I've built a LOT of engines, and never used an engine stand. However
for some things I think there might be an advantage.
We had a couple of steel tables in our shop, made out of steel pipe,
steel angles, and pretty thick steel on the top. We would set a block
on the table upside down. Then install the cam bearings, cam and
crankshaft. Then we would screw 4 of the bellhousing bolts into the
back of the engine and turn it up on its back end. The bolts would
stick out enough to hold the block up and provide clearance for the
flange end of the crankshaft. Then we would put the pistons in, put the
heads, intake, and covers on. Then we would paint the whole thing. (A
little paint on the table never hurt anything.) We would bolt a plate
with a big loop on it in place of the carburetor (for V engines), pick
the engine up with our hoist, and lower it into the car.
Nowadays it seems to be in vogue to use an engine stand, then one of
those little wheel-around hoists to pick up the engine, bolt the
transmission on and wrangle the whole thing into a car. We had a hoist
on a track in the roof of our shop, and we never put engine/transmission
in at the same time. We worked on lots of cars where this would not
have been possible due to the size of the opening. (I defer to the
people with experience on LBC's regarding installing with or without the
transmission in place, but for most other cars it is easier without.)
Of course many cars these days use subframes and it is easier to drop
the whole subframe out the bottom.
> I have painted lots of engines without an engine stand. You have to paint
> the bottom of the sump first or once it's in a car.
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