Motor Installation

Cutting the Firewall

The first cut of the firewall and tunnel was made and the motor rolled back in place. The entire tunnel was not cut out. The section where the factory shift came out was left in place for reference. 

Lining Up

Drivers Side

Passenger side

Front Suspension:

After additional cutting, the motor and trans were lifted into place and the front suspension bolted on.

The rubber frame mount bushings were replaced with 1 1/2 inch diameter poly bushings sourced from Chevy truck spring shackles. The polyurethane bushings were 1/4 the cost of one rubber OEM bushing. All that is needed is to shorten them 10mm.

Item: 

Energy Suspension Rear Frame Shackle Eye Bushings - 1 1/2 inch Eye. Part no. 3.2124.

Available   from aftermarketsuspensionparts.com  for $14.99 for a set of two.The  bushings were cut down to fit.

Poly Bushings

Motor Location:

The motor's location  in the engine compartment was finalized once the suspension was in place.

Using a heavy duty transmission jack and the lift, I was able to easily adjust the height and front to back motor position. One inch fan clearance resulted in the shifter location being near the emergency brake handle and approximately 23 inches between the transmission guibo joint and the torque tube driveshaft mount.

Fan Clearance

Shifter Location

Motor Mounts

With the front to back location finalized, the height of the motor needed to be set with the limiting factor being the oil pan to steering rack clearance. An engine support bar was used to hold the motor at the right height while the motor mounts were set. 

Energy Suspension transmission mounts were used in place of the Opel motor mounts. They were roughly located using a 1/4 inch plate bolted to the blocks motor mount holes.

Rough Mount Location

 Motor mount to crossmember brackets were made from 1/4 x 2 inch flat stock. Countersunk  M-10 flat head socket cap screws secured the rear of the bracket and the mount lined up and secured using the front hole.

Mount Support

Assembled Motor Mount

With the motor's location fixed, it was time to look at the rear transmission mount.

Transmission Mount

A rear mount support was made using an 1984 Opel Senator trans bracket and a 28 inch long piece of 1 1/2 inch narrow channel iron bolted through the frame rail. The output shaft was centered in the tunnel and the tunnel to the centerline distance of the output matched the torque tube's.

Rear Mount

Motor Mount Bracket Plates

Bracket plates were made using 5"x 8" pieces of 3/8 stock. After drilling holes to match the block's, the plates were bolted to the motor and the mount brackets attached to the poly motor mounts. The location of the bracket's mounting holes were then transferred to the plate and new holes drilled and countersunk on the plates back side for flat head cap screws. The drivers side plate was also trimmed to clear the knock sensor.

5" x 8" Plate Drilled and Countersunk

Drivers Side

Passenger Side

The motor and trans are now in place and the next step will be locating and installing the brake/clutch pedals

Side note: The wagon and my GT did not make the final cut in American Hustle. My Olympia is in the background when the camera is looking out at a kid breaking a storefront window.