Starter mount plate for transmissionless starter usage

[Zed Head]

I've dinked around with several engines in the garage and have always wished I didn't have to mount a transmission to spin the motor.  I thought of a possibility and had some scrap steel and time so worked up a quick mount, that actually works.  I had started out using a spare starter and the back of an engine for measurements then realized that the backing plate on the engine has all of the necessary holes, a ready-made template.

If you have a drill press, and a jig saw, it's not too difficult.  A battery, starter, and the plate and I can spin a free-standing engine as long has it has a flywheel.

The steel is 3/16" x 2 1/2" mild steel, hot-rolled I believe.  I showed the starter bolted to the plate but in use the plate has to go on first and the starter through the backing plate hole.  I also bolted the plate to the engine backing plate when I drilled the engine mounting holes.  Less error using the engine plate as a guide. Just another thought I wanted to get out there.  Might be handy for someone.

Forgot to say, 3/16" is the limit on thickness.  There's a sliver of space between the plate and the flywheel.  No running, but no room either.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Zed Head

[rossiz]

clever - i like it. but out of curiosity, why would you need to spin a motor on a stand? with the plugs out i could just turn mine by hand using a breaker bar on the crank bolt to set timing. 

[Captain Obvious]

I like it too and can think of a couple reasons why one might want to do such a thing.

Compression test?
Checking the oil pressure?
Making sure the applicable cam oiling features flow correctly?

My question is why didn't you make the adapter so it went on the outside of the bell housing area instead of behind the flywheel? That way, the thickness of the material wouldn't matter. Was it just because the plate required would need to be wider than what you had laying around?

[siteunseen]

Build a frame and put on a lawnmower gas tank.  My Dad had one when I was a kid for a 350 Chevy.  Straight headers!  

[Zed Head]

That was the only reasonable piece of steel I had laying around.  Plus, I think that the fact that it's clamped on to the back of the engine block makes it stiffer.  If it went around the outside it might bend.  And thin is easier to cut and drill.  Really though, it just started out as an "I wonder..." then a "maybe I have something that will work" on to "do I have the right drill bit for the hole size"...etc.  Usually these things get stopped before they're done.  I have lots of things lying around that look like they were on their way to something. My first test on this one was without the thin plate on the back of the engine.  I thought I might to do some grinding to get it to fit when I realized how tight it actually was with the plate.

I bought that engine from a wrecking yard with a 30 day guarantee.  I rigged up my extra EFI system and bolted on a transmission and got it running to be sure I had something worth keeping.  But if I was going out to look at a Craigslist engine it would be nice to get it spinning at starter speed and check things out.  Truthfully though, I just had too much free time and the garage was warm. Glad you guys like it, maybe it will save someone some trouble in the future.

[Dave WM]

pretty cool starter setup.