Engine Block TV Stand

This is an instructable of how I re-purposed an old car engine and created a TV stand nice enough for the wife to allow it in the living room.

Basically this engine was too small to look good as a coffee table (like top gear), but just about the right size for a TV stand.

1) An old car

2) A TV

3) Welder

4) Spray Paint

5) 3D Printer

Assuming you have no further need for an engine in this vehicle, remove it. You might be replacing it with a jet engine or retrofitting a tesla motor, but in my case, the engine timing belt had failed, writing off the engine and the car it was in.

This engine could have been repaired, but the cost of new parts were higher than the total value of the working car. Combined with selling working spares on eBay, it made sense to strip the car and scrap the shell.

A broken engine is not worth much on eBay, and I have a healthy habit of taking absolutely everything I own to pieces. So that's what I did.

We want the engine to be a pure as possible. No extra bits on the side to confuse things.

Be careful with the likes of oil, coolant, and any fuel left in the injectors. Do not just flush them down the drain either, be a good human and recycle them properly.

Unless your engine is brand new, it will likely not look good in a living room. And if your engine is brand new, why are you taking it apart?

If you have access to a shotblaster, this can be a good way to get a nice matt metal surface.

Alternatively do what I did, which was put it in the dishwasher. My wife did not know until our wedding day, when my best man showed everyone a photo during his speech. Best man, worst brother.

Once it came out the dishwasher, I polished a few wee bits down, then spray painted the entire thing gloss black. Goes with the TV etc.

This is the part that actually holds the TV up. The engine block just weighs it all down, stops it falling over.

I used a big old steel pipe and a welder from the 70's. Do not take any advice from me about welding, I'm terrible at it, but this did work.

To make it look pretty, finish it with the same finish as your engine block. In my case, black spray paint.

I'd have liked to have used a better TV bracket, but my initial plan fell through and an old projector mount was handy. It works enough, so I'll not be changing it. The wooden board was just a mock TV, to ensure the arms reached the mounting holes.

Unless you're a master welder, the upright won't perfectly match up with the engine block. To fix this, I printed all the brackets.

Everything was put in place and measured up, so there were minimal adjustments required.

I'd upload some STLs, but as it's all made to fit you'd have to design your own anyway.

I use Fusion 360, it's free for makers and small businesses.

Put everything together, attach the TV, wire everything in. TV wires were fished through the steel tube. Under the AVR and behind the engine block is a large enough space to neatly plug all the power cords. Cable tie everything so it doesn't unravel, and turn it on.

If this is pulled off well, it can give a perfect talking point sitting quietly in the corner.