Build An Engine Holding Box

An Inexpensive Way To Make Engine Building Easier

Holding an oddly shaped engine on a workbench is a task. With uneven shapes and shafts protruding out, some of it delicate, what is the solution. Aside from buying an expensive engine building stand, many gargae mechanics have a simple solution. Make a wooden square to hold the engine off the table and support it from the sides. One can be manufactured in just a few minutes and it will last a long time.

You’ll need a few simple tools to make it. A tape measure and a square help keep things straight. A saw and drill motor do the hard work. For materials we’ve preferred 2 X 6 over 2 X 4 for the increased depth that really helps when having bigger engines on the bench. As for the size, that is a tricky question. Having a more rectangular box goes a long way in accommodating different motors and allows more “fitting” of the engine into the box for different angles. A good starting size for most full-sized off-road engines is a 12-inch board and assembled with one end butted to the other as to create a rectangle. For more of a rectangular shape two of the boards could be shortened up a bit.  

So mark your boards, cut your pieces and screw (best) or nail them together. 

We like the 2-1/2″ deck screws, pre-drilling the holes to keep the splitting to a mininum. Three per side is generally enough to keep things together.

When all is said and done you have a engine stand that will cost you less than $10 in materials.We have a couple of them in use and have been beating them up, spilling oil on them and repairing and rebuilding motors for many years with success.

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