Advanced Adapters motor mounts.

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browser5031

browser5031

Joined
Jul 23, 2005
Threads
30
Messages
171
Location
Portland, OR
So I'm getting really close to finishing the V8 installation but ran into a snag today. As you can see by the pictures there isn't enough clearance to slide the engine down between the frame without cutting one of the mounts. Is this normal on a FJ60 installation with a Gen I GM motor? Looking for advice from those who have been through it before. I'm guessing if I have to cut one, it would be the driver's side as the manual suggest offsetting the motor 1" to the driver's side.
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It is hard to remember but I think I ended up cutting one side on mine. Those mounts suck! I mean you pay $125 for mounts and then you have to modify them to work for your application. I complained to AA about that as their install guide says nothing about needing to modify the mounts.

You know what I don't think I did end up cutting them. I think remember what I had to do. I ground down the end of one of them and then I raised the motor up using washers so the mount would slide over the top of the frame. I just stacked the big washers on top of the rubber donut mounts they include.

And I think if I remember correctly I was in the 2nd hole on one side and on the 3rd hole in the mount on the other side.
 
The engine should be offset to the drivers side for drive shaft and front end clearance.

PS it look like it is sitting kinda high I don't think you will have hood clearance.


Dynosoar:zilla:
 
Dynosoar said:
PS it look like it is sitting kinda high I don't think you will have hood clearance.
Click to expand...
That is because he has been unable to get it between the frame rails I think.
 
Throw those AA mounts in the trash and make your own.

I made up some real simple ones using some plate and a BFH.
 
Philos, I talked to you a couple of years ago when you were building yours. I agree they are a superior design, but summer is slipping away from me and I just want to get this finished before it is 40 degrees and raining. I'm running a 283 chevy, pretty low hp, so hopefully it won't torque the AA ones too bad.
 
I ended up trimming about 1/3 off the driver's side and ground it down to match the curve of the other. Works fine.
 
In your last picture the part of the mount you weld on to the frame appears to be upside down according to the advance adapters book. . I welded mine on the other way even with my frame and the engine can slide to the right perfectly and I had not issue with the oild pan. This way you can utilize the holes in the mounts. I mounted my engine just high enough for the mount to clear the frame. I clear by 2-3 inches under the hood but I do have a body lift. I just ordered the spring over stuff from Ruff Stuff so the body lift will be coming off and i'll know if it clears or not without it. It really should as far as I can tell. The only thing I had to clearance was maybe an 1/8 of an inch off the mount so the steering drive shaft has no chance of binding against the mount. I used a 5.7 chevy. and a 4l60e.
 
Thanks Kurtis, I was thinking that myself tonight. I've been looking at a lot of pictures from Elbert's build, and he has his welded in the way mine is in the picture, but I think it should go the other way around.
 
Looking at this again just pisses me off all over again. If they are going to sell a product and say it is adapter it should work without modification. If you have to modify them you may as well not buy your own. At the time I did mine I had to pay a mobile welder to come weld them in. I followed the directions and they didn't fit. I didn't own a grinder or other metal working tools. So when they didn't fit right I was sort of screwed.
 
I don't recall why we positioned the mounts on the frame side the way we did....(don't know if they are considered to be upside down or not). Basically we did what we thought would work at the time.

On the mounts that are welded to the frame, we ended up getting our postion established on one side, relative to (left and right & height) and in order to get the other side to work, we had to fill in one or two of the holes (weld) on the part that bolts to the engine, and then drill a new hole where we filled in...as we could not get the main bolt holes to algin in the stock holes on one side. One side worked...the other would not line up no matter what we did..

We used a tape or string line across the fenders and running forward from the cowl to the radiator support to "eyeball" for hood clearnace. I was very concerned about that and we just barely have enought room to close the hood without interference. I do have decent clearance on the bottom.

If you want some more pics I can take some. My engine is a 99 5.7 Vortec, with GM OEM style air intake. I'm guessing that my engine sits about as high as you can get it, and the GM OEM style air intake allows for tight clearnace at the hood, My air filter mounts on the RH fender well.

I'm running a Mark's adapater too... I think depending on where your engine is lcoated (front to rear) the distance between the frame is different?
 
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AA mounts

Posting some pics I found of my install. ...this is the way we did it. Found some decent pics showing the mounts.
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more on AA

3 more pics
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3rd round

last one, maybe the frame side mount is upside down :) I don't recall what the instructions said or showed....I think we made a call on the fly as to what seemed to work the best. Is the hole in the frame side mount intended to be filled in by welding, if turned upside down, rather than as shown in the pic?
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Ya, Elbert there's one crappy picture in the AA buyer's guide (p.62) showing the motor mounts. The frame side is the other way around. Obviously though they work both ways as yours have been on for more than a year.
 
I'll try to snap a picture of mine it is very very similar to what Elbert did position wise front and back but I went about an inch higher with the mount flipped around and everything lined up pretty well. Basicily it allowed me to shift the engine all the way to the left using the holes in the adaptor. I worred that the mount was a little close to my steering box so I clearanced it just slightly. Mine is a 5.7 TBI so I don't know if the air cleaner sits higher or lower than Eberts or how the bellhousing worked with the 5 speed but with the 4l60e everything cleared pretty well. Thanks again Elbert for the help on my swap there is no comparison to a v8 in these things.
 
If you haven't already cut on them I'd send them back. The actual mounts that Philos used are the stock GM "Clamshell" mounts. Unlike the AA mounts, inserts for those are available most anywhere. Unless you're somewhere that actually still stock flathead Ford V8 engine mounts.....

Seriously, the effort involved will be about the same, but will result in a superior mount.
 
I don't know if my setup might be considered weak or not....I can assure you its got about a 360 degree mig weld around the mount and scab plate so I don't expect ti to go anwaywhere. Hope my pic's don't illustrate what not to do :)..

I'll check it for cracks every now and then, and if something happens I guess we'll go back in there and swap the mounts around. I was temepted to get my friend to weld a 90degee (triangle) guesset to kind of brace on the top of the frame rail and the back side of the engine mount ), but we decided not to do that.

How about some others post upt their's pics too? Mine may look crazy but I'm ok wiht it and I trust the guy who welded it for me and helped me do the install....

I would be the first to admit...the instructions are not good and if you have not done one of these before you end up doing stuff that works. I keep thinking for some reason we set the orienation of the brackets that way, and I don't recall now why.

Like these mounts and the adapter..... the instructions , pics, and diagrams could use improvement.
 
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