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I'm considering going with a tubular Kmember
I think I'm at the point where I should be going with a motor plate.
So do I have to go with a midplate as well if the Kmember is designed without motor mounts?
What brand plate did you start with? Did you put a midplate in? I bought a K member that doesn't have motor mounts so I need to put front and midplates in and a stabilizer. Yours came out nice.
Thanks for replying. That's the midplate I bought and the frt. plate I was looking at. I'm thinking of putting the plates in before I pull my K member with motor mounts so I can keep the motor in the same location. I was wondering which side to put the mounting plates on the midplate. I was going to pull the transmission to fit the midplate first.
That's what I did.
Used the motor mounts and then put the front plate on.
Then the midplate.
I'd recommend using the motion race works one, it's got more material on it.
As for the mounting plates? The ones you weld to the car, will always be closer to the diff, rather than in front.
That way you drop the engine into the bay, and push the front and mid plate up to the mounts.
I guess that it will work either way. I looked at it that the midplate is going to stay in place and hold the transmission if I pull the motor and it will stay in place if I pull the transmission it will hold the motor.
Pics would be great! Is this a track only car? Mine is, I built it in the late 90's and it's been raced ever since. I had another car that had motor plates but no brace from motor to frame and it cracked a trans case.
Not a track only car.
I drive my car almost every Sunday for cruise nights.
Also, I have been in a couple "drive to the track and race and drive home events"
I'm in the middle of fitting the mid-plate. I had to pull the transmission so I'm working from under there. I've got the plate trimmed and it fits good. I have mine low on the drivers side down like your is on the pass side. I wanted to use 1 1/2" angle for brackets but like everything on these cars nothing fits and the plate doesn't meet the chassis at a right angle so I guess I'll use the plates that came with the kit and the gussets. I see you have an Ultrabell on your trans, it must be tight getting the trans bolts in and out. I broke a bellhousing on one of my transmissions and hesitated to put an Ultrabell until I could cut the transmission tunnel and make some room. Your mid-plate bracket on the drivers side looks like it's right at the transmission bolt and welded to the transmission tunnel.
In your pics it looks like you have a low mount alternator on the drivers side. What mount did you use? Did you trim out the motor plate for it to fit? Are you using a rack and pinion? How close is the steering shaft to the alt.? I have a Powermaster low mount alt. right now and don't know if it will clear.
I just came back to this thread to refresh my memory and look at the pics. I just started fitting my frt. motor plate. I used the cardboard the plate came in as a template which is how I did the mid plate. I wanted to see how your plate fit at the drivers wheel housing. Isn't amazing how as wide as the plate is it comes up short on the drivers side! Your motor must sit a little higher than mine as the plate uncut is actually over the valve cover lip in the drivers side, or did you cut yours down that much? Mine looks like your first pic right now and the plate covers the top hole on the head. I marked and cut the cardboard for my alternator and it takes a pretty good sized hole down low next to the block for it to fit. Mine is a Powermaster kit that attaches at the 2 lower holes on the block. I'll have to get a 1/4" shim for my pulley to work.
How much did you have to cut for your alternator to fit? It's a pretty good sized hole I need as my alternator fits along side the block down low like yours. I have solid motor mounts and I know they are short and the motor sits low, it's real close between the oil pan and the stock K member and I can't fit an aftermarket pan unless it has a stock front section. Has it all worked out well with the plates and the K member with no mounts?
LB9GTA, What did you use to make the long cuts of the plate? I've got mine roughed in like your first pic using my Portaband. Can't make too deep of a cut with that. Did you use a band saw?
I have some equipment, if you cut that with a cutoff wheel you did a heck of a job. I did the cardboard deal to get the initial rough in. As I said I used a Portaband to do the notches. I needed 1" cut off of the top to get the plate below the intake as it interfered. I was going to mark it all out and have a machine shop cut it. Instead I found a metal cutting blade for my table top wood working band saw. It's a cheapo I bought at a pawn shop so I had nothing to lose. It worked perfect! I was able to make a fence and neatly cut the inch off of the top. I scribed out the bottom like yours and sliced that right off. Next step is the alternator hole. I have a motor on a stand so I can mock it up on that motor which might make it easier.
I'm glad you started this thread! You're pics helped me a lot I really appreciate it, always easier when you look at pics. Once I get the plate in I might delay my K member install with the rack as I want to go racing.
