subtle_driver Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I'm just wondering if anyone has done this. I am planning on doing a ka24de or sr20det swap into my 72 z. and i want to do it myself cause i love to make my own parts and setups. I have a welder and some steel plates. What is the proper way to do this? How do i mock up the positions?! anyone have detailed pics that are up close? What kind of engine mounts can i use? and what kind of steel should i use? I searched for hours, and didn't come up with acual dimensions, or "you do it this way" first hand, factual info that i need. Although i did see a few threads, with pics, but nothing i can really use to start fabbing my own. I would buy a cradle/mount from the two leading companies that are referanced here, but this time i'm planning on doing this myself. Don't try to talk me out of it:icon44:!!! as soon as i can do this succesfully i will have to find info on how to wire it up and stuff. but for now, i just need to get it installed. THANK YOU!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I've not yet done any hybriding work on any cars, just dropped in replacement ones of the same type, but a few mates have and made their own mounts etc. the most popular way amongst them is to drop the motor into place on a chain hoist, either bolt a few WIDE washers to the body and motor in various places and tack weld some soft steel bars between them, then get busy with a ruler and some cardboard. All the steel bars are to do is to stop the engine swinging with the breeze or shifting every time you knock it with the ruler. once the engines firmly in place on the new mounts, just unscrew the bolts and remove the washers with their bars. Just use the cardboard to cut out templates for the mounts and then using the templates cut out and weld your mounts. that works for dropping holden V8's into various cars that didn't originally have v8's such as the ford cortina Mk 4, I can;t really see why it ought not work for a SR or KA swap into a Z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 You want some 1.5" x 2.5" tubing about 1/8th" think, about 2.5 feet (maybe 3 feet long. You want to make a new cross member with this. The length of the lower frame rails across is 25". I think you can scavenge the old mounts off of the original x member and use those, but if you need to make you own, the mount bolt holes are about 10mm wide. I would be building mine right now, but my dad is borrowing my engine hoist right now I'll post pics in my build thread, when I can get started on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roostmonkey Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I made a gantry from some tubing and attached the motor with some threaded rods. This allows solid positioning, hieght and rotational adjustments.You need the tranny mounted to the motor too so that mount can be done at the same time.This also makes sure the motors rotation is correct front to back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logr Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 That threaded rod idea is pretty cool. Make sure the bottom of the oil pan is level, not the top of the engine. They sit tilted over some. It looks to me like the trans mount will be the hardest. I'm waiting for winter to start and to make sure what car to put the sr in. I have the 73Z and it runs great already. I also have a Triumph GT6 that weighs 1800lbs. A SR in it would be pretty cool. Not sure yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I made a gantry from some tubing and attached the motor with some threaded rods. This allows solid positioning, hieght and rotational adjustments.You need the tranny mounted to the motor too so that mount can be done at the same time.This also makes sure the motors rotation is correct front to back. haha. pretty ingenious, but not my problem. I have to MOVE my engine from my shed to my garage. positioning isn't my problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logr Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Split the engine and tranny. 2 loggers can pick up the engine and walk away with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subtle_driver Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 You want some 1.5" x 2.5" tubing about 1/8th" think, about 2.5 feet (maybe 3 feet long. You want to make a new cross member with this. The length of the lower frame rails across is 25". I think you can scavenge the old mounts off of the original x member and use those, but if you need to make you own, the mount bolt holes are about 10mm wide. I would be building mine right now, but my dad is borrowing my engine hoist right now I'll post pics in my build thread, when I can get started on it. Wow thanks for the info! will i need to make a "u" shape or does the engine fit with a strait accross cross member. and the tubing, you are talking about a rectangle shape, or oval shape? I am definitly looking forward to seeing your progress!!! Does anyone have pictures of their tranny and engine mounts in the car from several different angles? that threaded mount thing is baddass! That tecnique will come in handy! Thanks for all the help! This is encouraging! I was getting bummed cause i couldn't find much info on how to make my own engine crossmeber and mounts! thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Ive seen the same thing done with a couple of jacks. You also want to keep into account the oilpan sump location. Since is in the front, you might have an issue of it being to close to the main x-member. since, I assume you're going to make a tranny mount, you might be able to move the whole thing back an inch or 2 Also, you want to make the x-member that you are making to be removable in some way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subtle_driver Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 hmmm, removable, home made, rear engine x-member..... another thing to think about. does anyone know where i can find some good pics of the sr/ka crossmembers in the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 http://www.mckinneymotorsports.com/prod_240+260+280Z+parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logr Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 This forum, Hard to find under "SR20DET Mount Pictures". http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=121991 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subtle_driver Posted September 27, 2008 Author Share Posted September 27, 2008 wow this is very valuable info! THANK YOU! ya i didn't type that in the search.... i typed in sr, and ka, and engine swap, and pics and alot of other things. but that didn't show up! So what is easier to work with? using the stock crossmember location or going back, behind the stock crossmember? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logr Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 The engine sets behind the stock crossmember with, at most, a notch out of it. You then build your motor mounts or cradle(my preferred, do to strength) where the mounts are. This stuff is very time consuming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Its not hard to make one. A (L) bracket on each side and a xmember that clears the oil pan. Then the actual mounts. You can use the old mounts on the original x-member for reference on dimensions. I have confirmed that its would fit. edit. I'll probably make one tomorrow and post pics in my build thread. Who wants me to make them one? (seriously, I need $$ for my build ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subtle_driver Posted September 28, 2008 Author Share Posted September 28, 2008 what is the link to you're build thread? i definitly want to see pics! btw, can the tranny be pulled easy? like the stock l24(i can change the clutch in under an hour), or is it a slight pain like the s13? (s13 is too close to the firewall and the tranny has to be clocked and/or the engine mounts loosened and subframe loosened, i hate that) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 IMO its easier, from what I can tell. I wouldn't know from experience, because I pulled the engine and tranny out of the car and then separated them. the KA was given to me with the tranny. What's you're setup going to be so i can be sure of what advice I can give. build thread: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?p=938601#post938601 EDIT: I think you're going to have to fab you own tranny mount. I am using a L28 5 speed behind my KA, so I can't help there. Reason is shipping anything heavy cost so much to alaska. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 well. I'm making my mounts a little more complicated than I could make it. I'm working with all the metal that I have so might not, be what you expect and i want to make it as close to the engine, so I have more ground clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subtle_driver Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 i;m going with a ka and ka trans. most likely.... how did you adapt the l28 5-speed to the ka? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 i;m going with a ka and ka trans. most likely....how did you adapt the l28 5-speed to the ka? everything bolts right up, except the dustshield and the l28 flywheel. the flywheel; the center hole needs to be bored out about 0.05 mm. the dust shield needs to be fabbed. the tranny will be rotated to the left about 10 degrees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.