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HybridZ

Welder, tools, rotisserie, advice


xale

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Im in North Salt Lake area. So i ordered quite a bit of gear, should be here within the next few weeks. I made an offer on a rusty crx a month ago and today the guy gave in. Im highly considering practicing on it before my Z... I really don't want to waste time and get on the Z, but it is probably a smarter decision to start on a car I'm not emotionally attached to..... 

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

@chris can you post a pic of your rotisserie? 

I consider a rotisserie to be a must have when it comes to a full restoration. When scraping off the undercoating, sandblasting, rust patching, and painting it's a lot easier if you aren't crawling underneath. It also much easier/ better to weld if you can maintain an optimum horizontal position.

 

Rotisserie made from Harbor Freight engine stands.

 

2) Harbor Freight heavy duty engine stands

 

2) HF 10" pneumatic wheel / tires

 

2) HF 10" caster wheel / tires

 

1) 20' x 2" x 2" x .125"

 

1) 10' x 1.5" x 1.5" x .125"

 

misc, 1/8" plate, 2" x 1/2" strip plate, 5/8" x 1/8" round tube

 

Approx total parts / materials cost, $250.00

 

The HF engine stands come apart by unbolting. You remove the forward leg on each stand and replace it with tubing that runs the length of the car and connects the engine stands at either end. You replicate the captive nut assembly method so it can be dis-assembled. The engine stands are not wide enough to be stable with a car bolted up, you have to extend the sidewards legs outwards. The rubber tires were utilized to make this rotisserie roll on a gravel driveway. You could probably utilize smaller wheels and avoid the complicated 10" caster wheel mount (the most difficult part of the build). But you have to watch ground clearance. To maintain ground clearance with smaller wheels you could make the lower 2" sq tube go straight across with no spacers and raise the car for turning clearance by making the 4" x 1.5" vertical channel extender taller. The casters do not turn very well, you have to turn them in the direction you want to go then push the assembly.

 

The vertical part of these stands lean backwards to counteract the weight of an engine. In order for a car body to turn smoothly the vertical support must be made completely vertical so the turning axis aligns between stands. Note the welded bend in the drawings.

 

When fabricating the body mounts build the plates that bolt to the body, then bolt them to the body, then measure the 1.5" square tubing between them and weld it on while the body plates are bolted up to the body. In the front it may be good to put some washer spacers between the plate mounts and the body before welding. The weld distortion can make for a tight fit with no spacers. All the holes on the front and rear mounts can be drilled a couple sizes larger than the bolts to account for weld distortion. Or just hog them out if they don't line up after welding.

 

Note the potential spacers where the body mount bracket bolts to the turning part of the stand. You may need spacers to clear the body / stand when it turns, and the mount bolts will have to be longer.

 

I made the sideways extender legs to be removable so the engine stands could be used for an engine, but they could be welded on directly. The 1.5" sq tube could be substituted with 2" sq in that case. I also made the vertical 4" channel extender bolt on, this could also be welded directly. The channel could then be substituted with rectangular tubing but the vertical on the HF stand is an odd size. I would leave the center connecting piece as a bolt on so the rotisserie can be dis-assembled for storage. I've found that it's easier to just buy another engine stand than to unbolt and rebolt everything multiple times. Plus there's cases where you have an engine on a stand and need the rotisserie at the same time.

 

The overall length of the rotisserie should probably be "to fit". Maybe make it a little long before you do any final welding. Or make the piece that bolts into the bottom of the stand longer and then cut to fit after the body is bolted up and checked to see that it turns 360 deg. Or just make the 2" sq tubing extend out the back of the stands. That way the stand is more universal for longer cars.

 

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Edited by Chris Duncan
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I'd be interested to hear how you got the body up on the rotisserie. Mine was a challenge, I used my engine host for the front and built a post and header type thing over the back and used come alongs. It worked but I'm not looking forward to bringing it back down once it's heavier.

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If you have exposed rafters in your garage you can lay a piece of tubing across them to distribute the load and lift the body onto the rotisserie with a come-a-long.

 

The engine stand rotisserie has a weight limit of 2000 lbs but any more than a 1000 is going to be problematic as far as spinning balance. Probably unsafe to try to bolt in motor trans diff and then try to turn the car. I usually take the chassis off the rotisserie while it's still completely stripped, like after it's painted and before anything is attached.

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