qwik240z Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 The UPS man just came with my box of JCI LS1 motor mounts, trans mounts and other components. First observations: The quality of the components are first rate, The welds are clean and done nicely. The design is well thought through. These will allow a bolt in installation with minimal cutting and/or modifying of the Z chassis. The motor mount design adds strength to the existing mount towers on the Datsun crossmember. There are pieces (tower mount brackets) that mount between the existing crossmember and the frame rails to increase the structural rigidity of the mounting area. The design will keep the thin walled Datsun motor mount towers from twisiting from the torque of the LS1. On one end the pieces slip in between the crossmember and the frame rails and bolts up to the same location where the existing crossmember bolts up using longer bolts. It will lower the crossmember about 3/8" as that is how thick the metal appears to be. On the other end it bolts up to the motor mount towers using the hole where the original motor mount would have been bolted. The Drivers side motor mount has cutouts that allows the steering rod to slip through the mount. It attached to the original LS1 motor mount on the engine side. It bolts between the mount tower and the T/C rod housing on the frame side. On the passenger side the entire mount is custom and all parts are supplied. It attaches to the tower mount on the frame side and a new plate bolts to the engine. The trans crossmember is unusual in it's design. It is a strong, sturdy piece that looks like it will bolt to the side of the frame rails. The Driveshaft he supplied is excellent. It comes complete, ready to bolt in with the proper slip yoke, full size Chevy style U joints with zerk fittings, and the proper companion flange to bolt up to the Datsun differential. The hoses and all mounting hardware are top notch too. All the bolts and smaller parts were sealed in a strong plastic bag. Nicely packaged. The only negatives would be the quality of the paint finish on the mounts. The finish is just ok. The paint appears to chip easily and some of the parts were chipped on arrival. It appears that they were painted without being primered first. I may decide to have them powder coated. Also, the box arrived with 2 holes in it. Nothing was missing but the packaging could be better. Overall, it appears to be an excellent product and I am very happy. I will take some Pictures of them and get them posted soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted May 19, 2004 Share Posted May 19, 2004 Sounds like John's kit uses a variation of the JTR crossmember spacer plates only slightly thinner. Looking forward to the pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwik240z Posted May 19, 2004 Author Share Posted May 19, 2004 Sounds like John's kit uses a variation of the JTR crossmember spacer plates only slightly thinner. Looking forward to the pics. Actually, they are nothing like the JTR stuff. They are not spacers that are intended to lower the crossmember like the JTR stuff. The are actually stiffeners that are used to strenthen the stock motor mount towers. They are bent to conform across the top of the tower and then down the side and over the crossmember between the crossmember and the framerails. Imagine a "Z" shaped piece of metal that the top of the "Z" would bolt to the top of the tower, the side of it follows the side of the mount tower down to the crossmember and the bottom of the "z" would slide between the crossmember and the frame rails. As for the Pictures, I was asked not to post them as John spent alot of time and money doing the R&D for these and he doesn't want the "cheap guy copycats" to have easy access to his designs. I really can't blame him. If you look at this link below you will see pics of Joey's car. Study the pictures carefully and you can see the tower strengthing place installed as well as the motor mounts and how they attach. The drivers side in particular. http://hybridz.org/nuke/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=32085&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted May 20, 2004 Share Posted May 20, 2004 I emailed John earlier this morning about the chipping paint issue. He admitted some of the earlier components were painted with a spray can but he has since switched to black zinc. If your sets are arriving chipped give him a call. He is willing to replace them if you desire. I also have refrained from posting pictures of Johns compnents for the same reason. He did a lot of work - multiple variations of each design - until he found the one he liked and worked well. He deserves to not be "knocked off" by someone who hasn't paid the dues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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