it? I would think that you could possibly damamge a good torque convertor by running the engine with no tranny fluid in it.

[feralcat0_0]

Gentleman: Thank you for your help. Guess I'll just wait till I get the Transmission ouerhauled fo a test run. The body won't be ready before the trasmission is done. Got a lot of work there. Thanks again. Bob Fish