Harbor Freight Engine Stand Mods (Reinforcement, Brakes, Handle, and More!)

[@FuzzyDiceProjects]

This video is both a throwback to old episodes and a bit of a preview of some projects we have worked on that will (eventually) make their way onto this channel. I have started editing this video at least three times over the last few years but it finally seemed like there were enough changes to justify it and a story to tell, so here we are! Obviously I'm not saying that everyone should make these changes or that there aren't better ways to accomplish the same goals, but it has been fun to cut this stand up and weld it back together again and satisfying to use it and really appreciate the upgrades. Sometimes it's the little things. Also, I think we will be discontinuing the "Mini Projects" series titles/numbering and just using it as a playlist for assorted videos like this one. It feels like a one-off video like this would be more approachable without it seeming like part of a big series.

[@justice5793]

I can't believe I watched the whole video. but it kept me very entertained 😂

[@sir_whocampsalot2876]

I really like how you put dates in your videos to tell us when something was filmed! I was surprised there were clips from current year in this video haha

[@chaseharley7528]

Hey couldn’t you do a rubber grommet around the holes for the man through bolt that is letting the water to leak in??? Love y’all’s build been watching since the blazer episode 3 lol

[@KentuckyKY]

come on and become a youtuber again please

[@reesecokespoon4334]

You need to cherish every upload because you never know, it might be months until we get another fuzzy dice video

[@imcrow6674]

might be? no fault on the guy but its usually a month minimum always quality videos though, so i dont mind personally

[@gb1613]

@@imcrow6674 You gotta appreciate his dedication to doing this. Not only is he living his normal life but also recording all his projects (which can make it take twice as long) along with editing countless hours of footage. All that extra work has got to get old after a while, especially when you're not a big channel with paid editors.

[@chrisperks1112]

Right I wish he had more time to directly put into the channel I love his videos

[@ruanbasson]

Yeah and now it's been 4 months💀 one has to wonder if bro is still alive

[@JamieBainbridge]

Every other KZbinr: Metal is so expensive! Fuzzy Dice: So I have this old bedframe... 😅

[@dkruitz]

I can confirm I have a stash of them, they are great for assorted projects! And you can get them free at the curb!

[@reloadingfun]

the satisfaction is the best part. who cares about the ease of buying

[@Worship1602]

(In the tune of “Oh Christmas tree”). “Oh engine stand. Oh engine stand. How lovely are thy “upgrades!”

[@chickenfoundation9323]

Harbor freight now sells a folding gear driven stand with 1500lb capacity , the wheels lock all for $300 😮

[@bugsmasher65798]

As someone who's put an LT1 into his 94' S10 Blazer and did something similar with his engine stand, yours is definitely top-notch! I'll be making another adjustment.

[@petescarport]

Oh wow. I actually reviewed this stand on my channel and they used the video on their site. Love your channel. Harbor freight ironically uses a few of my videos. Helps me so much on views

[@michaelblaszkiewicz7283]

Good olde' Hobo-freight, after a complete rebuild, your ready to go!

[@immanutt4442]

Harlem Freight

[@immanutt4442]

love the ... Hobo Freight

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

I bought that same stand, then tried to mount up a 440 Chrysler to it. As I let the hoist down, it kept on bending and bending to about a 60 degree angle, at which point I stopped, removed the motor, and returned it to HF. Half ton in Chinese means around 400 pounds. I then bought a beefy Larin Big Red Jacks engine stand, and that unit didn't budge at all under the big Mopar.

[@Patriottoo2]

Mods and voiceover are great. Always good to see what re-engineers do to improve stuff.

[@iamgriff]

I dig the jamb bolts on the casters.

[@CaptainSir56]

2 videos in 2 weeks. I must be in heaven.

[@jghilliard]

Hey, did you ever figure out what was causing overheating in your Pinto? I really loved that series! Any plans for an update in the near future?

[@FuzzyDiceProjects]

Probably won't see the Pinto for a little while, but I really do want to get back to working on it. I don't know for sure about the overheating but it is definitely burning coolant now. I have some doubts about the cylinder wall thickness and the current plan is pretty much to just build a new engine to be safe. I rewired the car and did some other work after getting it home but likely won't put that into videos until I'm ready to start working on it again.

[@funnypranker34]

@@FuzzyDiceProjectsI had suspicion the headgaskets were bad on it after that drive

[@stevenmarcum8951]

Put the blown 350 in it

[@johnherdener6801]

I would be curious to see if the head gaskets were installed upside down. It is easy to do and if that happens coolant passages get blocked and the engine overheats.@@FuzzyDiceProjects

[@c0wb0yTV]

thank you for sharing your thoughts, the way your mind works is great entertainment!

[@dadgarage7966]

To keep its big engine stands in one place, OTC puts large threaded pins to act as jack screws through the frame thereby lifting the casters right off the ground.

[@NeverLetOff]

Yes!

[@Darwinpasta]

Bedframe for the win! Nicely done.

[@dansmith6909]

The low initial purchase price of this stand would seem to be the reason this project was more viable than just making one from scratch. There's never a perfect thing you can "just buy". Nice work. Building or modifying your own tools is a big deal.

[@S0SS0L]

Maybe you could add a seal to the locking pin at the top. Something like a rubber disk or a labyrinthine seal made of tubing and washers.

[@MajorMokoto]

Really cool. That's a stand that you could give to your kid one day, it'll likely last that long. Nice job!

[@robsdeviceunknown]

You have a lathe, I would buy some sch40 tubing and replace the upper then turn a tighter fitting pipe to go in it. But man you had some great ideas. I will definitely do some of these.

[@undoubtedlyso4542]

hell yeah I love modding videos

[@TheUberdude14]

Probably the best tool for the job is the one you create yourself, the handle pin falling out can be fixed by putting a magnet in the tube next to the hole with epoxy. strong enough to hold it in place but easy enoug to pull out

[@traviswilding3917]

Ace hardware has metal “sleeves” that fit inside the posts/around your bolts that mount to the engine block. They help keep the bolts centered and from slipping around in the posts

[@torchbaugh]

A counterweight on the wide side like an ammo can full of sand is something I use often by myself. A welded tray like a battery tray would help me make it permanent. Might be a good upgrade

[@dlewis9760]

If you think you wouldn't puncture it, an old battery tied down would work.

[@basil3w]

If you want to add a 360 degree gear drive on the head shaft, consider an air brake slack adjuster (about $25). That way, you could use a cordless drill to rotate the engine. It could eliminate the need for the locking pin also.

[@anan0moose]

I bolted about a foot of jack chain to the upright and attached the anti rotation pin to it. So now I can just drop the pin before rotating the head without worrying about losing it.

[@561inurface]

You could get a can of frame protectant spray ment for spraying inside tube frame. The cans usually comes with a nozzle extension that can spray deep into that open section of the stand and protect it from any rust. Eastwood has a good one for rust prevention and conversion.

[@209chevymon]

Thats a great tip for him i knew about that stuff but didnt think of it until i read your comment good idea man

[@MrSaahOG]

What is fun buyin’ a new stand?! This was awesome! An as you said: A Journey! Love the rebuild!

[@jmaxim80]

I have the same stand, and I think it's time to break out the welder and get to work. I agree with you how janky they are out of the box. I was rebuilding an engine for a family member, and I was sweating bullets every time I had to turn the motor. I thought well here goes 3 grand if this damn thing breaks. But anyway, very nice upgrades. You have yourself a hell of a nice tool now.

[@kalybnielsen4183]

I modified mine by mounting the engine mounting arms on the back of the plate and used 3/4 × 1/4 strap to make the little arms C Channel and increased the length of the bolt tubes.

[@alexm8922]

Small chain to keep the locking bolts from "disappearing" like a pen at the bank.

[@ShopEightyFive]

For the next version, chop the 3/4" wrench up and weld it to the end of the handle.

[@FuzzyDiceProjects]

I like that the handle can slide through from either end and that would unfortunately get in the way, but I do like the idea of having a specific wrench just for the engine stand!

[@Keeg02.]

Another excellent video!

[@charlessmith3758]

Oh great, a video I can watch to put me to sleep tonight.

[@zouarimohamed4066]

Welcome back

[@shukriconstatine4862]

I can't wait until your next upload

[@MikhailScottKy]

I would add a grease zerk so you can add a little amount of lube to the area that the shaft pivots so it rotates easier.

[@dkruitz]

What was annoying is the one on the floor at HR had that, but in the box, it was not set up for that. I just greased it heavily with wheel bearing grease and it should be good for years.

[@stuartcookie133]

I got 2 stupid strong magnets and hot glued them to the up rite to hold my 3/4" wrench and the bolts that hold the engine to the head. Got tired of always looking for another set of bolts an washers

[@andy2591967]

What about a rubber washer around the head pin to stop water getting in? May also hold the pin in 🤷‍♂️

[@jeromykeloway]

You could add a rubber seal to the head Bolt to prevent it from collecting water. Could Make the Installation a little bit Harder, but it would also help prevent to Bolt from wiggling arround in there.

[@montgomeryward9952]

That's awesome as hell. Mad max of engine stands ,👍🤟

[@steveobrien8792]

I would look into ordering a can of fluid film with one of those long hoses that shoots out in every direction like what they use to get inside of truck frames. then give that vertical tube a real good coating. you probably wouldn't ever have to worry about the inside again especially since it will be protected from most of the elements.

[@FluePeak]

Really love that you improve the tools you have instead of buynig a new and better one. Nothing beaths home made, if you have the tools.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

You did a fine job and I may use one or more of the upgrades on my own stand. Thanks a bunch!

[@BR1GADIER]

As all the bolts are 3/4in, could you have a 3/4 hex socket on the end of the turning handle to adjust the brakes without crouching? A bit like the jack handle and the air release screw

[@FuzzyDiceProjects]

It would have to be a thin socket to not interfere with the handle sliding through the head from either side, but it's definitely a good idea! Maybe even a hex socket on one end and a square drive on the other so it can be used as a long extension with a wrench.

[@brandonlink6568]

I don't think I'll ever look at my stock engine stand the same way again. Have you thought about rounding off the bolt heads for the wheel stops and adding some kind of knurling to them?

[@1leggeddog]

Great improvements!

[@robinrai4973]

nice, I love modifying stuff for purpose

[@muttBunch]

Harbor freight needs to take notes and credit you 😊

[@danielskazusevs3969]

love watching your vids, keep up the work☺️☺️☺️

[@ronhaefner7833]

Nice practical mods.

[@Six4691]

Great work!

[@johnk2506]

Been meaning to upgrade mine as well. Got a few ideas from this. The only thing I can suggest is adding some quality grip tape to the stand for when you brace it with a foot. I did the same with my engine lift.

[@anderw2]

Nice, make the tool work for you

[@kjeldlarsen912]

Thank you

[@andrethib]

nice work. regarding the new handle being too long for tight quarters -- why not just add an attachment point to the other side and store the old (short) handle there? then you have both lengths of handle for any situation

[@FuzzyDiceProjects]

That's a great idea! I had considered using both handles and just swapping between them but two handle holders would be pretty slick.

[@coltonkruse2313]

Nice upgrades! Can't wait to see whatever you do next

[@E.T.GARAGE]

Great video, I may do some of those mods to my HF engine stand

[@notj5712]

You should make the double locking head pin loop the box end of a wrench that tightens all the bolts. Then you will always have the wrench you need to use the stand with the stand.......

[@motov8-garage832]

I recently got an engine stand from my dad that he made back in 99. He made it out of 6" heavy wall steel pipe😯 I told him MAN! that thing could hold a dang semi engine😄. It's even got a rotating back plate. Going to be a indestructible engine stand for my life and then some. For the last few years I've been using an old 1980's 3 wheel stand, it's still a great stand I'll continue to use also. People are scared of 3 wheel stands but if you get a good old usa made one with a wide rear wheel base they work just fine. Plus they play very well with the engine hoists. Idk about the OEM configuration of the harberfreght engine stand for anything more then a 4 cylinder engine.. Those welds looked scary enough. You did a great job fixing it up though👌

[@alexmoreau8921]

Very relatable content! Always disappointed with how weak these are.

[@cobramike13bravo63]

The sheer sight of those welds would of keep any spiders out of the engine stand.

[@homemadetools]

Nice work. We shared this video on our homemade tool forum this week 😎

[@FortyHyena]

Fantastic project! Absolutely loved it!

[@Road_Rash]

I have the 1 ton stand... it's awesome, very stable, but it's got a few issues itself, but not nearly as many... same crappy handle though... I need to customize mine a little...🤔🤔🤔

[@DOCTOR_KIA]

i’m missing your videos big time man!

[@TheBrokenLife]

I see an LS motor... either your truck had a really bad day or something else had an awesome one. 😁

[@camino6431]

Since you are adding all of the bracing to the stand, why not add a heavy wall square tube to the back of the upright?

[@toddpeters9007]

Good stuff , I've had the same problem with all stands , I will definitely support the mount plate because next build is a 460 , last stand was a power torque brand same china junk , 1000 lbs , do not trust it at all , sagging alot with a 400 on it at night I put chain from hoist to lift front , do in am I did not have engine on floor !

[@MrKswildman]

I converted mine to gear rotating for less than $50. Really easy and very handy.

[@punishernation436]

Whats the next video for the blazer? Its my favorite series

[@AtomicReverend]

My biggest complaint with the 750 or 1,000 lb engine stands is they all tend to lean when you put more than a few hundred pound engine on them My next complaint is once you have the engine on it it is next to impossible to turn that engine over by hand because there is so much slop in between the engine stand head and the axle stand where the two round pipes go together It just kind of binds up.

[@mikegillam1000]

I love your videos! The amount of thought you’ve put into fixing that little HF stand is awesome. I wonder how much it would cost HF to encorporare at least some of these fixes? They could sell the better version under the Hercules line. Having watched some other videos and struggled with most of these issues myself I like a lot of what you’ve done. I too have misplaced the original locking pin for mine. I’m currently just using an old 3/8 inch wratchet extension. I think the handle mod was overkill. When I need some extra leverage to turn an engine over I’ve found using the handle from my old craftsman Jack works like a charm. Overall I love what you’ve done though. It looks like you’ve really increased the safety and overall usabilty of the stand. Thanks so much for all of the great ideas! I may be attacking my engine stand with the grinder and welder over the weekend

[@immanutt4442]

Great ideas put into action !!! ... Fred what about using spray foam for keeping water from rusting the inside of stanchions ?

[@gearhead1234]

My cheap stand didn’t like my 454 with everything but headers.. lol

[@Jason001-1]

Any new videos to be released ?

[@elliotcm]

Really nice stuff. For the wheels, you can get weldable locking castors for a few bucks each, the kind you operate with your foot. Were they not up to the task for something like this? Just in case I wind up in a similar situation.

[@StormHawksHD]

I'm hyped for the next upload.

[@kurtd8396]

I use a 3 leg stand bought at a swap meet for $20. I didn't mod it at all. You should see how a fully loaded ls makes the stand lean forward. Been like that for years.

[@korn111685]

I can’t believe we just watched a video from fuzzy let alone enjoyed watching him modify a $20 marketplace engine stand. I think you could have just built one from scratch as much work as you put into it.

[@garymucher4082]

Oh yes, a geared engine turning option would be the best of the best upgrade. That way you can turn the engine any amount you like and not worry about it... I say go for it!

[@PeterHatch-mx7zc]

Good idears i uesed a s/cam and a slack adjuster and pillow block bearings

[@209chevymon]

Great idea for the handle with the holes and pin to lock it at different lengths that sch40 is a must when buying these stands from harbor freight i crushed my hand rotating a engine on my 2ton stand the little handle is literally a joke when it was turning momentum took it and i couldnt hold the weight and couldnt get my hand out in time and got my hand smashed between the support brace on the 2 ton version after buyin longer handle never had that happen again so ya a longer handle is a MUST!!! Its Dangerous without it!

[@travislarson5192]

Forgive me if this has been suggested: Weld a 3/4 socket to the end of your handle so you can tighten everything down. You'd be forced to insert the handle from one side, but that would be a small price to pay for never needing to locate a 3/4 wrench/socket/will-to-live. Just a thought. Great build!

[@travislarson5192]

@ShopEightyFive beat me to it!

[@dragsterstransmissions]

How did that paint smell when you were grinding it off? Nasty

[@WilliamTythas]

I'm welding a 1/2 socket to a 1/4inch plate/disk to close the head and be able to use a large ratchet/breaker bar as a handle

[@matthewholzinger1042]

Where the pin goes in to keep it from rotating, the holes don't match in size. Drill all the holes the same size and use a pin that fits well.

[@NeverLetOff]

I have that exact same stand. It is holding a Ford 460 currently

[@BadReligionQL]

Engine stand. Full bolt-ons

[@wizerd5150]

wy not add a spot for a shorter bad for the tight spots : )~

[@ffturbo]

Pimp my ride? Nah pimp my stand

[@ianwilliams1448]

I curved a piece of thin alloy as an inner sleeve to reduce the slop on the spindle and it worked well. What do you know? I've already lost the new pin I made :-/

[@JohnnyFabz]

You could weld a rod on the bolts so you don’t need a wrench

[@firesurfer]

11:19. Instead of the welded bolt you could have just drilled a hole through and put a pin right through the wheel sideways. It already has holes in the wheels. Add a spring retainer et voila.

[@Bawkr]

That's cool how is the 454 going? Just cracked open a pretty rusty engine and found this channel.

[@lonmcclellan2414]

I remember the head of the engine stand was cocked up a bit higher. Then when a motor was on it leveled out. Lon from Ohio...

[@Firebird400]

You need some gas for that welder, you use it enough. I always tough about putting a couple bearings on the shaft to help it rotate the engine . Obviously have to resize shaft but I think it would be a upgrade

[@kevinmcewen1760]

Ok this is great and all but the real question is… how many Home Depot buckets do you own?!?!???