Which portions of the frame should be "removable?"

[serrata]

I'm in the middle of making motor mounts and cross-members on my frame.

The engine and trans that I'm using are huge. 7.3L turbo diesel and 4R100 trans with 4wd transfer case. I recognize the need to make everything beefy to handle this weight.

I'm also making this thing as low as I possibly can. The oil pan and trans pan hang very low, so my motor mounts will need to be pretty tall.

4 link suspension front and rear.

I plan on building motor mounts from 4"x4" stock @.25" thickness and attaching at an angle to the frame.

(1) Can I make a permanent cross-member under the engine, as long as I have a couple inches of clearance under the oil pan? Then I would have more structure for the engine mounts to weld to.

(2) Are there any places under the front of the engine that I should not place a cross-member under? There is plenty of clearance under the fan.

(3) Transmission cross-member: I assume that I would need this removable, since it would likely be difficult to remove the transmission for service without removing the body if I don't, right?

(4) Overall assumption for future maintainability: Engine would need to come out from the top, while transmission and transfer case would come out from the bottom, right?

 

[akatao]

sounds right to me

 

[Skip]

having done a few engine swaps, I have found the oil drain plug in difficult-to-access locations at times. Might want to check that.

 

[Torch]

yeah

 

[MercuryMac]

I like your idea of putting a permanent crossmember under the motor. Maybe cut the curved one out of the donor truck and weld it in, motor mounts and all. The reason I know you'll need a crossmember is, the first time I put a real torque monster in a '56 Ford pickup, I didn't put a crossmember in there, just welded the motor mounts slanty-wize up the motor. This worked alright if I drove like a little old lady, but I was NO lady, so I twisted up the frame rails quite a bit every time I stomped on the gas pedal. This let the motor twist up and flop around in there too much. Anyhow I vote for a crossmember under the motor, even though you have square tube for frame rails and they are a way less flexible.

 

[sneakysnake]

The main thing when fabing is think ahead so something doesn't get in the way of another or you block something that needs to be gotten to.Then remember that at some time it may all have to come apart so make things to be able to be remove with least amount work.I had to pull the trans out of mine and it was either cut the cross member or lift the cab I now have a removable cross member on my trans. Lol