Blair Patrick thanks for my Tunnelport for my 69 Torino Cobra project

[fetorino]

Are you also planning to move the engine back from the stock location?

Yes  I am placing the motor back 6+ inches.

[fetorino]

QUESTION---

Are those rotors oxided, or are they carbon fibre?

KS

I wish my rotors were ceramic but they are not they are Wilwoods e-coat.

[fetorino]

More cutting

[fetorino]

I finished cutting out my firewall and tunnel for the motor set back project.  Then brought my motor down to the shop and for the hell of it weighed it on one of my intercomp scales.

[jayb]

Who says FEs are heavy LOL!  Nothing like an aluminum engine...

[cjshaker]

Dang, that is light. Just the weight difference going from an iron block to an aluminum would make a road-racer have to start from square one in tuning the suspension I would think. Good thing you're already there 

And those exhaust ports certainly have been "heat treated" by Blair...lol

[Heo]

Just 20 LBS more than a 4 cyl Volvo
Iron engine

[fetorino]

Who says FEs are heavy LOL!  Nothing like an aluminum engine...

Jay

Remember when you weighed my single 4 TP intake you said it was the lightest FE intake you had seen to date.  If I ran AL heads I could shave another 30lbs?

Dang, that is light. Just the weight difference going from an iron block to an aluminum would make a road-racer have to start from square one in tuning the suspension I would think. Good thing you're already there 

And those exhaust ports certainly have been "heat treated" by Blair...lol

Doug

The heads are cast iron and clear coated after a fresh peeen and bake to look like AL.  But when you do three days on the dyno the clear coat takes a beating. 

As far as square one on teh suspension you got that right.

You start with the king pin inclination of the spindle and amount of front suspension travel along with the camber and castor gain figures.  Then you can come up with some static castor and camber settings to try and keep the tires flat under load in dive.  We will put my car on my intercomp corner scales and come up with total weight and weight bias figures.  The weight combined with the front roll center and estimated CG (along with the instant center and perceived optimal rear roll center since it is adjustable) will let a guy smarter than me with some software figure the total roll stiffness I need front and rear.  From there we'll get spring and roll bar rates to achieve the total roll stiffness needed and end up with a base tune.  The same guy speccing my springs and bars will set up the valving on the shocks.  The shocks will be a huge part of this all working correctly.

Just like building a motor the combo is the key and there are a bunch of variables.  Easy right?

[cjshaker]

You start with the king pin inclination of the spindle and amount of front suspension travel along with the camber and castor gain figures.  Then you can come up with some static castor and camber settings to try and keep the tires flat under load in dive.  We will put my car on my intercomp corner scales and come up with total weight and weight bias figures.  The weight combined with the front roll center and estimated CG (along with the instant center and perceived optimal rear roll center since it is adjustable) will let a guy smarter than me with some software figure the total roll stiffness I need front and rear.  From there we'll get spring and roll bar rates to achieve the total roll stiffness needed and end up with a base tune.  The same guy speccing my springs and bars will set up the valving on the shocks.  The shocks will be a huge part of this all working correctly.

Just like building a motor the combo is the key and there are a bunch of variables.  Easy right?

Ah yes, it all makes sense now! 

I studied suspension geometry for a few days some years ago when I considered building a road racer to have fun with, and quickly came to the conclusion that.....why would I deprive those experts from making a living to support their families by trying to learn their trade and doing it myself? 
I quickly realized that it was something that took years to learn. It really is an art when done correctly!!

[fetorino]

Did a quick first test fit tonight

[cjshaker]

It really isn't good for engines to sit. You should loan me that thing until you're ready for it. I'll keep it oiled up for ya

I think I'd be notching that dang cowl too. First time I went to remove a valve cover, I'd be cussing that thing.....after locating the dropped bolts....

[fetorino]

It really isn't good for engines to sit. You should loan me that thing until you're ready for it. I'll keep it oiled up for ya

I think I'd be notching that dang cowl too. First time I went to remove a valve cover, I'd be cussing that thing.....after locating the dropped bolts....

Thanks for offering to keep the engine warm but I think it will be ok.   

I am sneaking up on the cutting.  I do want some more clearance to be able to adjust the valse without pulling the motor.

My Alston Chassisworks front plate arrived and passed inspection.

[machoneman]

Are you doing a mid-plate as well?

[fetorino]

Are you doing a mid-plate as well?

Bob

Yes I am welding ears onto the quicktime blowproof shield to act as a midplate and running a rubber trans mount.

[fetorino]

As I kept trimming the firewall further and further to give myself clearance to set the motor down and back it became apparent that the stock hanging pedals weren't going to cut it.

Here was the first test fit with a minimal cut.  In this picture the motor was still .25" off center and you can see I have no clearance between the VC and remaining firewall.  You can also see how close the 4 bolts that hold the stock pedal hanger are to the VC.  I ended cutting the firewall to the other side of the mounting holes so no more stock pedal hanger.:headscratch:





Earlier in the week my buddy who's shop my car is at, Brett, had pointed out I had plenty of room for a floor pedal set up.  I agreed with him but my concern was the header collectors need to go somewhere and that path would be down near the footwell.  But after cutting the firewall to where I wanted it and measuring it was clear I have a lot more flexibility with fitting the floor pedals than a hanging set. :hairpullout: 

So I went shopping.




Although this is a 600 series Tilton Pedal set up it has the 900 series bracket to run the Series 77 master cylinders.  The mounting of these is supposed to eliminate binding in pedal travel and the migrating of the bias due to some of the binding.



Having put the motor in the chassis where I want it to sit it is also clear that a front plate and midplate set up would make sense for mounting the motor.

 The front plate will also give me a nice plane to use for the PS pump and alt mounting brackets that don't yet exist.  Since I have a Peterson stackable mandrel drive I can use whatever existing PS or Alt brackets I like the look of and tailor the belt alignment via the position of the pulleys on the Peterson Mandrel.  Those parts arrived long time ago so here is a reminder what they look like. This is better than digging through the wrecking yard this thread sorta is.



The Midplate will be a custom piece that Brett will fab.  The front plate I got from Chris Alston Chassisworks.  It has plenty of extra material I will trim off once all the final mounting positions of the motor and accessories are determined.  As you can see in the photo my chief parts guy checked it all out and told me it was good to go.



:cheers: