I am (very slowly) building the Vega with a pretty radical N/A engine and have run across a problem. Well, really the problem of the day. I have the engine set-back and also installed a rack and pinion steering system which leaves very little room for a driver's side engine mount. The rack is right where the mount would be. I plan on having the engine solid mounted to the chassis. I have to build something as stock stuff clearly won't fit. Looking at the front of the engine it appears a motor plate might work well with the space I have available to work with. Has anyone ever actually used one? It looks like it bolts between the water pump and front cover. There are a bunch of bolts but they are not very big so I worry some about strength and longevity. The engine is a 4.1L block. I estimate the engine will be at the most 500hp on the bottle. I may eventually do a blow-thru which could be more power but one thing at a time. Any experiences out there? Thanks for any suggestions.
Anyone use a front motor plate?
- Thread starter fuzzyGN
- Start date
Do you really need a motor plate for 500hp? What are you using for motor mounts? My race car has a mid plate on it, the only consideration there was converter spacing. My other car is running a set of HR stage 2 motor mounts, good up to 1400, with no plate. It's making well north of 900+.If I push it any further I will mid plate it also to take some of the stress off of the mounts.
The motor plate is more for mounting simplicity than the need for strength. The car is tiny and space is really limited. Conventional mounts are not even close to being an option. I will have to fab something regardless and will have to start from scratch. The more room I take up for a mount means less room for the steering and header. It would have been tight with the engine in the stock location but moving it back made it worse. I am just looking for options and this one looks like it may work. I was hoping some stories of "Been there, done it" and here is the pitfalls. Did you only use a mid plate on your racecar or is in combo with stock motor mounts?
Production 4.1L block. Everything else is upgraded (steel crank, Oliver rods, aluminum heads, Ti valves, solid roller, ...) but for this discussion it is the block which matters. Stock engine mounts for this application are not an option. Would a front plate alone to mount the engine be enough when used in combo with a poly trans mount at the back? Should a mid plate also be used? Again, it isn't really the horsepower but just mounting the engine into the car.
- Joined
- May 26, 2001
Eric, we had a similar case on a custom installation years ago.
If you use a motor plate at the rear it will take the torque force of the engine, and you could then use brackets up front mounted on the heads to support the engine?
If you use a motor plate at the rear it will take the torque force of the engine, and you could then use brackets up front mounted on the heads to support the engine?
I had thought of a similar possibility but wasn't sure if the head bolts should be used to hold up the engine. This is basically what the effect would be if the front of the head was used to support the engine. The rest of the engine would be hanging. Maybe the mid plate would be carrying most of the load and the additional weight wouldn't be much of a factor? Interesting conversation anyway. I like the custom solutions ideas. Nick, is this how you guys solved the problem? supported the heads and it all worked out well?
ek02
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2008
Glad to see you are moving forward with the Vega. Nick's idea of a mid plate and plates bolted to the heads in front would work very well. Building mounts off the side of the block would be easier than making a mid plate if you can figure out how to get enough clearance for the steering. Also, with a mid plate you will need some spacers to get the right converter to flywheel clearance. Not really a problem. Headers should be well clear of the mounts.
