Monday, May 26, 2008

Motor in!

Well, the Sunday before Memorial Day I rented an engine hoist and put the motor in the car all proper-like. The guy at the rental shop asked what I was working on ("Ford or Chevy?") and was a little surprised to hear what I was up to. He then said a friend of his has a converted Rabbit, but doesn't know much about it.
I thought I could do drop the motor in in about an hour and return the hoist in record time, but no such luck. The motor mount holes were off just enough to prevent the bolts from coming through. I ended up disassembling the motor mount and "adjusting" the holes a little bit with a rat tail file. NOW it fits!
I didn't take a lot of measurements or pictures before removing the engine. My theory is that the frame that connects the transmission to the differential will ensure the driveshaft and U-joints have the proper angle. If the motor is too low the rear suspension might wear a little funny, but the nothing should grind, howl or bind. If it is low I can shim it up with some washers. That my theory anyway.m

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