An LS cylinder head is mounted...
An LS cylinder head is mounted to the head stand. Thanks to the stand's adjustability, any Pure Pontiac head can be mounted as well.
A key ingredient of a good-running engine is a well-maintained and properly functioning set of cylinder heads. Whether the heads are bone-stock casting #16s from a '68 GTO or a set of LS1s, eventually they will have to be serviced. The procedures can range from replacing the valve seals to stop the engine from using oil, all the way to porting for increased performance. Since many hobbyists take pride in working on their Pontiacs themselves, having a well-made cylinder-head stand for head maintenance and/or modifications can make the job easier and less costly.
Although many manufacturers offer cylinder-head stands at prices ranging from $30 to over $100, the dominant design can be described as spikes or Vs. A set of cylinder-head-stand spikes are designed to spike through the cylinder head bolt holes on each end of the head. A V simply cradles the head, so that it doesn't move while the piece is being worked on. Although both designs are useful and can be used on most cylinder heads as they are adjustable length-wise, what they lack is the ability to rotate the cylinder head a full 360 degrees into the perfect position for the service that is being performed. A second significant shortcoming of these stands is that they don't always raise the cylinder head high enough.
What if a cylinder-head stand could be constructed for under $30 in parts, and allow both the adjustability of the common designs and a full 360-degree rotation with adequate height? Since almost everyone is budget conscious, why not build your own head stand and save a few bucks to get a very useful tool?
We contacted DuSold Enterprises to work out a plan. According to Steve DuSold, "A cylinder-head stand is a great tool to have around the shop. Although some procedures, such as replacing valve guides, are best performed by automotive machine shops, many can be done by mechanically inclined hobbyists. Although spike-type stands are useful, we set out to design a cylinder-head stand that would be easy to build and provide increased functionality over the common designs."
Steve and his son David built the stand at the shop using tools any well-equipped shop would normally have-a chop saw, drill press, professional-grade welder, and so on. Don't let that lead you to believe that you can't build the stand at home if you don't have those tools. You can do it with a hacksaw, heavy-duty hand drill, and an inexpensive welder or oxygen propylene (propane) torch kit capable of welding. It will just take a bit longer to get it done.
Follow along as we build a cylinder-head stand and demonstrate a few common uses for it.
Time-Saving And/Or Low-Buck Tips
A hobbyist doesn't have to own or rent an expensive TIG welder to complete this project. Other types of welding will work, including MIG welding or welding with an oxygen/acetylene torch.
In order to build a head stand,...
In order to build a head stand, you will need about $30 of supplies, including 1-inch and 3/4-inch square metal tubing. Common hardware-store bolts and nuts are utilized for holding the cylinder head in place and creating the lock-down mechanism for the adjustable width. The 1-inch tubing on each end is configured in an upside-down T-shape; then an additional section of tubing is welded onto the inside for more support and to add width adjustability. The 3/4-inch square tubing connects the two halves of the stand structure. A 3/8-inch metal sleeve is inserted into each upright so the head can be bolted on without a spacer, to allow it to swivel in a full 360-degree arc.
David DuSold will cut to length...
David DuSold will cut to length 6 feet of 14-gauge, 1-inch-square, steel tubing to form the engine-stand support structure. The first leg of the T-structure will be 12-inches long. Steve DuSold sets up a chop-saw, and after the metal is "squared" up, David measures and marks it for a cut.
Steve neatly cuts off the...
Steve neatly cuts off the section. Working as a team, Steve and David then mark and cut out the remaining pieces of the structure. For the other side of the stand's legs, they cut two 51/2-inch sections, followed by two 11-inch uprights (one for each side). For the middle support and adjustment section of the stand, they cut two 71/2-inch lengths of tubing.
After all of the 1-inch tubing...
After all of the 1-inch tubing is cut, they deburr each section using a combined belt sander and grinder on all sharp edges to ensure that the metal is prepared for welding and safe to handle. Although not shown, Steve and David used a flat-file to clean up any metal on the inside of the tubing.
Once the metal is prepared...
Once the metal is prepared for welding and handling, they drill the two 11-inch uprights to allow a 3/8 x1x11/2-inch steel spacer (Lowe's Hardware, PN 137133, retail $1.39 each) to be utilized. Steve measures a 1/2-inch down from the end of the upright, marks the center, turns it over, and marks the opposite tubing wall. He then drills a 1/8-inch pilot hole in each of the marked areas with an air-drill gun and 1/8-inch drill bit, and duplicates the process for the second upright.
After the pilot holes are...
After the pilot holes are drilled, Steve loads a 3/8-inch bit into the drill-press and aligns the 11-inch uprights. He drills out the metal tubing to 3/8 inch by slowly going through the top pilot hole and then clean through the pilot hole on the other side of the tubing. He then repeats the process on the second one.