Started working on the trans mount and thinking ahead to the pedal and steering column mount design so pulled the Miata column and exhaust manifold from the attic and put the manifold onto the engine and set the column roughly in place..
Attachment:
Locost_14Sept14_ExMani_sm.jpg
Then was pondering the engine and diff alignment and noticed the nice PPF mounts on the diff and trans. Pulled the PPF off the shelf and it appears that the top of the PPF mount on the diff and the top of the PPF mount on the trans should be aligned. Some folks talk about a couple degree slant down to the engine but I am pretty close to level at this point. Ran a string between the two top mounting faces of the PPF for the trans and diff but with the bend in the PPF, could not get a good line to see if these two surfaces are aligned..
Attachment:
Locost_12Sept14_PPF_sm.jpg
Then slapped a piece of flat aluminum on to these two mounts and it appears they are aligned. I forgot to measure the distance from the bottom of the straightedge to the center of the diff flange and/or the trans output...
Attachment:
Locost_12Sept14_Engine_Alignment_sm.jpg
May look back at this later this week before finalizing the trans mount.
Then started working on the upper trans mount..first in cardboard to get the rough design
Attachment:
Locost_14Sept14_TransMtBrkt_sm.jpg
Then started transferring it into the steel form...
Attachment:
Locost_14Sept14_TransMt_sm.jpg
Attachment:
Locost_14Sept14_TransMt2_sm.jpg
Was hoping to make the upper mount out of one piece but could not figure out a good way to make the two bends so close together so cut the bottom leg off and will weld it in place. Decided on adding side gussets to beef this up a little more. Will add some side gussets for the bottom mount and may tie this into the rest of the tunnel once that is designed.
Also thought it would be nice with some more light so replaced the last ceiling light fixture with one with an outlet and put up another florescent light.
Attachment:
Locost_14Sept14_GarageLt_sm.jpg
Did a little cleaning so that I can rearrange some so we can get my wifes car back into the garage once things cool off more. She has been really nice to let me take up the last garage stall for the summer- Thanks Kel!! I do need to make sure her car gets back into the garage for fall and winter.
The dollies under the table allow me to move this fairly easily so I can move it out for work time and back away for parking spot time...