Help! moving the engine's position slightly

[WhalePirot]

Finally, I am ready to reinstall the plenum on this blasted SuperRam. I found that the WW motor cover was broken and replaced it, but now the plenum is hitting it, preventing the install. ad

I had more clearance before and RichR reported having 1/4" or so, on his install.

I need an idea on how to move this engine slightly and am not sure that rotating it on the engine mounts is all of the answer, if that is even possible. In any event, this seems like it will be a wrestling match requiring ingenuity and all of my strength.

I spoke with my local expert, who said that the tranny-mount controls the forward/aft position of the entire driveline and may allow slight adjustment. He also suggested to bool some chiropractor time. It only needs another 1/4" (story of my life). I may try to move the wiper motor slightly and then trim some aluminum from the corner of the plenum. The damn thing was tight, but fit before!
Thanks, Mike

 

[cntrhub]

If the plenum fit.. What did you change? It is a puzzle you found going in and you can't find it now? Then like you said... Hammer/grind the parts away. Leave the engine jacking alone. Yes, can you see you throwing the pitch off into unit joints at the angle change?

 

[WhalePirot]

thanks

If the plenum fit.. What did you change?

Actually, I changed nothing. On other posts, I reported that the 'professionals' at 7s Only racing screwed this installation up badly and carelessly.

Hammer/grind the parts away.

I have found that hammering usually breaks things and grinding may or may not cause other problems.

I ground away most of the rubber and the center thru-piece for the two upper wiper motor mounts to shorten them. The wiper motor now tilts slightly inward at the top and the plenum JUST fits; actually touching, but I am not comfortable grinding an eighth inch off that expensive intake piece. It will probably break the plastic again when the motor torques on the mounts.

I am still considering switching to solid motor mounts to reduce the above.

 

[cntrhub]

I hear that. What I meant was always speaking in the generic. Of course you take no hammer to plastic, but the fiire wall I will beat the clearance in it. Yeah, the torque up on the one side is a... HAD to be on that side... Fugures! Cut the rubbers in half then load the halves back to gether with bolts in 4 corners. You have the cush and clearance if you want to ban saw a hunk out of each mount. I would think you want car to energy-out more in the rubber or it's going to numb your hands into the steering wheel is that vibration gonna start in running solids. And for sure you do not want to ruin the internal curve on that flow inside. So, yeah, if that plastic is the outside hand flie it down so as not to hit 'air'... You are saying the wiper, so you must want street time on this car. That is why you wanna keep that rubber in the vib.

 

[bczee]

I would look at or question the guys that screwed up your install.. Motor Mounts!.. did they change them out and if so, what brand. I hope they didn't do any Frame modification around the motor mounts !

Does it seem that the engine is tilting up higher in the front and therefore moving the rear/distributor into the firewall rear ? or is it that the engine has moved left or right?

which way does it seem that the motor has moved ?

 

[WhalePirot]

I would look at or question the guys that screwed up your install.. Motor Mounts!.. did they change them out and if so, what brand.

The 'mechanic' at 7' Only at Buttonwillow build RX-7s into full race cars. I assumed that they had some competency, but they were careless and probably overwhelmed working on a Vette. I had offered to answer any questions, if they ran into a problem, but never heard a peep; just got bills. The problem is they are a specialty shop and not part of what the B.A.R. can do much with; certainly not AAA approved. Tom, the owner, is a nice guy who offered to fix the car, despite their slim line of expertise. He claimed to have built exclusive custom homes, but had problems with owners (big surprise, now) and the head of the racers group told me after my debacle that the place's reputation was poor.

Tom had offered to rework things, but I am hardly going to take the car 175 miles, which I cannot drive, for more of this quality of care. I intend to bill them for my expenses and may sue if they decline. It appears that they used no different parts and actually left off my remote oil filter and a few other parts that I have had to repurchase and reinstall. The only changes are that they installed a tiny Fram oil filter, left off the A/C brace and the EGR solenoid (left lying loose on the right valve cover) and changed the 16 1/4" bolts for the plenum/runner mounts to Allen vs. 12 points. Nice, huh?

I hope they didn't do any Frame modification around the motor mounts !

Thank God, no.

Does it seem that the engine is tilting up higher in the front and therefore moving the rear/distributor into the firewall rear? does it seem that the motor has moved ?

The clearance is small in the best case, so we are talking 1/4" or less. I cannot detect any motor 'movement' and from what I am getting from experts, little or none is possible, due to the rear mount.

These small increments could be additive and lie in clearances between many bolts and their holes. This could be in the engine mounts, the heads, the runners, etc., whether a slight angle or just slop. Originally, this clearance was quite tight.

I chose to try to move the small part, not the biggest and can now mount the plenum. I considered using solid motor mounts when I initially installed this engine, but encountered availability issues. I really don't want to get into that project right now and sadly, I have no local Corvette shop that I trust. I will mount the intake today and may even get as far as starting the car. Then I will see if the motor breaks the WW cover or if solids are needed to stop torque movement from breaking the case.

Thanks for the reply. Mike

 

[G Winter]

Back in the 60s the motor mounts had no provision to limit the engine twist if the mount broke. In the late 60s GM came out with a fix. The installed a cable around the A arm mount and a bracket on the exhaust manifold bolt to limit the twist in case the mounts broke. Later the mounts were modified to correct this. Rather than install solid mount you could set up some type of bracket-strap system to limit the movement of your engine so it couldn't hit the wiper motor. This would still give you cushion and the engine can push down into the mounts.

Glenn

 

[rrubel]

Eh. Windshield wipers are over-rated anyway. Just use Rain-Ex and drive faster! Besides - Vettes don't belong in the wet anyway .

I just looked at mine again; my wiper cover is cracked, but NOT where it passes closest to the plenum. It looks like when someone (maybe me...) was putting the valve covers on, it got smacked. Those covers were put on and off a couple dozen times, trying to get them to fit right.

[RICHR]

[RICHR]

 

[WhalePirot]

In the late 60s GM came out with a fix. The installed a cable ....

Thanks, Glenn. I remember that and would hope for a simpler, faster solution. I am getting close....to something. I just hope it is not a brick wall.

Windshield wipers are over-rated anyway. Just use Rain-Ex and drive faster! Besides - Vettes don't belong in the wet anyway .

The car has seen little rain and probably will not see any more. Heck, it has to leave the garage, first! I always marveled that the windshield slope and a very light wax coat precluded much need for wipers.

I just looked at mine again; my wiper cover is cracked, but NOT where it passes closest to the plenum. It looks like when someone (maybe me...) was putting the valve covers on, it got smacked. Those covers were put on and off a couple dozen times, trying to get them to fit right.

Are you using stock or aftermarket covers? My 'stockers' are a tight fit, mostly due to other things, but fit fine.

I paid 1/2 for new for a used cover; about $70. There were two on eBay; one for $54, shipped and the other was lots less, but I did not see the closing price. I was going to use my-new-best-friend, JB Weld, to fix the cover, and may, if this one cracks. I wanted it to look better than a patch job. I did, however, fix a sizable hole in my heater box, down below the right angular brace, behind the washer reservoir with JB. I found the hole because a ceramic plug boot fell into it. ad

 

[rrubel]

JB Weld = friend indeed. Fixed the radiator side tank on my Outback with the stuff long enough for a new radiator to arrive.

My valve covers are Pro-form (GM Performance) and they don't fit well at all. They've got the double rim that seals all around both sides of the head, but they didn't fit the heads I have without some serious grinding down. And they're close to the wiper motor...

[RICHR]