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Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please

Posted By: Duster_Dude

Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 02:52 PM

Ok motor plate guy's here's one for you....
I'm about to install a front motor plate & mounts in my '72 Duster. I'll be using a Mancini B/RB Billet front motor plate, and for mounts I plan on using 2" tall angle iron brackets mounted atop each frame rail on the front side of the plate.
One potential problem I see is clearance of the engine plate over top of the mounts when removing or installing the engine with the trans attached.
Not that I'll be doing that often, just thinking ahead.
As much as I'd like to weld them in, I've considered bolting them down to the frame rails for ease of taking the engine in and out.
The question I have is have any of you done this and how does it hold up?
Any unforseen problems here?
Below is a couple pics of what I've got (which sometimes ain't much!).
Please post any pics you have of your motor plates and mounts, I'd really like to see some.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!


Posted By: PolyDart

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 03:23 PM





I set mine up in a double shear arrangement. The one in back is welded and bolted, the one in front is just bolted so the engine can be easily removed.
Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 03:31 PM

Quote:





I set mine up in a double shear arrangement. The one in back is welded and bolted, the one in front is just bolted so the engine can be easily removed.



Problem.... take the front bracket off, other wise
you have to go up and over it to drop in the engine.
I know you have it bolted, just weld the rear one
in place and you wont need the front one and you wont
have bolts coming loose
Posted By: bigdad

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 03:33 PM

Mine tie in the upper shock mounts and mount the plate off them

Attached picture 5002663-2003_0101enginepics0006.JPG
Posted By: QWK_ENUF

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 03:50 PM

ok

Attached picture 5002709-plate2.jpg
Posted By: AndyF

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 04:05 PM

Looks good so far but you don't need the front brackets. There really isn't very much force on those brackets. The weight of the engine keeps it in place for the most part. Even with 600 ft-lbs of torque the bolts only have to resist about 150 lbs of shear force each on the driver's side. That is nothing for a bolt that size to handle.
Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 04:10 PM

One thing, I would keep the 2 mounting bolts in the
plate like you have, this does help in frame flex
where a single bolt can let it pivot on the bolt, sure
it would be binding but it still can flex
EDIT
I would also add engine limiters to take the torque
of the launch
Posted By: afxcoronet

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 04:20 PM

Here's mine...

Attached picture 5002782-IM000152.JPG
Posted By: Thumperdart

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 04:25 PM

I welded mine behind the plate that way the motor slides out easier and when installing the motor, it slides right in and butts up againtsed the brackets.
Posted By: Duster_Dude

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 10:39 PM

ab7fh, like those shiny brackets.
That seems to be the most sensible way to do it with my set up.
Thanks for the input fella's, some great work there!
Keep those pics comin'!
Posted By: PolyDart

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 10:56 PM

Quote:

Looks good so far but you don't need the front brackets.



I like the double shear setup. It may be over kill, but that's ok with me. I'm not running in a class that needs to worry about every last ounce of weight.

To the poster who said the front bracket is in the way. The front bracket is removable. No problem pulling the motor forward.
Posted By: Ari440

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/05/09 11:28 PM

heres mine :












Posted By: B Dartman

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/06/09 01:23 AM

I agree with Mr_P_Body See my signature link photos... I welded the bracket in front and is a bit of a hassle going up and over as it's a pretty snug fit. Would have been better with bracket behind the plate..
Posted By: Ari440

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/06/09 01:29 AM

Quote:

I agree with Mr_P_Body See my signature link photos... I welded the bracket in front and is a bit of a hassle going up and over as it's a pretty snug fit. Would have been better with bracket behind the plate..




if you weld the plate in the front its a pain to do

but if you pass a long bolt througth the frame rail its only one bolt per side to do


I did mine so you use the whole frame rail to hold the moter in place, then just welding the bracket on a thin metal rail on top
Posted By: Dads426

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/06/09 02:09 AM

Quote:

I would also add engine limiters to take the torque of the launch



What do your limiters look like? Are they off the factory ears on the block? I thought the motor plate would limit engine movement without the need for limiters.
Posted By: bigtimeauto

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/06/09 02:31 AM


Posted By: G_bob

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/06/09 03:18 AM

As long as I'm re-doing the motor, I figured I'd fix the motor plate setup and down bars as well.

Here is how it was set up before.


Can't see it well in the pic, but the motorplate mounted to tabs on the downbars from the backside, so there's no way to pull the motor with the plate attached.
Major PITA.

Now don't laugh, cause it looks bad now, but the block is just an old junker to use for positioning, the real one is at the machine shop.
Anyway, the plate is replaced by elephant ears (although I'm seriously considering an AR Engineering plate instead.


The ears are bolted from the frontside to tabs welded to the frame rails.


Also re-did the down bars to lay them over next to the inner fenders and they are stitched to the shock towers.





It's still ugly, but as soon as I pull the old block out I'll be re-painting the engine bay, re-doing the wiring and re-plumbing the brake, trans and fuel lines.
Posted By: rowin4

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/06/09 04:54 AM

The elephant ear will work for awhile , they have a problem with the water pump gaskets leaking from engine torqueing back and forth.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/06/09 05:15 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I would also add engine limiters to take the torque of the launch



What do your limiters look like? Are they off the factory ears on the block? I thought the motor plate would limit engine movement without the need for limiters.



I dont think I have any pics but yes I use the motor
mount ears to a tab welded to the chassis/frame. You
could incorporate the motor plate tab and the limiter
tab all in one. A flat plate isnt the best thing to
control fore/aft movement, specially if you launch hard
Posted By: Duster_Dude

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/06/09 02:32 PM

Quote:

As long as I'm re-doing the motor, I figured I'd fix the motor plate setup and down bars as well.

Here is how it was set up before.


Can't see it well in the pic, but the motorplate mounted to tabs on the downbars from the backside, so there's no way to pull the motor with the plate attached.
Major PITA.

Now don't laugh, cause it looks bad now, but the block is just an old junker to use for positioning, the real one is at the machine shop.
Anyway, the plate is replaced by elephant ears (although I'm seriously considering an AR Engineering plate instead.


The ears are bolted from the frontside to tabs welded to the frame rails.


Also re-did the down bars to lay them over next to the inner fenders and they are stitched to the shock towers.





It's still ugly, but as soon as I pull the old block out I'll be re-painting the engine bay, re-doing the wiring and re-plumbing the brake, trans and fuel lines.



It's gotta be ugly before its purdy.....
I like the idea with the down bars, I thought about making some sort of bracket to connect the bars to the shock towers....but with fenderwell headers, I wanted to get the bars away from everything.
Posted By: RAT PATROL

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/06/09 02:51 PM

Simple and LIGHT.

Attached picture 5005124-65Hemiresized.jpg
Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/07/09 12:32 AM

I have used several sets of Elepahant ears to mount B-RB and Hemis in 1967 and on A bodys, I have also used one of AndyF motor plate like you have to mount a blown Street Hemi in a 1971 Pro Street Cuda I use a piece of 1 inch x 1/4 or 3/16 inch thick angle iron welded onto the top of the frame rails and drill and bolt a 3/8 allen head fastener to hold them together My picture may not be real good as the motor is in the car the way I drive it, but here goes anyways BTW, it is hard to get it behind the frame tab but that is the way I run it, higher and further back

Attached picture 5006246-MVC-024S.JPG
Posted By: Duster_Dude

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/07/09 04:43 PM

Quote:





I set mine up in a double shear arrangement. The one in back is welded and bolted, the one in front is just bolted so the engine can be easily removed.



Where did you come up with these brackets or what did they start life as?
I like the idea of them being taller than the 2" tall angle iron I have.
They look to be 3/16" thick or so... The brackets I planned on using are 1/8" thick, but as I see most of you use at least 3/16 or 1/4" angle iron, which is probably what I'll end up using.
Thanks for all the help fella's!
Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/07/09 05:11 PM

They look to be 3/16" thick or so... The brackets I planned on using are 1/8" thick, but as I see most of you use at least 3/16 or 1/4" angle iron, which is probably what I'll end up using.
Thanks for all the help fella's!



I have a single tab welded to the chassis on each
side of the car.... .100 thickness, 2 bolts per side
Posted By: AndyF

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/07/09 05:13 PM

I think those brackets are from Mancini Racing. MRE-1997 is the part number I have on my sheet.
Posted By: Duster_Dude

Re: Front Motor Plate Question....Pics please - 02/07/09 08:37 PM

Thanks Mr. P Body!
Judging by your sig pic, your mounts are workin' just fine!
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