I've seen several of these m60 swap build threads, with a variety of approaches to locating and mounting the engine in the chassis. Basically, the engine mount approach falls into two categories - fabricated engine mount brackets that fasten to the stock e30 sub-frame, or, modified frame rails that involve somewhat irreversible changes to the unibody structure and sub-frame.
Another thorny constraint involves the vertical height of the engine, as it relates to the underside of the hood, driveline rotation axis, and top of the stock front subframe. The only solutions I've seen so far involve spacing the front subframe away from the unibody (~20mm), and/or tolerating as much as 3-5 degrees of front upward tilt of the engine.
We are undertaking our swap in a severe-duty race car application, where low-weight, structural integrity, and correct driveline geometry are all really important to the success of the project. After test-fitting, measuring, mocking-up, measuring, and then repeating and rinsing, we've come up with an approach that attempts to satisfy all of our constraints:
1) Utilize fabricated Aluminum alloy engine mounts, not unibody mods and cut sub-frames. The extra weight and embrittlement associated with welding all of that light-gauge sheet-metal is probably not the right approach for our application.
2) Modify the E34 M60 oil pan for clearance at the sub-frame. This also involves grinding off and re-creating the upper steering rack brackets to reduce interference with the oil pan.
3) Utilize stock e34 M60 rubber mounts, and locate the bottom of the modified oil-pan approximately 6mm above the sub-frame.
With the above, we have the engine tilt down to a tolerable 1.2-1.5 degrees, and even our fiberglass hood, which has one-inch tall reinforcing ribs in the perfectly wrong places, clears the engine. Also, we've got the engine pretty low in the car, which helps our CG, and we haven't molested the unibody structure or sub-frame of the car - without spacing it.
Yet another way to skin the cat.
-Bruce
Another thorny constraint involves the vertical height of the engine, as it relates to the underside of the hood, driveline rotation axis, and top of the stock front subframe. The only solutions I've seen so far involve spacing the front subframe away from the unibody (~20mm), and/or tolerating as much as 3-5 degrees of front upward tilt of the engine.
We are undertaking our swap in a severe-duty race car application, where low-weight, structural integrity, and correct driveline geometry are all really important to the success of the project. After test-fitting, measuring, mocking-up, measuring, and then repeating and rinsing, we've come up with an approach that attempts to satisfy all of our constraints:
1) Utilize fabricated Aluminum alloy engine mounts, not unibody mods and cut sub-frames. The extra weight and embrittlement associated with welding all of that light-gauge sheet-metal is probably not the right approach for our application.
2) Modify the E34 M60 oil pan for clearance at the sub-frame. This also involves grinding off and re-creating the upper steering rack brackets to reduce interference with the oil pan.
3) Utilize stock e34 M60 rubber mounts, and locate the bottom of the modified oil-pan approximately 6mm above the sub-frame.
With the above, we have the engine tilt down to a tolerable 1.2-1.5 degrees, and even our fiberglass hood, which has one-inch tall reinforcing ribs in the perfectly wrong places, clears the engine. Also, we've got the engine pretty low in the car, which helps our CG, and we haven't molested the unibody structure or sub-frame of the car - without spacing it.
Yet another way to skin the cat.
-Bruce
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