We aquired 3 of Howard from AR fabrication's motor plates. We got them monday and started to install one of them. We feel this is the absolute best way to solidly mount a motor for a drag car. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves for the most part.

We wont be needing the rear mount anymore; will we? Here is Chris ("Miller") drilling out the spot welds for the rear mount.


We are using a solid mount I actually made years ago based off of the stock mounts.


Stap 2. Weld in plates/bar across frame of car.


Attatch the motorplate and sit it in the car.



Wow!. Absolutely perfect! The motor is crooked and doesnt really fit! I guess our calculations were correct. (This was an un-milled tranny casing on the car)



We straightened the motor and roughly marked where the plate is sitting on the bar; then Notched it out a little bit. No final cuts just yet. I needed to mill the bell housing down.



Mill the bellhousing down.


Now we took the bellhousing and stuck an outer case on it. I took a tranny mount and positioned it in place as though I was putting it on to mount the tranny. We adjusted accordingly, marked the plate, and notched it again. This time it fit like we wanted. We sat the motor down on the plate. Took a motorplate bracket, put it against the plate. In the first pic the hasport in the background is actually attatched to the tranny.



I then drilled a hole through the plate and put through a 3\8 nut and bolt. Then I tack welded it in place.



Then I took a weld-in clevis, added a small section of tube and added it to the front.


Everything is perfectly in position now. Time to weld!


Finished!

 

lookin good guys, glad you like

 

My midplate goes faster than yours J/K

Looks good glad to see it is going to use, I know I had as much time and effort into that piece as Howard.

Just so everybody knows, this install in a ek with stock subframe, is stupid easy!
So do not be scared to do this!

I like the quick pin in the clevis, BUT you know that is got to be a bitch to deal with? I am assuming you are leaving one dowel out, putting it in place with a jack, the installing the dowel in place.

Anyway GOOD JOB

 

very nice, love it !!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FMUNK &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I like the quick pin in the clevis, BUT you know that is got to be a bitch to deal with? I am assuming you are leaving one dowel out, putting it in place with a jack, the installing the dowel in place.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

why do you say this? we have taken the mock up engine out of the car 4 times already and have yet to have any issues with it going to where it belongs. we are using both dowels. the plate sits on the clevis and the back bar where it is notched. i dont know if you maybe you thought the plate was floating in the clevis but its not.

 

I see a huge problem..........Theres a hole in the motor

Looks good guys, i gotta get down to visit one of these days

 

nice writeup

 

What class is this car for? Looks good!

 

SFWD, and yes we are fully aware of what the rule book states.

 

so miller, how much to do all this to my street car? (parts and install labor)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SONIC BOOM &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so miller, how much to do all this to my street car? (parts and install labor)</TD></TR></TABLE>

pm'd

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by miller &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">SFWD, and yes we are fully aware of what the rule book states.</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's not what the rule says it's how the NHRA interprets. Your interpretion could be different.

I would email them or have Howard do it so he can sell them as a NHRA legal part.

I say this cause one of the reason the Ecotec can't run are the motor mounts (They delete the factory mounting points). Also Chris Dye had a problem with his earlier this year.

Your adding a front mount and deleting the stock rear for a different mounting position.

 

the door is crooked on the little blue house you have drawn on your wall


looks like a lot of work. turned out nicely though. this goes into the long shifter catagory for me though


what are the AN fittings going through the firewall for?

 

Gotcha, I see what your talkin bout now.
Now all you need is a BILLET Bellhousing, and maybe a BILLET Handcuff.
PM me if interested.
Well........I got to get back to work got to put my second coat of Chevrolet Orange on my block.

 

John is correct. After the whole ordeal with Chis Dye and his motor mounts we went ahead and asked NHRA about this mid-plate and mounts. I emailed the tech department about mounts and mid plate, along with our air box and it was a no go. Its all good. You wont me saying NHRA is being a bitch because I realize they are trying to have parity.

 

damn I know who's car that is .. wow. Maybe I'll stop by the shop this weekend, very nice work guys!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by FredoSP &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">damn I know who's car that is .. wow. Maybe I'll stop by the shop this weekend, very nice work guys!! </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by boostfeen &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

</TD></TR></TABLE> Thanks for all the compliments on my car, thanks guys

 

so the mid-plate is not allowed in NHRA SFWD class?

 

nope, but its ok i would still get one those things for my street car

 

my Jaw started chattering when i seen those pics.. hehehe

 

the car will be sfwd legal when we are done with it. we are not going to go through all of this to have a car we cant race.

 

can someone from NHRA chime in,cause this is interesting.

i cant see it being legal.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by aggressivemotorsports &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">can someone from NHRA chime in,cause this is interesting.

i cant see it being legal.</TD></TR></TABLE>

why whats wrong with it? it mounts in the stock location. So it dosent utilize stock mounting points, thats the issue? what about every one who has an h22 swap in thre car, dont you have to remove the passenger side mount from the frame rail to fit it? what about the k series swaps in the ef/eg/ek or dc chassis'? they dont even have a "stock mounting location!"

what benifits do we reap from this plate other then to solidify the engine and transmission? so what about the full-race traction bars that mount to the engine? what about the j's/ spoon engine dampner's those are illegal in nhra now too?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Arturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">John is correct. After the whole ordeal with Chis Dye and his motor mounts we went ahead and asked NHRA about this mid-plate and mounts. I emailed the tech department about mounts and mid plate, along with our air box and it was a no go. Its all good. You wont me saying NHRA is being a bitch because I realize they are trying to have parity.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

the man above already specifically asked

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by miller &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the car will be sfwd legal when we are done with it. we are not going to go through all of this to have a car we cant race. </TD></TR></TABLE>

you should probably call and get that in writing that it is okay then, just my $.02 since we have dealt recently with our interpretation vs the nhra's interpretation of the rule book