Since that post, I mounted the engine on a 4"x6". Drove out the bolts of the lower half of the engine mounts, put mounts on engine while on rebuild stand, made a cardboard template, used that to drill holes for 5" lag bolts in 4"x6" 3 feet long and mounted engine on that. In the back, I got a 1"x3/8" strap already bent 90 degrees from Lowes (rigid conduit mount). I used 2 lag bolts to bolt that to the end of another 4"x6" and ground the flange down to bolt into the bottom transmission bolt hole (in aluminum lower flange). This is plenty sturdy, no tendency to walk or torque over, even on fast acceleration.

For fuel, I pulled the tank, pumps, accumulator, fuel lines, and filter. Tank is on the floor maybe 12 feet behind the engine. I used 12V electrical connectors (from a cheap assortment) to connect to the spade connectors for the pump motors and a ring connector for the ground.

There are three sets of wiring. The ignition wiring requires the switch for +12V, the brown wire from the starter solenoid, the ballast resistor, the coil, the amplifier, and the distributor. I used the harnesses for all except the ignition switch (toggle switch on control panel), ground, and power.

The starter wiring consists of the battery wires to the starter, and a 14 guage wire to a push button on the control pannel.

The fuel system wiring consists of the main engine harness and a control panel with the main relay, the fuel pump relay, several LED's, a hand drawing using a Sharpie inspired by the fuel system electrical diagram in the Haines manual, and wires from the ignition switch and starter switch. I used a 12V automotive electrical connector assortment, 12V LEDs from Radio Shack, a switch and pushbutton from Walmart, a small sheet of 22ga sheet metal and a 1/4" by 1" strap from the hardware store. The strap goes from the back of the intake manifold, up at an angle, over and down to a manifold bolt. Puts the control panel in a comforable position.

Although basic, it took several evenings to mount the engine, build and wire the control panel, and chase the bugs out of it. The longest problem was no spark. I mounted the amplifier on the 4x6 on the distributor side and the ballast resistor and coil on the exhaust side (to reduce interference) and there was a ground wire coming out of the harness just below the accessory pulleys. I didn't find it for several hours of chasing no spark. This was a test stand problem, not an engine problem.

Another problem was following the instructions in the Volvo electrical FSM, the distributor won't move the spark back before TDC. It ran rough until I got out the timing light, fooled with it an hour or two and finally pulled the distributor and turned it a gear tooth and reinstalled it. This was much easier in the garage than in the car.

Another is I've dropped two freeze (core) plugs and now one reinstalled is weeping. These are on the lower side of the slant and would be right above the cross member, behind the exhaust manifold, and beside the strut tower. Impossible to get at. And although I had 9 liters of water on the floor, I didn't have to get towed home. That alone validates the test stand theory.

Finally, I still have the original leakdown issues that may persuade me to pull the head. Far easier on the garage floor than in the car if I do.

All in all, I'm far better off running it before putting it in the car. The time rigging up a stand and wiring has been far outweighed by the freeze plugs alone. BTW, any help on these, I initially dimpled the convex 'point' very slightly with a hammer face. After loosing the first one, I went back and dimpled a flat spot on them somewhere around the size of a nickel or quarter. After loosing the second one, I used a 24mm impact socket to flatten more of it (45mm plugs). What should I do?

There are some pictures at www.ohiomx.com/teststand.html

Thanks,
mwc