jeromio Posted October 21, 2001 Share Posted October 21, 2001 If your're curious about what a 240Z crossmember looks like with no mount towers on it, click on my site. I did another test fit today. This time with the trans tunnel humps removed. I just used my air chisel and "cut" them out. Looks awful, but I resisted the temptation to doctor it up. Would've been lots of work for some cosmetic stuff that will only be covered up by a fat 4L60E. I had to unbolt the driver's side exhaust manifold: it exits directly on top of the steering shaft. The passenger side is too close to the frame too. Looks like I'm gonna have to "tweak" both manifolds. Not sure how LoneStar1 (Gary) was able to avoid this - different manifolds? I'm using Camaro units. Trans is really wide too. It's gonna be really hard to fit 2.5 inch exhaust between the tunnel and that wide-ass pan. Shifter cable mount is right in the way too - have to relocate that. Pondering my trans mount options. Rather than buy the expensive tailhousing and a rubber mount, I'm thinking of using the cross bolt part of the existing tailshaft which was used to mount a torque bar. Some L brackets and 2 pairs of poly (or rubber) endlink bushings should work pretty nicely. I'll use the top slot which will leave lots of room for exhaust. The passenger side motor mounting will be pretty easy. Driver's side has to route around the steering shaft. I'm gonna add a leg to the top of the frame rail on both sides to increase stability. The motor will have to sit at least a half inch higher than standard JTR in order for the alternator to clear the steering gear. I hope that's not going to affect hood clearance. Also, unless I really want to mangle the passenger side exhaust manifold, the engine is going to have to be dead center. I also have to decide where to put the PCM. I'm leaving my clutch M/C in there since I hope to upgrade to T56 at some point, so I can't put it there. It looks like I'll either have to cut a big hole in the firewall to route the harness thru to the inside, or else mount the thing where the service light is mounted currently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Star 1 Posted October 22, 2001 Share Posted October 22, 2001 Hey Jeromio Thoses are the same exhaust manafolds that I have. The riders side manafold (the point of the triangle) extends past the frame rail on my car but the exhaust tube is about 3/8" inside the frame rail. In other words the exhaust flange is about 1" wider than the exhaust hole. The drivers side flange has to be removed and rotated about 30 degs, to make the long side of the triangle paralle to the steering shaft. I also unbolted the steering shaft at the firewall, removed some materal from the firewall and slide the steering shaft over about 3/8". this provided about 3/8" clearence between the shaft and the exhaust flange. I think my motor is offset about 1/2" to 3/4" to the riders side. Yes you have to beat the hake out of the tunnal. From inside the car I can not tell the differance. No problem with hood clearence. [ October 21, 2001: Message edited by: Lone Star 1 ] [ October 23, 2001: Message edited by: Lone Star 1 ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromio Posted October 23, 2001 Author Share Posted October 23, 2001 Okay, I went and looked at the car again this AM. You've got me confused on rider's/driver's side exhaust. Did you leave the passenger side flange alone? Perhaps I have the back of my motor too low, because one corner of my passenger side flange is directly over the frame, which would make it impossible to bolt another flange to it (for the exhaust pipe). Perhaps this dovetails into your discussion of beating the hell out of the trans tunnel. Currently, the motor is sitting where it is (which I'm guessing is lower than yours?) because the trans is out of room. I'd kind of like to move things forward a bit. But, from the pic of your car on this site, using your strut tower brace as a reference, it looks like my LS1 is about 1/2 to 1 inch forward of where yours is already. In the pic above (and another pic here http://240z.jeromio.com/motorswap/sHeaterInletInterference.JPG - my DSL is slow lately), you can see that I have another problem with heater inlet clearance. That and my problem with the low mount alternator interfering with the steering gear of the rack would be solved nicely by moving the motor forward a skonch. But then, that would only exascerbate the steering interference. Ugh. Oh, and for the steering shaft mod: I unbolted that column flange thingy and tried to move it over - no budge. What's keeping it from moving? Also, does moving this not create some bind in the steering? Or did you also relocate the mounting of the column under the dash? I really wish I had a lift. I can't see up in the tunnel where the trans is actually interfering with the tunnel. Need one of those fiber-optic scope thingies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Star 1 Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 Ok my motor is setting about 1" futher back. The rider's flang sets about 2" to 2 1/4' above the frame rail. The drivers side exhaust flange sets about 1/2' below the steering shaft and runs almost pallel to the steering shaft. These measurments are to the top of the flanges. I'am not sure but the motor might be a little higher on the riders side but it seems fairley level. When the motor is located back like this the front pulley sets right above the steering rack, with the smaller pully about 3/8" above the rack. The larger pully is just in front of the rack. From the top of the hood latch to the top of the intake runner is about 2 1/8".From the firewall to the back of the riders side fuel rail is 5 1/16". My heater hoses hookup inside th car and I left the hoses long enought to reach the water pump manifold. They run close to interferring but don't. I wish I knew how to post pictures the way you do. Sorry for confussion please reread last post on drivers side and riders side. Lossen the four bolts at the top of the steering collum also. There is rubber gasket at the firewall and you may have to break the seal that rubber has to the firewall. You will also need to remove, are make bigger the hole in the firewall by about 3/8" towards the drivers side. Yes this does but a little more kink in the steering shaft U-joints but I cann't tell any difference in steering. This also seams to make the steering wheel more pallel to the dash. [ October 23, 2001: Message edited by: Lone Star 1 ] [ October 23, 2001: Message edited by: Lone Star 1 ] [ October 23, 2001: Message edited by: Lone Star 1 ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromio Posted October 24, 2001 Author Share Posted October 24, 2001 Cool. Thanks for all those measurements - very helpful. I need to crawl around under the car to see where the trans hits the sheetmetal, pull the motor and then sledge-ify things a bit. I have a 280z heat/AC unit. It's gonna make things tougher for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotfitz Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 Gary, if you want, send your pics to me and I'll put them on the web for cut and paste, or email me directly and I'll give you some hints. You do know your my inspiration, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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