We started by setting the...
We started by setting the engine up to get a good feel for how everything would be positioned. Aaron measured the front end (from firewall to radiator) and placed the engine as low as possible for hood clearance.
So by now you've noticed that we've taken this "little project" of ours a lot further than we first anticipated! However, we have not lost sight of our goal to show you the complete buildup of this bad little 'Yota to keep you inspired with your own long-term projects. For this month's installment we'll go over the building of the custom motor and transmission mounts. The same rules apply to building these mounts as building pretty much anything from scratch. The tape measure is your best friend.
As long as you follow the golden mini-trucker rule to measure 1,000 times and cut once, then building your own motor and/or tranny mounts isn't anything to fear. The main thing to keep in mind will be the placement of the motor. You'll have many things that you'll need to take into account, including hood clearance, firewall clearance, and radiator placement. You can't mock your engine in place until all of those factors are added to the equation. Since we're building our own engine mounts on a fully custom frame, the easiest way to center the engine in the frame is to measure from the inside of the frame rails to the center of the crankshaft. The engine should sit at around a five- or six-degree angle, tilted rearward.
Once the motor is set up, then the process can begin. We started by mounting the transmission because all that was required was a flat piece of 3/16-inch steel. Aaron measured the stock tranny mount and built the new one to the exact same specs. Once the tranny was mounted Aaron quickly busted out the engine mounts. On this particular frame the best thing to do for the motor mounts was use the existing control arm mounts and build off them for the engine mounts. Follow along as we show you just how easy it was to get Dragged Daily mounted and that much closer to completion. Stay tuned as we continue you to bring you the full coverage of this buildup. For more information, contact the company listed in the source box.
We started with the transmission...
We started with the transmission mount first. Aaron measured the stock mount first on the stock truck and wrote down all the measurements to know exactly how the engine sat in the 'Yota before we cut it all up.
Next Aaron measured the placement...
Next Aaron measured the placement for the tranny mount and welded in the crossbeam.
With the crossbeam in place...
With the crossbeam in place he got back to work on the actual mount using a piece of 3/16-inch steel plate.
Using the measurements from...
Using the measurements from the stock mount all the holes were measured and marked.
Next all the holes were drilled...
Next all the holes were drilled and cut.
Here's a look at the new tranny...
Here's a look at the new tranny mount--simple and clean.
Next, the mount is welded...
Next, the mount is welded to the crossbar and the frame.
That wraps up the transmission...
That wraps up the transmission mounting, and now we can mount the engine.
Moving to the front of the...
Moving to the front of the engine, (cont'd on next page)...
Aaron checks the angle and...
Aaron checks the angle and centers the engine in the framerails.
We measured the stock motor...
We measured the stock motor mount on the stock motor and frame just to get the same reference like we measured for the tranny mount (although it's obviously not necessary).
Again, we took all the measurements...
Again, we took all the measurements of the mounting holes for the side that bolts to the motor.
With measurements in hand,...
With measurements in hand, Aaron cut out two pieces of 3/16's for the mounts.
The holes are marked and drilled,...
The holes are marked and drilled, and then the mounts are cleaned up and bolted on to double check everything.
After the engine plate is...
After the engine plate is made, we measure the mounting point to the frame. Aaron also cut and welded a support between the framerails for added strength.
Once the support was welded...
Once the support was welded in place, Aaron measured and marked the top mount location.
Next the hole was drilled...
Next the hole was drilled for the placement of the top bracket.
Then the top mount was assembled...
Then the top mount was assembled and bolted into place.
Aaron tacked the bracket in,...
Aaron tacked the bracket in, then disassembled it and fully welded it in place.
With the top bracket in place,...
With the top bracket in place, the tubing for the mount can be measured and cut and reassembled. Here's a look at the top mount ready to go.
After the top mount is assembled,...
After the top mount is assembled, the connecting piece of tubing can be measured.
Next, the connecting tube...
Next, the connecting tube is cut and notched.
The connecting piece is cleaned...
The connecting piece is cleaned up and then tacked into place.
Once the mount is tacked,...
Once the mount is tacked, the whole engine mount can be taken apart and completely welded together.
And there you have it--the...
And there you have it--the perfect engine mounts for a truck that's being built from the ground up.
Here's a look at everything...
Here's a look at everything put back together with the motor mounted. Stay tuned for more Dragged Daily action coming your way.