9" is the measurement

[GPster]

Get your mind out of the gutter! Like I mentioned in the weekend report, I rescued the Jeepsters front clip from the rafters. I hung the front fenders on the firewall mounts and the wheels seemed to be in the right place. I then set the nose piece on the frame and with it up against the S15's radiator it's 9" shy of reaching to the front of the fenders. Ive got plenty of space to slide the engine/radiator back and remount them but it might be further than I want to hang the motor mounts off the back of the crossmember. Thinking about my left over parts from previous mis-engineered attempts I have a engine mounting crossmember from Speedway. It uses the '58 to '70s something V8 mounts. Weren't there some kind of engine mount stands that bolted on the 194" 230" etc. sixes that the V8 motor mounts bolted to? Does the 2.5 L Iron Duke engine have the same bolt spacing for the mounts as the sixes. Maybe I could bolt old style V8 mounts on the side of the of this motor and have a crossmember under the motor. The motor is narrow and the frame is wide and I don't think anything would hang off of the frame rails any better than 9" off the back of the frame's crossmember. This wouldn't have been a problem if I had used the 4.3 L V6 and the 350 turbo like I had originally intended but I lost my head when I could get the 2.5 L four with transmission and all the accessories for $100.00 more. This is just my first thought and I'm open to ideas. GPster

[enjenjo]

Is this an S10 2.5? Can you use the stock mounts to build something that fits a V8 mount?

[GPster]

Is this an S10 2.5? Can you use the stock mounts to build something that fits a V8 mount?

That will be the first question of the day, tomorrow. GPster

[GPster]

First thought of a new day about motor mounts. Evidently there was a change in motor mounts in '88 (mine's an '87). The mounts are 2 bolts to the crossmember rather than the newer 3 or 4 bolts. In measuring today it would seem better to deal with only 6" 0f the 9" with motor set-back and deal with the balance in the radiator and fan. If I only go back 6" I might be able to just build a plate to bolt with the 2 bolts to the crossmember and allow the motor mounts to sit on top of it 6" further back. I could add a brace from the plate down to the back edge of the crossmember. Today maybe I'll get the radiator and fan off the frame and have a closer/cleaner look. Having placed all that sheet metal on the front end of the car and then trying to see the motor mounts reminds me why I don't like fenders and full hoods. GPster

[enjenjo]

Sounds doable Joe.

[GPster]

This will be my WEAK END report (I just did my back in). The S10 motor mounts use the same idea as Chevy V8 mounts except upside-down. They use the through bolt idea but the rubber insolater bolts to the crossmember rather than the motor block. The V8 mounts fit the 4 cylinder mount stands with the through bolt installed and the block side of the V8 mounts is at the same angle as the mount surface of the S10 crossmember. The difference in mounted height between the S10 mounts and the V8 mounts (less) will allow for the thickness of the plate that I will use to extend the mount pad of the crossmember back to the new mounts with different bolt hole locations. This makes it look like I can get 7 1/2" set-back on the motor. Unfortunately the only iron I have laying around is a piece of 5" channel. Maybe if I trim some off the legs (ears?) of it it will work face down. With some of the appendage left on it might resist the tendency to bend. If I can get a chair out to the garage I can watch my bandsaw chew on it all afternoon. The cutting torch is out of oxygen. GPster