How to Pack a BMW Motorcycle Engine
by Craig Vechorik
Bench Mark Works LLC has several custom-made, wooden crates that fit BMW
engines, less the cylinders, heads and pistons. Call us if you would like an empty crate. You will
be billed $275.00 plus you will pay a UPS shipping charge. Once you
return the empty crate to us, we will credit you $250.00. The $25.00
difference is to pay to have more crates made, for they only last about
8 to 10 trips.
If you would rather duplicate the crates we have, do the following:
1. Cut and laminate plywood to make your lower engine support using 3/4 plywood glued together with F26. Don't try to make a short cut, using 2 x 4's because
they will split.
2. Because the oil pan is slightly wider than the engine case, cut 4 equal length spacers about 1/4" longer than the thickness of your rails.
Make them out of 3/8" pipe. Be sure and drill through them so the all thread rod you use to hold the engine in the rails will pass through them.
I use 12 mm all thread which can be ordered at any fastener speciality store.
3. The base of the crate needs to be at least 14 3/4 x 20 inches, and made out of 3/4 inch plywood.
4. After laying out, and drilling the holes in the rails, to match the holes in the crankcase, drill them out large enough so the 4 pipe spacers you made
will slide through the rails.
5. Assemble the rails, with the pipe spacers, on the engine, using the 12 mm diameter threaded rods, with nuts and washers.
Then spread the rails out, so they are wider than the engine and all 4 of the pipe spacers stick through the rails
to the inside, so there wil be no interference of the case to the rails when the rods are removed.
Using wood glue and screws, mount the rails on the 3/4 plywood base, so the engine is centered on the base.
6. Make a frame out of 2 x 2 pine, that is exactly 15 1/2 inches high, that matches the width and length of your base,
and secure the frame to the base with glue and wood screws.
7. Make the 4 external sides of the crate out of 1/2 plywood, securing it to the 2 x 2 frame with wood glue and screws.
Be sure and cut holes in the two sides, so you can access the nuts on the threaded rods that mount the engine to the rails.
Be sure and make all 4 sides taller than your 2 x 2 frame. Our crates are 17 1/2 inches tall.
8. Cut a piece of 1/8 thick steel plate, 4 inches by 8 inches, and lay out and drill two holes that will match the two upper motor mount
studs that are on top of the engine case. Drill some small holes around the edges of this plate, so you will be able to secure it to the 1/2 plywood lid using small
bolts and nuts, or wood screws.
9. When you make the lid, drill holes in the lid large enough to allow a 13 mm socket to reach through the lid and access the 8mm nuts on the engine studs.
Secure the lid to the frame with either 1/4" carriage bolts or wood screws.
The idea here, is to suspend the engine under the lid, so the lid bears some of the weight of the engine, and not just the lower mounting rods.
If you do not do this, there is a good chance UPS, FEDEX or whoever, will drop it on the floor, and crack the engine case, and bend the lower mounting rods.
10. Reinforce the outside corners of the crate using screws and light sheet metal angle iron, available from your local building supply.
11. Because the crate, with the engine installed, is HEAVY, (approximately 120 lbs) install metal folding handles at each end,
so UPS will not drop your crated engine on the floor.
Now that you've read all of this, and you've decided it's too much work, time, and materal costs, you can call us up and order a crate.
Bench Mark Works LLC
Craig Vechorik, Owner
3400 Earles Fork Road
Sturgis MS 39769 USA
Telephone/FAX: (662) 465-6444
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