Thread: General Hemi Info Part 2

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I’ve always enjoyed saving a few bucks by making/modifying something myself. Generally when I build/update an engine I tend to try to use readily available over the counter parts. Besides generally being cheaper, if something breaks it’s simply going into a parts store and getting a replacement. One example is the electronic ignition conversion using stock Chrysler parts, should I have a part fail even on a Sunday, it’s simply walk into a part store instead of waiting for a replacement part hat must be ordered from a speed shop or mail order catalog.

If you’ve got a non-extended bellhousing 331 a 354, or 392 HEMI you can just about pick up everything needed to build modify or update the engine from one of the suppliers listed above. Compared to the engines listed above some of the other engines may be a bit more challenging.

The first thing I built was a way to hold the engine and move it around. As a certain friend of mine likes to gleefully point out is “Hell when you take the heads off you’ve got a small block” (which is pretty much true). I don’t mind building the short block on an engine stand, but when you have the complete engine on the stand it’s really a lot of weight, especially when you have torque the heads or move it around. As you can see in some of the picture’s I’ve posted I made a couple of stands on 4 heavy duty castors to store and move the engines around. The picture below (sorry about the quality) shows how simple the stand is with the engine off of it. As the uprights catch the motor mount lugs, the short block can be placed on it once it’s assembled and then the heads installed and torqued