I fired my last small block and tested it on a assembly stand that was real beefy. I braced the bottom of the engine with skids and mounted a rad in front on a stand. I started it by arcing the starter. Very simple... the stand was an aviation stand, very large and flips the engine over with a crank so it's real nice to use. It was meant for big diesel engines so I figured no problem....When i cracked the throttle with the open long tube headers on that stand it was pure satisfaction....especially to see it twist that stand like it was cardboard.