Support / Jig for O-200 Rebuild?

I'm not talking about the stand that holds the crankshaft / engine in a vertical orientation, aka engine overhaul stand.

I"m needing something for horizontal work like case assembly. I'm thinking of making a wood cradle that would hold the case with 2 cylinders hanging down. That way I would have access to the intake spider as well as two cylinders. Then just flip it over (engine, not stand) to remove the remaining 2 cylinders followed by splitting the case.

Or is there some type of attachment for a traditional automotive engine stand that would allow turning it both vertical and horizontal, yet only attaching to one case half?

I use a Harbor Freight engine stand. I extended out about 11” from the rotating plate with 4 equal length pieces of 3/8” Dia all-thread. I used steel tubing and 3/8” washers as compression sleeves over the all-thread.i used old rubber conical bushings to bolt directly to the engine case half. At first when the crankshaft and camshaft are bedded, only 2 bolts hold the case half. Once the other case half is mated, install the other 2 bolts, as the “short block” is too heavy for just 2 bolts. Other advantages are the whole assembly can be rotated 360 degrees, and it can be locked in any position.
Joel Marketello

Some wooden blocks will work just fine.

Ok, Joel, but how do you position it so the crankshaft is vertical? I haven’t done an analysis of the number of changes, but reading the manual it just seems like it’s vertical then horizontal then back to vertical, then horizontal, etc

Was hoping to have a way to transition between the two without having to bring in muscle.

Carl,

Having just overhauled an O-200 I can't understand what you are trying to do. There is no need to swap the position back and forth for either disassembly or reassembly. The entire thing can be done easily with the engine mounted vertically on an overhaul stand. For disassembly I think it's actually easier that way. The accessories/ case are easily accessible and the first parts removed, as is the spider/ intakes, then the cylinders, then split the case. All of this is easy to do in the vertical position.

Vertical mounting saves a lot of cussin' and bitchin' when you are trying to assemble the cases & hold the lifters & tappets in place at the same time. You can only fit just so many fingers inside the case halves without getting "pinched".

Jeff; I've only just begun (egads - did I quote a song?!?). Right now, the oil sump is off so I can rest the case in normal operational orientation. Its resting on boards to provide open access to the bottom. The accessory case is off, and next step is to remove the intake, then the cylinders. I've ordered cylinder wrenches which are en route because nothing I have can "get in there". I don't yet have a vertical stand because, frankly, the engine presented itself MONTHS before I thought I'd go looking for one, so I jumped on it. As a result, I'm a bit unprepared.

I was just going by the information in the Continental overhaul manual. I'm pragmatic enough to know that things don't always have to be done the way the manual says, but one also has to think, "if it wasn't important to do it that way, why did they say so?" In numerous places they note that the case should be horizontal, then talks about changing it to vertical.

As an example, 11-2 states, "The engine should be mounted on a work stand which can be moved over the floor and which has a rotating bed to permit the engine to be held with crankshaft either vertical or horizontal."

11-18.L states "Turn the work stand bed to place the crankshaft in a horizontal position and the crankcase, 1, 3, side upward."

Para 16-2 on final assembly states, "The engine should be assembled on a stand equipped with a bed which can be rotated to place the No's 2, 4 cylinder side of the crankcase downward, so that the crankshaft and camshaft can be laid in place in the horizontal position, and can be turned to place the crankshaft in two vertical positions, with the front end of the shaft upward or downward."

....and there are numerous other examples.

I always *assumed* that all engine work was done in the vertical orientation, but it was the manual that got me wondering.

Since you've just done it, one question that I would have by doing it vertically is setting the thrust washer spacing. Do you just hold the case against the crank while moving it to check for clearance? Is that a 4-hand operation? Also, in my mind, it seems easier to seat the main bearings, then lay the crank in place, than trying to ensure they remain seated with no weight on them.

I'm just trying to obtain some tribal knowledge on this. I'm good with engines in general, (including an AeroVee), but never did ALL of it on an overhaul stand.

Thanks for sharing any tips or references. So far, I have the overhaul manual, parts catalog, Continental Tips for Engine Care, and a Mattituck video on O-200 assembly (which is "in the mail").

You are right, the manual does specify a lot of back and forth, which is completely unnecessary. You'll also find the Mattituck video shows them assembling the case to the crank in the horizontal position- one way of doing it but not the only way.

As for the thrust washers, thats easy. You will be laying the bare crank into the case halves one at a time, installing the bearings and thrust washers and make your measurements. Then you take the crank out, bolt it to the stand and start adding the rods. It's kind of like sheet metal construction/ riveting- there is some "put it together, take it apart, put it back together" involved.

As for the bearings- once you install them in the case they aren't going anywhere. They won't fall out when you flip the case vertical. If they do you've got the wrong bearings, or they are not fully seated in the case.

Here's a thought- try dissembling the engine with it mounted vertically. This will give you some insight into how it will go back together and put you in a better place to decide if that's how you want to do it.

Great explanation, Jeff; Thanks!