Engine test bench...?

In my PC & electronics hey-day, I'd call it a 'bread-box' but now I'm wondering if there's a good way to test an engine *before* installing and hooking everything up. I'd be interested to hear what some of the groups set-ups are... like if you have a fitting for a standard gas can, engine mount bolt-down points, direct 12v to starter or use a selonoid, etc. Hope that makes sense, sometimes I ramble

J

well i cut a hole in my outside bench for the crank shaft and i got one bolt hole for a bolt mount and then i clamp the other side down prop up a gas tank and dirct power to the starter from a batt if its required i jumper off the buitl in sylenoid its a quick test and u can also check ur output voltage on most of the direct output alt systems but i have found that some kohlers need excitation voltage and i have yet to enouncer a older kohler that has the remote voltage regulator and coil set up that requires power so ill take that as it comes also keeping a rolling chasis around cant hurt any to test fire stuff on

F I R E ! ! ! W H E R E ! ! !

ok well i'll throw in my test bench it's still at my old house so can't show but i'll tell ya.I use a old simplicity model 707 frame,I left the steering wheel on it and the 4 wheels.I stripped everything else off of it.I drilled more holes in the front of the frame to accept pretty much any vertical engine and of course horizontals are not a problem.I have a battery in it and a gas tank right where they are supposed to go originally.I run 2 wire setups I run a farm tractor starter button for most engines that don't have starter generators it works great run the hot directly to the starter and your running.I do have a solenoid and coil mounted on it for the older ones.It's a nice setup ,you can give the engine a good test this way by letting it run for a while just a quick bench test does not tell you everything a lot of times,a lot of engines won't show their true problems until they run for a while,the awesome thing about this set up is you fire it up roll it outside let it run for a while and then start checking for problems,oil leaks smoking etc.Oh I also use a extra long throttle cable that has always worked on about all of them i've checked,I just hand choke them to start.I've always wanted to come up with a simple pully setup that would simulate the engine under a load but have never done that yet,that would be an awesome test bench : ) just my take,,KW

the engine under load thing sounds cool now that would be a true test of an engine if u could find a water brake set up like a real dyno has that would be really cool

Motomow wrote:

I 've always been good with idea's nate but kinda lazy about getting them actually done lol.

That sums up why I don't get everything done when I think I will.

Thanks for the ideas, guys!

J

Motomow wrote:

I think it's a given with all of us tractor guys buzz,we gotta have some flaws I guess but you know none of us in here have many LOL.

Flaws, what flaws, we have those here?

Motomow wrote:

I really never seen any flaws in here buzz I just said that so we don't look to arrogant but I think everyone in here is pretty much perfect lol.I'm not arrogant i'm just stating facts LOL

Ya, we all know these facts, thats why we turn them into opinions.

Arrogance is not my strong point, I like to specialize in overplanning my abilities.

ive been guilty of doing that buzz