So I just aimed the engine at the hole...Looks ok no obvious problems so far. I think chassis modification will be very minimal if any at all. The key to the so far hopefully simple installation (atleast) is the moving the entire engine back behind the chassis rail. This will make for more complex bulkhead reconstruction and gearbox tunnel, mainly due to the throttle bodies, I hope to use direct-to-head type that are not very long and make up the tract length with trumpets...I hope that the clutch pedal can stay in its current location with a shallow foam air filter, but thats along way off me thinks and I'll need to save some pennies!!
One K-Series dumped in rough location. It will sit inclined in the engine bay angled over the passenger side..Thats how ya do it ya see. Its currently perched on the chassis rail but after some chopping of bodywork it will drop behind the chassis rail and sit ALONG way back from the standard engine location, all things considered.
I have spent a couple of hours freezing my arse off (till 1am)measuring, checking and getting a mental picture of any potential problems before I get out the power tools and make a firm commitment to K-Series power.
I don't see any big issues so tomorrow it will be chop day and i'll lower it back and down and stick the bellhousing on it and make any chassis rail nips.
A QED Caterham bellhousing, the engine is only bolted to the bellhousing by 4 bolts, big suckers two below the centreline and two at the top...You can see the plate thats been added to take a Mini Hydraulic slave cylinder. I will retain this system I think...This will JUST miss the chassis I think of the plate will need to be shortened which is no bother the slave bolts on right at the front.
To get the engine where I want an initial cut will need to made here to get this mount through the bulkhead, as marked in blue. This is due to the bellhousing mount. This will stick out above the chassis, the bellhousing and lip on the chassis rail will or will not need a minor fettle to allow the bellhousing to sit down in the rail...I may be able to get the engine in and out with this piece still in place once the final bulkhead is made, so it will cut along two lines only and fold it back for now...I'll have repaint the entire bulkhead anwyays.
Again shows this mount at the rear...The rear of the engine will only be a few cm's lower than it current sits...I see no big problem having measured up carefully...As said I may or may not have to make a small adjustment to something as the engine is currently shown 4inches further forward than it will sit. Any small issues will be mainly as it will then be just into the area where the rails come together closer. I forsee the lip of the chassis rail needing trimming and possibly a small recess made in the bellhousing, but it may clear...From the eyelet the rope is going through the bellhousing angles quite sharply towards the block over 8cm, then makes another angle towards the block...The chassis rail will be around the area of the 2nd angle...I'll post of pics once the engine is moved back and the bell fitted.
This will be my next cut, at this stage its just about doing as little cutting as possible to purely get the engine and box to sit in their final location. The rear of the engine will be 15mm from the heater box.
Plenty of room for it, its less wide than the base of the spitfire block...Once the cuts mentioned have been made I will be able to drop the engine backwards and behind the rack, chassis rail (4inches) , it will fall 7cm at the front to be perfectly flat in the car and also to the crankshaft centreline matches the spitfire position, but it will loose the inclination the spitfire engine has.
You would have a great deal of hassle to fit where it is atm (the stock engine location) You'd need to get a small pulley (which I may do anyway!) or move the rack and chassis rail, mod the sump etc etc...
The oil filter/adaptor will need to be adjusted/binned...It may actually still fit but it'll reduce my potential exhaust area...I'd really like a nice 4-2-1 manifold eventually so will need to plan ahead! I will make an alloy plate thing enabling use a remote filter, oil cooler setup with an inline thermostat...Not sure of the plumbing atm but I sure I can rig something up for the time being a simple alloy plate with two take offs on would do! Frontline have this same issue on the MG conversion and they want £96 for an adaptor, screw that! not even oil cooler compatible.
Imagine this engine back 4 inches there's plenty of room for the pipes of a manifold, this was a concern on paper...Also rear bellhousing mount wont need any adjustment to bellhousing or chassis bar a couple 2mm shaved from the lip of the chassis rail...
You can see the engine block mod to fit a starter on this side..Thats another area of concern...Caterham sell a lovely one but its £134...
I got a big ugly ford one free, so will attempt to use that, but again the exhaust will need some consideration even if for the time being I use a standard manifold...It will be a tight fit probably end with a bespoke job with a bunch of snakes heading towards the wheelarch and back.
Again once 4inches back the filter would probably fit on, need to consider the primary length I want on any future exhaust, whether or not I want room for 4x 1.5" primary's to go down the side of the block and chassis rail or two 2nd'ary pipes...
Thats it for this evening.
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