matt_w Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Ive pulled the engine out of my 240 and have begun preparing the bay for a v8 swap. I noticed that one of the front frame rails is dented in at 2 places, almost like someone was beating on it with a hammer. The damage is located right above a compression rod mount (see pictures). The rails themselves still look straight (from the top side), and I've welded in the Bad Dog Frame Rails lower down. Do I need to worry about fixing this? I'll be putting in an engine with a sizeable amount of torque. How would I fix this anyways? Weld a thick plate over the dented parts? http://matt.loadedregister.com/picz/240_frame1.jpg http://matt.loadedregister.com/picz/240_frame2.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Engine torque is not the issue most people make it out to be. Loads coming in from the suspension are much greater. I would measure to make sure the TC rod buckets are not moved out of position. Remove the TC rod and the bushings and them measure from the front and back faces of the mount to mounting holes on the chassis. Make sure both sides measure the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_w Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 Thanks for the reply! You mean measure the length that the TC rod normally spans right? How much variation can I put up with? Is there any worry about the frame twisting from suspension force if the frame is dented in like it is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Thanks for the reply! You mean measure the length that the TC rod normally spans right? How much variation can I put up with? Is there any worry about the frame twisting from suspension force if the frame is dented in like it is? Measure the TC rod mount (where the bushing mount and where the rod passes through) to a couple places on the chassis itself. Maybe forward to where the crossmember bolts to the chassis, backwards to a trans mount, and then diagonally across those areas. A 1/16" of an inch difference is well within measurement error. Chassis strength should still be OK if everything is straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I'd be really surprised it that caused any problems on the measurement John suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_w Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Well I took some measurements, and everything seems pretty square. There was some spray-on rubberizer over the whole area, where someone had obviously tried to "patch" it. When I scraped that off, it really looks gouged up pretty bad. I'd like to know how they managed that. Maybe a mishap when they were swapping in the 280z engine? here are some better pics. http://matt.loadedregister.com/picz/240_frame3.jpg http://matt.loadedregister.com/picz/240_frame4.jpg http://matt.loadedregister.com/picz/240_frame5.jpg I think I may end up welding a plate over that area so it looks better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 They probably ran over something that flipped up and hit the frame rail. Plate is a good call, or leave it alone as long as there are no tears in the metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palosfv3 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 (edited) It appears that the weld is torn and the rail has a buckle in the circled area. This should be pulled , rewelded and the rail dimensions checked very carefully. While the length measurements may be in tolerance the datum height measurements are more than likely out on the left rail. Some type of impact caused this damage and it appears it is still unrepaired. A buckle like this over time will stress crack up the rail. It may not happen in the near future but it will eventually crack. Edited March 8, 2011 by palosfv3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_w Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 (edited) Thanks for the help everyone! palosfv3, the stock weld ends right before the area where it looks like the weld is "torn", so I don't think (I hope) rewelding that part is necessary. I've put a patch over that covers the damaged part along with 1.5" on either side of unbent rail. The steel I used is 1/8", so it should _hopefully_ help keep the structural integrity. I've only tacked it into place, I'm going to test-fit the V8 to make sure there are no clearance issues before welding it on. http://matt.loadedregister.com/picz/240_frame6.jpg Edited March 9, 2011 by matt_w Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 someone curbed the car, bet the LF Strut insert is different than the RF! May have bent that strut and replaced it. If it's straight, run it. MY 260 had a bad curb case, measured everything and replaced the K-Member (steering rack had holed the oil pan...) set the thing up according to the FSM, and then took it to be aligned. They made no adjustments. 30K leater, no tire wear issues, and three trips across the USA in the car, I think it will be fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palosfv3 Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 This area is damaged ! The repair your attempting is not a good choice and will only lead to the accelerated failure of this area . Overlapping a patch like this creates a doubled up area that is prone to trapping moisture and increasing the risk of rust perforation of the area over time. The best repair for this area is as I stated before . Covering the area also does not allow for the ability to monitor the repaired area in case it starts to crack. Here is a pic of an undamaged rail. you will see no such condition as which exists on your car , This damaged area should look like the pic and the same area on the right rail of your car . Please take the time to reconsider what direction your taking . Its just not a good repair option. Acceptance of improper repair only misleads others to think that a method like this is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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