This may be an obvious question, Doc, but do you plan to weigh everything assembled so we can compare it to a typical cast iron slant?

Oh, and thanks for the "virtual ride-along"! This has been fascinating...

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vm

Yes... I will get a total weight if I can find a scale that is big enough.
(my bathroom scale does not go that high!)

Weigh the individual parts. If they're still too heavy, spread the weight over 2 scales.

Ken

I have been weighing all the individual parts so I already have a good idea on the projected total engine weight. I have not weighed all the bolts and little fittings so getting the fully assembled engine on a scale, right before installation would be cool.

I do have 2 "bathroom scales" so is it correct to say that if I set the engine on both, and add the readings, that would give a correct total weight? (I will test this method but it sounds reasonable)

I will also do a "Plan B" by weighing the car before and right after the engine swap.
DD

2 scale method should work fine as long as surface is level.

I like the car weight method too. Too bad my Longacre scales are 2600 mi away...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

If you have a length of 4x4 or larger you can easily rig up a lever scale.

Sling the engine as usual with a cherry picker, leaving enough room in the chain loop to slide the beam through. A short spreader'll make it easier later.

Place a pivot bar on a solid bench for a fulcrum and place the scale on a solid stand. Place another pivot bar on the scale so that the tops of both pivots are equal, shim as needed.

Situate the beam accross the pivots and through the chain loop. Locate the chain loop 1/3 or 1/4 the total distance from the fulcrum pivot to the scale pivot.

Zero the scale with everything but the engine aboard and you're ready. Lower the engine chain into position on the beam and multiply the reading by the factor you're using.

With a bit of care this can actually be quite accurate.

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Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link

I personally think the car weighing would be the best, and be less of a pain in the a$$, with trying to figure everything out, but thats just my 2cents

-Mike

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I am the Guardian, I hate helos, everything leaks.......

OK, we figured-out a easy way to get the engine weighed on a single scale and now have a weight for Buster.



As they do at the Summer Fair, go to this poll and play "guess Buster's weight".
(There is no fuel pump or distributor included in this weight number)

http://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36834

The Dacuda car is now out of the garage and have also done a weight check on the car, with it's current cast iron engine.

Now I log-off, get out there and swap the engine!
DD

OK, we pulled the cast iron engine, swapped-over some parts (fuel pump, alt. bracket, flex plate, etc.) and stuffed Buster into the Dacuda.

So... seeing that the exhaust is going to get reworked for the Dutra Duals and I already did some measuring and firewall "reworking"... we are going to delay the install to take a shot at setting the engine back 3/4 of an inch.

Here are the engine mounts we made-up to do the deed:



This "side effort" puts an extra level of difficulting into the swap but as they say... now is the time.

So we removed the shift linkage bellcrank and the exhaust pipe, then dropped the engine into the bay, then bolted it to the trans.
At that point, I went under the car and removed the rear trans. mount bolts, that allowed the assembly to move rearward and the passenger side engine mount to drop into it's K-frame hole. The drivers side is a little off "lay-out" so I will have to make some adjustments to that mount bracket when I get home tonight.

The next step will be to alter the rear transmission mount so it bolts down in the new location.
Once the assembly in fastened down, I can start on getting the shift linkage and the new exhaust re-installed... and do all the other engine hook-ups.
Needless to say, I still have some work to do!
DD

Doc, Does this engine have a traditional Iron Head or does it have Some kind of cast Aluminum Head?


Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

3/4"? Por que?

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Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link

It has a prototype factory aluminum head. (1960 casting date)
Hint: The head weighs 36 pounds.
DD

Doc's got all the coolest slant schwag !! Still waiting on you to cast that head for the rest of us LOL !!


-Mike

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I am the Guardian, I hate helos, everything leaks.......

Well... 3/4 of an inch is not a lot but it's "there for the taking"... with some extra work.
Remember, this is my street car, basically a daily driver so I'm not going to cut on the firewall or do any major fabrication work. ( I lie, the custom engine mount brackets are getting close to "major" fab work! )

Guess what limits the amount of set-back? On this car, its the speedometer cable! At 3/4 of an inch set-back, the cable is with-in 1/8 inch of one of the trans cross member mounting bolt heads... and 1/4" from hitting the front face of the cross member it's self. I can still screw the cable onto the trans but it's now a tight fit, in a small space.

Last night I "fine-tuned" the driver's side engine mount bracket and altered the rear trans cross member and mount. The engine / trans assembly is now bolted down in it's new location.

I was ready to do some serious cutting and welding on that rear trans cross member but once we took some measurements, I was able to grind-off enough material to make it fit. (I love my die grander & angle grinder)
Basically, all the mounting holes were "ovaled-out" to allow the x-member to drop down lower and allow the trans to slide rearward.





Seeing that the unit now hangs lower, we altered the bracket's driver's side, to allow more exhaust pipe clearance. Some hacksaw slits, hammer work, fit check and welding had that area contacting the unibody beam it mounts to.
DD

How did you find the aluminum head? Did an old factory worker have it stashed away in the garage?