LocostUSA.com

Hmmmm. It appears that the motor I have does not have a removable cover.

I think the gears shaft's end was supported by a bushing in the window lift mechanism, separated from the motor assembly. I did a wiggle test and didn't find any play. I wonder how important that bushing is necessary for a low usage vehicle with a smaller, counter sprung window than the motor was designed for? Comments?

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

I can't wait to have crank windows again, seriously.

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Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

I think you will need a support. There should be a big plastic gear to engage the worm out of the motor. The gear is maybe 3/4 inch thick and the driven output just sits in the middle of it with the plastic/wax in between.

If the earlier gear tooth is different, you could cannibalize the 99 for the output gear to place in a 97 or older all metal with removable cover. All these have been pretty much the same design for windows and pop up head lights across all the domestic brands from the mid 80s to the last one I looked at, probably 2000.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Steve, after driving my MGA and my Locost with no windows at all, then driving my 79 MGB with crank windows, I'm over the nostalgia part with this car. That is, if I can get it to work. I've already added A/C and an auto trans. I've also considered adjustable lumbar seats. Heck, I might even add a self-dimming rear view mirror and a reverse camera just because I can!

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

LMAO!

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

Finally, after many months, I have some car time to report!

Yesterday I took the car off the rotisserie and put it on a sawhorse and a couple of jack stands. The goal was to put the engine in the car to determine where I needed to cut the fresh steel to clear the engine/trans. If everything went well, it should have been a slam dunk. Well nothing goes according to plan, don’cha know.

Today my buddy came over and we spent some time in the garage. Gosh I love a heated garage. Surprisingly, the area that I knew needed some clearance went pretty well. We aligned things up as well as possible, marked out the lines to cut and then it should fit in. It took a couple of trys to get the height of the cut just right. Well it didn’t. More clearance issues showed up in in areas that I have never read about. It may be due to me using the auto transmission where all the detailed blogs I have seen were with the T5 trans. The 4l60E flange at the engine has a couple of tabs that exceed those of the engine. Maybe a t5 doesn’t have these issues? In addition, the junction between the engine and the transmission appears to fit about ¾ inch behind where I thought it would from earlier rough eyball measurements.

I was attempting to have about ½-1 inch clearance. In order to do that, I needed to cut more metal in several areas. After ~ 8 hours work, I still need to cut more.

Then came the transmission rear support. From everything I read, the 3.4L engine in the ’94-94 Camaro used the same rear mount and the same rear cross member. I thought the CCE custom bracket for putting that engine w/T5 transmission in the MGB should fit with the auto trans. Well it doesn’t. The 4l60E pan seems to interfere greatly with that bracket. After mulling over several ideas I came to an eloquent solution. Rather than engineering and fabricating a new cross member, I would simply turn the cross member 180 degrees. In the MGB, the transmission cross member was bolted to the frame using a captivated threaded block internally captured to the frame. However reversing the new cross member required finding some new holes to secure it. I decided to move the block rearward using the same technique as the MG. That required cutting out a window in the new floor above that block to gain access. I cut out the cage that held the block in place with a chisel and moved the block rearward to align the holes with the relocated cross member and drill 4 new clearance homes for the bolts. Had I known this 2 years ago, I could have done it before putting in the floor. I will have to re-weld the widow back into the floor.

All in all, the engine was in and out maybe 6-7 times today.

It feels good to get something semi-accomplished even if it means taking a few steps backwards. On a side note, the Camaro shifter appears it will fit nicely on the MG tunnel with plenty of clearance to the transmission. I was concerned about that. And the electrical harness to the transmission will clear the tunnel too.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Good job Chuck

I hear you 5 x 5 on fitting a different engine and adapting the tin to fit. I think I had the Topolino body off and on 30 times checking fitment with the drive train.

Sometimes foresight is a bit blurry, on the other hand hindsight is 20/20

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

"Sometimes foresight is a bit blurry, on the other hand hindsight is 20/20"

I like that. I think I'll steal it and use it.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

You could save some real estate by making a U-shaped throttle pedal mount that picks up the lower column flange bolts. Then all the sheet metal inboard and above the column mount could be cut back for clearance and easier future access. Cut the column flange bowl level with the flange in the inboard side and use .050 sheet to close.

You can trim the trans ears unless you wan to fit the tin cover over the converter bottom. Definitely bigger than a t5. The 700r4 was a snug fit in the tracker.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Wow I thought for sure you had a lot less work to go through. The T5 is pretty small but I’m
Pretty sure I still have to cut into my tunnel as well.

_________________
Steve

My build : http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtop ... 35&t=17160

MGB/GT V8 5.0L. viewtopic.php?f=36&t=20782

Steve, from what I read there are a lot of T5's in MGBs. I was reading the instructions today on the 3.4L install of mine, there are very little mods for the tunnel necessary for the T5, just a bit of metal bashing to clear the top and the right hand 3 bolts on the bell housing. Not my style but certainly doable. Of course, those would have been unnecessary if the engine were moved 1/2 to 1" forward. There is some more bashing around the steering shaft cup on the firewall. That is to clear the exhaust header bolt. YMMV.

My extensive cutting was two fold beyond that necessary for the 4l60E trans. First was I wasn't happy with scraping paint while installing and removing the engine/trans. And two, I wanted some space for the air to escape. That was one of the heat-issues with the MGA. No air can cross the radiator unless there was space for it to exit. In addition, today I found that I could, if necessary, get a socket on the head bolts and remove the heads without having to full the entire engine trans. That alone makes all my sheetmetal work worthwhile IMO.

Your build is different with different goals, for sure but at least the T5 "should fit" without major tunnel rework

MV8, I can trim about 1/4 inch off the trans tab before I cut into the threaded hole that mounts the splash shield. I plan on doing that for just a bit more clearance. BTW, the shield for this engine/trans combo is cast aluminum! I don't have it yet. It is on the list. Today, the inner bolt hole for the gas pedal pivot was removed, eliminating the OEM use as intended. I will have to figure out a new pivot method. Stay tuned (in a few months) to see my solution.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Edit: Oops. Double post

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Today, I finalized all the cutting for the power plant. Engine/trans were only in and out a couple times today. Enough to make me feel confident enough to be able to plate them up. So, without any further delay, the car is back up on the rotisserie, ready for some more unexpected fitting of sheet metal and more welding. This was a big step in the build.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Great progress!!!!

_________________
When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting -- Steve McQueen from LeMans

My build log viewtopic.php?f=36&t=10658&start=0 NOW NAMED =The Wycked 7

My other build log viewtopic.php?f=18&t=15162 The Skayt'R6

I hope everybody had a good Christmas.

It feels good to be working on the car again. I started piecing the fill-in pieces. While not fully welded, they are at least tacked in place and defending their space. This is tedious work, marking, trimming, marking, trimming, ad infinitum until it is just the right size to weld in place. Still a couple of very small filler pieces to fill 2 gaps, but that can wait. I will call this part done from a 1st rough pass point of view. There is just the finishing left to do. I'll leave that until later in case I need to modify it a bit more (heaven forbid)

I’m not sure what my next target to work on will be. I still have so many things to choose from. I am getting closer to having to make some final decisions on wiring and bumpers.

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766