Hi there fellow BEC builders (I can't believe I just said that )

I could do with some tips on building my engine cradle, I have some steel, a hacksaw and a MIG welder.

Where's a good place to start?

Cheers

Mark

look at where the engine mounts are on the engine, then look at engine height in the chassis.

That will give you a good starting point to figure out how to construct a good cradle.

There may be a few engine bay pictures in my album. If you want any more, let me know.

[Edited on 9/5/09 by slimtater]

Hi BEC builder!!

I got MK to make my cradle, but if it were me, I'd start by putting threaded bar or long bolts through the mounting holes. Then I'd have a go in bits of timber to make a frame.

Are you building a front engined car, middy or rear? My front engine one has a top frame that is sort of like a splayed H shape giving four mounting points to the chassis (wider at the exhaust side and narrower at the gearbox side). From the cross bar on the H there is a pair of mounts that stick down to the upper rear mounts on the engine.

There are then a pair of lower mounts that stick up from the inner lower chassis rail.


1 Cradle

The other side (exhaust side) just has a pair that come up from the lower chassis rail.


2 Cradle

It's true that a picture speaks a thousand words!!!

Mike

I lifted the engine into position based on.

1) Sump height
2) Bonnet height.
3) Output shaft position.
4) Clearance for my front crossmember.
5) Clearance between the exhaust primaries and the chassis top rails

Once I had it sitting there on some timber, I started picking up bits of steel tube and worked out how to go between the engine and the chassis. Picking the best position is the tricky bit, because once you're committed, then there's no going back. Making the mounts was relatively simple.

In my case, it isn't a cradle. It's a support bar on the offised side picking up the 'rear' engine mounts and two angled engine mounts on the other side picking up the 'front' mounts.

Easier done than said.

Thanks for the input guys

Great Pics thanks Mike - they are a great help.

It's the blackbird engined indy as mentioned on the left

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Cheers

Mark