Jeepster Roller, Part 6 - Engine Test Fit

I wanted the Jeepster sitting on four tires for this part of the process.  Jack stands seem to get in the way of the engine hoist legs!

Engine-Transmission Test Fit

This probably isn't technically required for a rolling chassis, but the engine/transmission/transfer case takes up a huge amount of space in the garage.  Getting it installed in the frame would be another big milestone, and would free up a lot of floor space!  

Trusty sidekick killing it:

We started with the engine mostly assembled except for the AC Compressor and transfer case, which I already expected to be a problem for frame clearance.  

When dropping the motor into place, we had clearance issues with the shock hoops, and also had to remove...a motor mount...then the other motor mount...then the alternator...and it was still a tight fit!  

At this point, I realized that I probably put the shock hoops in a bad position.  Oops!



We also mocked up the radiator support:


Changes Needed

The pictures don't do a good job of showing all of the changes that are needed:

1. Move Axle Forward

  • Move axle forward about 1"
    • So that the shock hoops will move forward and give more clearance for the alternator
    • This will also give more clearance between the crankshaft pulley/oil pan and truss.


2. Replace Shock Hoops

  • Replace Shock Hoops with TMR Shock Towers
    • They are narrower at the top than the hoops, and will give more clearance for the alternator.
    • These will also angle out away from the frame for even more clearance
    • These are already on order 💰


3. Change Exhaust Manifolds

  • Change exhaust manifolds to more of a center drop
    • Solves interference with upper link mount on the driver's side
    • Solves interference with frame on the passenger side
    • Going to a C6 Corvette LS2-LS3 manifold like shown below.  They are also tapped for an O2 sensor, which is nice.  
    • Another Jeepster with an LS swap used these manifolds successfully, so I should have good luck with them.
    • I'm trying to buy a set on eBay today.

Here's a picture of the C6 Corvette LS2-LS3 manifolds:

Here's a picture of these C6 manifolds installed in a Jeepster.  I'm going to run my exhaust outside of the frame rails just as he did.  There's just no room for the exhaust inside the frame with the big transfer case in the way. The O2 sensor port is nice too:


4. Change Motor Mounts

  • Change motor mounts, if necessary, for clearance to new exhaust manifolds.  
    • I'll get the new manifolds installed and then see what, if anything, is necessary.
    • There might be another issue with the AC compressor clearance to the motor mounts, as I move everything forward.
    • A good solution might be to use a set of C6 Corvette Motor Mounts - if it all fit together in the C6 Corvette, then it should all fit together in my Jeepster!  
    • And the C6 motor mounts are pretty fab-friendly - it would be easy to create the frame side mount from scratch.

C6 Corvette Factory Motor Mount:

5. Move Axle Upper Link Bracket

  • I will probably need to move the Upper Link Axle Bracket on the truss over about an inch or so.  This will provide more clearance between the upper link and motor mount.  

6. Notch Truss

  • I couldn't get a good picture, but the clearance from the truss to the crankshaft pulley isn't great. 
  • Even after moving the axle forward 1", I'll probably still have to notch the truss for uptravel clearance.  
  • This mod may be deferred to later - it's not important at the moment.

6. Replace Water Pump

  • I'm going to replace the (brand new) water pump with a shorter one for more clearance to the radiator/fan.  
  • Cutting into the firewall for more clearance was my other option, which would be time-consuming and potentially difficult.  So a new water pump won't be a bad option.  
  • This could be deferred until later, but having this done will allow me to take some good measurements, and plan for the radiator/fan mounting.  So I'm going to do it now. It's already ordered 💰 .

Conclusion

Lots of work to be done, but really, none of this is too time-consuming.  If I had all the parts, I could easy do all this in a single weekend (if my trusty sidekick was available!).  

Since I don't have the parts, it will probably take me a couple of weeks to get completed.

I'm going to take the time now to get the engine and transmission installed. It will be much more efficient to get it done now while it's fresh in my mind.