all you midi boys out there, how are you planning on installing the engine, in through the top, or up through underside?

The only midi production cars that I have any familiarity with all take the bottom approach.

Just curious.

Completely up to you. How do *you* want to remove it.... out the top or out the bottom? What's most convenient? FWIW I have a removable subframe that's removed, leaving the engine suspended from two mounts. THen a wheeled cart is moved in beneth the engine and the remaining mounts are removed. The drivetrain is then rolled out from under the car. This works by only raising the car slightly.

I'm not actually building one myself, I do have dreams of building one one day though. Dont we all!!

The question was really just curiousity as to what seems to be the favourite. Prob should've done it as a poll I guess.

Top downwards.

Mine goes in from the bottom. Although it would just as easily go out the top, but I don't own a hoist. My method is to jack the rear of the car up just enough to roll a cradle under the engine, lower the car and unbolt engine. Then raise car from rear and roll engine out on dolly(cradle). I've done it 6-7 times already and the entire process is quite quick...

Steve

I like how you did your front suspension, and I'd be tempted to do something similar with the rear suspension/engine assembly
So you could drop the whole thing out the bottom easily if needed. add in a little forthought with the wiring and one could unplug the engine from the main harness, undo a couple bolts anf the entire rear assembly would drop right out.

definatly something to consider during design.

I spent a chunk of time last week dragging the factory Corolla cross-member and centre-member (which are actually joined as a big T-shaped pair) around to try out the idea of re-using them in my chassis. The reality is that the mounting holes are mostly in the wrong spots ie behind the engine and gearbox. Plus, the thing is bloody heavy.

However, the idea of a removable centre member that carries the bottom mounts is attractive enough that I have decided to create my own, probably by paralleling a pair of tubes (say 50-75mm apart) and welding a stiffening web between them. Because the two upper, side mounts are both of the 'drop through' sort, I should be able to unbolt them, drop the centre member with the engine/transaxle attached and lift the body/chassis over it.

That's the theory - time will tell

Dominic

With some of the mid-engined Beetles I built, the (V8) lumps had to be dragged out through the passenger door! Not as horendous as it sounds. An old kitchen worktop used to do the honours as a slide over the floor and out the door.

I think the biggest disadvantage of going the bolt on rear subframe method is all the reinforcing necessary at the mounting points!
Plus you have to ensure that the rear bodywork can be removed as well.

Easiest option has to be removal from underneath as there is less bodywork to get in the way and any paneling can be made removable without any cosmetic price.

Saying all that, the rear bodywork on my car is removable any way!

For strength reasons tho' the rearend will be cross braced. Leaving the bottom as the easiest route for removal.

Terry