Hotshot header pic request please.. I'm moving my KA a little

[SPIRONIUM]

I'm gonna be using a shorter ABS one piece driveshaft in order to move my engine back towards the firewall exactly inch. (ABS driveshaft is 3/4 an inch shorter but has enough play to safely equal an inch). The engine head will be just about touching the lip that runs the length of the firewall. I have EVERYTHING figured out except for header to firewall clearance.. I would like to use my hotshot headers. I need a double check please -->

I need a good pic of firewall clearance of a hotshot header on an S13 KA24DE. An upper shot of where the header bends and start to move underneath the car would be awesome.

[SPIRONIUM]

I know you guys out there have hotshot headers and digital cameras : )

[Kansei240sx]

My old motor.

With an inch moving back, you should have more than enough clearance. If not, take a hammer to your firewall.

Also... why the hell do you want to move the engine back one inch? Thats going to make ever wanting to remove the transmission non existant. I'd advise getting a custom one peice driveshaft, stock KA24DE 240sx driveshafts are pieces of **** anyways.

[SPIRONIUM]

thanks for that! i'll post pics of my mounts and other fabricated stuff when i'm done

I want to get more of that engine weight in between the four suspension corners. This is the easiest way to do it because there is already a shorter driveshaft available on the market. I'm not concerned about clutch jobs cus i have an engine lift, i don't mind moving the engine and trans forward when i have to change the clutch.

Heres a couple pics:

My OLD motor mounts, soon to be upgraded:

Modified by SPIRONIUM at 4:30 PM 12/14/2006
Modified by SPIRONIUM at 4:35 PM 12/14/2006

[SPIRONIUM]

Recent crossmember modifications, this is so I can push my engine back. I'll be using an ABS one piece aluminum driveshaft and custom motor mounts in order to do this. My shifter hole will be modified as well.



More to come!

[Bigvinnie]

UMMMM why are you moving your engine back????? There are 2 types of drive shafts for the 240sx the ABS and non ABS drive shaft. The difference between the 2 is actually 3/4". Either drive shaft works on the Open or VLSD's. Just seems crazy to move the whole engine.

[SPIRONIUM]

I understand the driveshaft differences, i'm attempting to isolate the weight of the car so that it is a little more balanced. I will corner weigh after all of my work is done with this and other related projects and give my results.

[SPIRONIUM]

Some sequence pics, trying to keep the original strength of the crossmember..

[SPIRONIUM]

I just got my Driveshaft Shop ABS aluminum guy, and to my surprise it is a full 1 and 1/4" shorter!!! Whats with all of this the "ABS driveshaft is 3/4" shorter" thing?

Luckily, i notched my subframe enough to barely accept this half inch difference. Add the 1/4" of play thats in the shaft, my motor is going to sit a full 1.5 inches behind its original mounting. This should make a noticable difference when i corner weigh the car !!

[Bigvinnie]

I understand the driveshaft differences, i'm attempting to isolate the weight of the car so that it is a little more balanced. I will corner weigh after all of my work is done with this and other related projects and give my results.

If your trying to isolate the weight of the car you should of chosen an aluminum block engine rather than the KA.If your wanting to shift the center of gravity by lowering mounts than that is a different situation.

[SPIRONIUM]

the KA is prob the most cost effective option, mine was practically free

If i manage to get my cars weight where i want it, i have to switch to a 1.8 liter in the future per my racing class rules.. ca18de prob weighs as much as the ka tho as it is also an iron block. At least all of this engine mounting work can switch over to the ca18 which is good.

yes, the engine will be sitting lower too
Modified by SPIRONIUM at 11:53 PM 12/24/2006

[SPIRONIUM]

Finished crossmember! Gonna paint it white and bolt it on..

[l80_240]

ever thought about useing the insides of a SR18? youd spend more money getting a SR20 and new SR18 insides but hey, its a aluminum block

ca18de : 130HP@6400 SR18 : 140HP@6400 162Nm@5200 167Nm@4800

[Bigvinnie]

ever thought about useing the insides of a SR18? youd spend more money getting a SR20 and new SR18 insides but hey, its a aluminum block

ca18de : 130HP@6400 SR18 : 140HP@6400 162Nm@5200 167Nm@4800

That isn't that important either since you can import QR20 and QR25de engines from Europe and Japan..... Big bore aluminum blocks that weigh less than an sr20de..

[SPIRONIUM]

1.8 is the largest engine i can use, because of my budget the ca18 seems to be the best bet right now. I also happen to like the CA valvetrain better than the SR it just looks to be stronger and more reliable. Thanks for the suggestions though, i never thought of building an sr18.

The ca is supposed to be lighter than the ka, can't tell exactly how much though.. online searches have been saying it is at least 30lbs lighter. With this ~30lbs accompanied with all of the other things i am doing, my weight goal will be met if i work at it. With very little cost too

[pregmantis]

just wondering, whats your weight goal?

[SPIRONIUM]

2138lbs is my minimum class weight. A full size spare, full tool box, med kit, and various other small safety devices are included in the weight.

I would like the bare + dry vehicle weight to be ~2000lbs

[SPIRONIUM]

Pics! engine is exactly where i want it, resting on a 5mm steel spacer on top of the crossmember and being held into place by a couple 2x4s. I'm constructed the motor mounts on the spot.

Check out the firewall lip clearance. And my headers BARELY clear the framerail-firewall bracing i had welded in a while back by a couple mm's but luckily they clear the steering quickener nicely!!!

[SPIRONIUM]

Began the mounts today:

[SPIRONIUM]

some input would be nice : )

one side is complete:







other side, not finished

[Bumnah]

impressive.why not mount the engine directly the frame rail?

[SPIRONIUM]

thanks! I was originally going to do that but i decided it would be better if the whole thing could be removable for any kind of future occurance, also it is a hell of a lot easier to weld if i can take it off the car

[Crunkrich]

You sure the motor isnt too close that it will smack the firewall under heavy throttle / hard cornering?

[SPIRONIUM]

if i were using flexible mounts i would be a little concerned about that. With my solid steel mounts i believe that the worst that could happen would be that A) the back of the valve cover could get a few scratches if the chassis were to flex that much, in which case i would trim the firewall lip a little B) the more likely situation i think, my header could rub on the firewall/framerail bracing thats under the steering quickener. The header wrap could maybe get cut around that area eventually, i'd just rewrap it and keep that area wrap-free if that were to happen. I do not anticipate any other effects other than that but we shall see

[zanilth]

Don't remember which article it was, but DSport ran an article about a crew that moved the engine back a little more than you did/are. Weight balance is what they were going for, but I don't remember if they did it with a ka or an sr.

http://www.dragsport.com/issue...shtml

the article. pretty much custom everything. sr20, and over a hundred thousand to do what they did.

[SPIRONIUM]

cool! the whole engine is behind the strut towers.. If i had more money for a custom driveshaft, probably best to use a rear sump oil pan for that too, and if my class allowed extensive firewall modification i would probably consider something like that. Wonder how they did the shifter? I think i would link the one on the trans to a different one in a more natural spot, i've seen that done before somehwere. Good find

[Bigvinnie]

Are you going to add any rubber, or poly between the mounting brackets??? Metal to metal seems pretty harsh. I hear that hockey pucks make for excellent mounting rubber. Anything to eat up and absorb the harmonic chatter to the chassis would be nice.

[SPIRONIUM]

i like having solid mounts, although i have never tried hockey pucks.. I was using the mounts i had pictured above for a while (the first pic i posted) and i loved them, the chassis vibration isnt as bad as most ppl would assume... i don't mind it at least it feels like i'm driving a gokart : ). I am also going to incorporate the transmission into the roll cage; the engine + trans are going to be structural, another benefit of the solid mounts
Modified by SPIRONIUM at 6:43 PM 1/25/2007

[SPIRONIUM]

Heres an update:





New trans mount on top of old one

[Notorious170]

nice project man. coming along very nicely and mad props on the work!