Wood 440 transport stand

I'm building a wood stand to transport my 440 home from the shop. The oil pan rails sit on the wood. My questions is how far apart are the oil pan rails on a 440. Mine is in the shop so I cant measure. It will have the oil pan on it. A complete engine.

Sanman68

I just went & checked & if you make the wood sides 8&1/2" across on the inside it will clear the pan and give you enough room to add some cardboard or rags to protect the sides of the pan. C to C across on the bolt holes is 9&1/16".

I picked up a couple of road race tires from a shop that used to prep Porsches for the local rich guys. They were worn out (tread only) but the side walls are incredibly stiff and they were free for the asking. I got one for small blocks and a bigger one for big blocks. Some years ago, I bought a complete 440 from Cab Burge in Oregon and brought it home in a little U-Haul trailer that I towed with my truck. I had to use the U-Haul because the engine would not fit in the truck bed with the canopy on when we tried to load it with his cherry picker. I brought it home in a snow storm.

BTW Cab, we are finally going to use the engine in a '72 Cuda it will probably be faster than the Ramcharger

Ya can't beat an old tire but if you're going to build a wood one, put some gussets from the bases to support the sides so they don't fold over. Don't make it much higher than necessary - maybe 1/2" higher than the pan is deep. Flop those 2x4's over and it'll give you a wide base for casters in the future. Also. you want the thing to be as wide as the engine is across the heads - for stability.

I built one just like that, hauled my 440 1200 miles in the back of my truck with no problem.

I built one like that but noticed the engine weight will tend to spread the 8x2s apart unless they're tied together closer to their tops. Just leave enough room for the balancer & crank flange.
I also used Simpson Strong-Tie brackets at the 90-degree areas.
Set on a good furniture dolly, it's not hard to move around.

Thanks guys. I have a piece of plywood to screw into the front so the beams don't move apart at the top. It won't hit the balancer.


You guys are the best!
Sanman