It's happening but not right

[GPster]

I've been talking to myself and I can't get an inteligent answer. The Jeepster has been un-mobil because the engine has been half hanging by my chainhoist. The engine needed to be further back in the frame so that the front clip can bolt on the way it belongs. 7 1/4" was a good dimension where everyting will work on a flat firewall and I would imagine that the little 4 cylinder will cool without a shroud around the fan on the radiator. I used Chevy V8 mounts up-side down for the motor mounts and just used 1/2" plate to run the mount surface back where I needed them. For some reason the motor cocked over to one side so I put a 1/4" plate between the motor mount and the 1/2" plate. That bought the top of the valve cover level side-to-side. The whole time the transmission pan is sitting on a stack of wood blocks so that the tail housing is at the correct height and centered in the frame. To deal with the set-back and using structural parts of the frame that I could get to my plan is/was to use the original transmission frame mount holes/shelves and build a unboltable "K" member the properly hold the transmission that now is further back than the crossmember was designed to hold. I was very proud of the way it's turning out and I was even going to take pictures. Today while measuring for the piece I will need for the back of the "K" member things weren't coming out right. The transmission tailshaft is 1/2" out of center and the crankpulley is 1/8" out of center. So there will be no pictures today. Just so you know that I'm still working on it but I have nothing to bragg about. GPster

[kb426]

Is this a case of too much beer or not enough?  The good news is you discovered this before everything was welded in place.

[Dave]

Is this a case of too much beer or not enough?  The good news is you discovered this before everything was welded in place.

Bill Joe doesn't drink.. He has enuff problems from the bike accident.. Now that said... Im thinnin we need to do a (forget the hamb here) RRT thrash some weekend and all go and help Joe on his project.. Ya Ya were all busy and my summer is pretty booked also but there may be one open weekend we can do this.. If I cant make it at least i can prod people on to make it happen..
Dave

[GPster]

Dave, Thanks for the thought. Maybe things will look better tomorrow. This project has been proceeding only about one hour a day. Last night I tried to bend one piece of the "K" member before I ran out of oxygen and I didn't get to look at the result til today. I figured that welded at two out of four places and all the weight sitting on two motor mounts and a stack of 4"x4"s it would be stable enough to heat and bend one leg yet to be attached. Guess I was wrong here too. Tomorrow I'll loosen all the bolts and see if it will rack a little. The 1/4" spacer would count for the crank being off and if those mounts will rack enough to level the engine side-to-side then I'll only have to worry about the back end. If the bed of my truck was empty I'd go and get another bottle of oxygen and I'd bend up a storm. Maybe I'll leave the crank where it is and split the difference at the back and leave the motor in-line but 1/4" off center. Sorry for the whinning. When I cracked my skull I think some of the confidence ran out. GPster

[enjenjo]

Maybe I'll leave the crank where it is and split the difference at the back and leave the motor in-line but 1/4" off center

A fine solution Joe, and should not cause a problem.

I am up for a build Joe's car day.

[GPster]

Modifying the "K" member (second try) brought everything closer but not right or equally wrong. Hoping to bring the the tailshaft to an offset equal to the crank gave me 1/4" in the front and a 1/2" in the rear plus my "K" member looked a little "butchered". I probably could have butchered it some more and brought the offset equal  but I went for the third try to make it right (or wrong equally). Pulled the "K" member and cleaned the butchered part off. Put it back in and strapped everything in place at the new target (1/4" off) and tacked the new tranny mount support in place. Removed the "K" member and finshed welding,grinding,painting and called it a day (paint was still wet). Bolted it back in today and guess what. It was now 1/4" off target the other way. The tail shaft is now centered but the crank is still 1/4" offset. I think as much as those four cylinder engines vibrate I'll wait until it runs again and it can settle in where it wants. GPster