MG Sports Cars

Joe, I like your slave cylinder installation and think your throwout rod stays strighter in it travel, but by the time I saw it I had already modified my throwout arm and built a transmission side mount bracket. It was a pretty tight fit compared to yours. If I ever have to do it again I think I'll copy your idea, but I'll tell everybody it your idea. "P"

like those mounts Paul, I shyed away from using them because I felt the comet mounts would be easier. Unfortunetly The mounts cross up on the steering shaft. What are you using on those mounts? Looks like 3/16 or 1/4" plate. The hardest part for me would be getting the bolt pattern of the heads transfered in the right location as to mount the motor square. Did you use any special technique to achieve that? Also are those just generic rubber pads seen in any parts catalog? What do you have planned for mounting the alt? I would think replacing one or two bolts with studs and securing the plate with nuts would work fine. Albeit the 351 is a tad taller and wider but I can make something like that.

Yea I kind of learned the hard way to use the plasma sparingly. I dont work with sheetmetal or anything thinner than 3/16 material much at all within the past couple years. Most of my fitting and fabrication skills come with working on big iron, tubes/pipe ect.... We use plasmas and torches quite a bit but it really leaves a rough edge on sheet metal to work with, which leaves it difficult to grind a straight line in it. I'll be sure to use the right tools for the job this time. ie cutoff wheels, body saws and snips. On the welding side, thats where I feel most comfortable. I cut my teeth in welding using tig and mig on thin material. So as long as I can cut and fit my patches in nice the rest is a breeze.

I've ordered the plastic block and some other parts. And my pop should be picking up the new car this weekend. Maybe I can get some pictures of it. Hopefully when I get back to ohio I can get some work done. Thanks again!

Take a look at the mounts on the MG-Roadmaster thread and on the 340 thread. The latter ones were the second take and came out much nicer, using about 7 ga stainless. Typically a cardboard template is used and then holes are transferred using transfer punches screwed into the bosses. These are easy to make by cutting off a short piece from an allen wrench, loctite that into a setscrew, and grind the end pointy. Then a small socket is used to screw it in and out. Cushions are from the McMasterCarr catalog.

JB

They were cut out of 3/16” and reinforced and stiffened around the edges with 1/8” X 1/2”, cold roll if you can because I think it looks and paints better. I let by shop mate Richard put it in the computer and the CNC machine cut it out then I TIG’ed the ½” stuff and the foot the rubber goes through which I think was 3/8 but I’m not sure; I’ll measure it later today when I get to the hanger and post it here. Get your motor exactly where it’s going to be and make mat-board (because it's stiffer) templates. Even though I used a computer and a CAD program to drive the CNC, I’m a big believer in templates and jigs which I used to locate the bolt holes on the head and you can cut them for very little money until you get what you like then do metal. Also remember the two sides are not the same length because one head is further forward than the other and the frame slopes up. I also used mat-board templates when putting the firewall back together.

The rubber mounts are from McMaster (6309K37), about $5.95 ea. side, and can be ordered over the internet. Though I've never done it, I think Bolt through rubber mounts, as used on roadsters, can be ordered from Speedway as well. This is getting long so I’ll show you how I did the alternator in another post. I hope this helps.

I didn’t include any dimensions as these things are mostly hand built and very often measurements don’t translate from one car to another.


“P”

I used a GM 3-wire alternator a friend gave me and let the computer cut out the bracket for me. For the adjuster rod I used a 5/8” aluminum rod and through drilled it on a lathe then threaded one end with 5/16” right hand threads and the other with left hand threads. I know it looks a little silly but the bungee card is to give me a little visual reference, it still has to be shimmed to make the belt run straight.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2010 11:23AM by pspeaks.

Sorry, I didn't make it to the shop yesterday because of storms in the Dallas area, but I found it while looking for pictures to do a journal. This is the McMaster mount. "P"

Pete, I think you used the later style mounts. There would be no clearance or cutting or welding with the early mounts. They have a single stud not the ears . 65 260,289 Falcon,Comet,Fairlane,Mustang.63-64 260 will work if you drill for 1" wider mount on newer block. Here is a picture of one on Pete Mantell's plastic block.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2010 12:52PM by mgb260.

Hey Jim,

Who makes that offset drive rad fan? That would make some of the projects so much easier.

Cheers
Fred

Quote:

There would be no clearance or cutting or welding with the early mounts.

Hmmm.....I don't want to burst any bubbles, but I use this mount and even with the left mount spaced down 3/4" under the engine bosses, I still had to trim a corner off the mount for steering shaft clearance.
Maybe you found a way around spacing and trimming?

Pete's description sounded more extensive so I think he used the later type mounts with ears and modified them. Fred, You would have to contact Pete Mantell on the fan,it was at his tech session.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2010 06:28PM by mgb260.

Well Im not for sure but the mounts look identical to the ones pictured in Pete Mantell's photo. They have the single stud off the pad and two ears to mount to the block. On the drivers side I cut the ears and welded them to slide back the mount to clear the steering shaft. Like I said before I wasnt happy with doing that after the fact. After seeing paul's and a few others I think thats the route I will go. Not having a mount there should provide enough room for the steering.

Heres some photo's of the new B

And here is the 351 in an older project of mine.

Paul

I hope you're still looking on this thread!! I've had my engineer look your mounts over and got the "thumb's up" until I mentioned one additional detail. I'm using Ford E-303 Aluminum heads!

You've built rods before, do you see a concern about mounting to aluminum head as opposed to cast Iron?

I own a company that requires us to have numerous fabrication tools like a CNC plas table, a break and shear ect. We powder coat and plate OEM die castings, stampings, and fabrications for many Fortune 500 companies. I guess it's better to be lucky than skillful when it comes to a rebuild!!!

Doug, I didn’t work on it, and never met the owner, but our shop did a four point rear end installation on a Model A for a friend of one of our pilots; it had head mounts on a 302 with aluminum heads. We didn’t build the car or the do the engine mounts, but I never heard of any difficulties with it. My friend who owned the shop is out of town but the next time I talk to him I’ll ask. When the economy went south we closed the shop, sold the equipment, and went back to dealing with airplanes. My friend has recently started the T-Bucket part of the business back up again but I’m not getting involved until my MG is finished. One recommendation I would make, and I did it throughout my 302 even with cast iron heads, is to throw away all the bolts and use studs. I think this might be prudent with anything aluminum to make the threads last longer, but there again it’s just my opinion.


Paul

Offset drive fans are sold under the name Sidewinder.

"I don't know why more people don't use the 351W. About a 1 1/2" taller and wider."


I know I'm late to this party but man, when I mounted my 302 I SURE wouldn't have wanted to deal with any extra width or height. I know Pete already has a nice 351, and if I were in his shoes I'd try to fit it as well. But starting from scratch? There's no way I'd pick a 351 over a 302. In many clearance areas I was dealing with an 1/8" here or there, trying to figure out what to do with an extra 1" here or there... makes me sweat just thinking about it.

Just for the heck of it I scrounged up some old pics of how I built my mounts from scratch.

I think rather than a 351, I would prefer the 348 stroker kit Speedway offers for the 302.


Paul

Sounds to me about like the difference between installing a BOPR/300 Buick and a 340 Buick. The smaller one is easy, almost too easy but the larger one requires quite a lot of modifications to be able to fit it in and is really not wrth the effort. Especially when you consider that the smaller one in either case can be stroked out to the same displacement of the larger one on the one hand, and on the other that more powerful engines such as the LS and the BBB do not require any more modifications. I'd say that pretty well expains the dearth of 351 installs, and I dare say we won't be seeing any more 340 swaps and most likely no Buick 350 swaps either, even if they do eventually get the aluminum heads they have been crying for over the last 20 years or so.

Jim

Paul

I think the head motor mount is a great idea. Have you ever done that type of mount with the use of aluminum heads?

Doug B