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The last step on the engine instal is to attach a ground bonding strap. I ordered a braided strap and dug through my spare hardware to come up with the mounting hardware.
I welded a nut to the backside of a big washer and then primed it.
Using my torch, I cut a hole in the side of the frame large enough for the nut to fit.
I then welded the washer into to the frame all around and ground it down smooth. I secured the strap with a bolt and a lock washer. The other end will fir to one of the bolts on the bell housing.
The plans are very vague regarding the installation of the radiator. My first step was to install the chrome tube clamps from the hose kit so their size can be considered when locating the radiator on the frame. Others have made the mistake of mounting the radiator too low so that once these clamps are added, they hit the steering rack.
Next, I mounted my cooling fan. The reason was so I could use the same mounting hardware as is used to reinforce the bottom flange of the radiator. The instructions for the fan say that a fan this size should be mounted a minimum of 1/4" off the surface of the radiator to allow for flexing. Most other builders do not do this and since I'm not racing, I chose not to do this. You make your own decision. Lakeway Cobra (Randy) built a nice frame that bolts up to the mounting hardware to keep his fan off the radiator. I might do that later if the need arises.
On the bottom, I used two aluminum angles and some spacers to mount reinforce the mounting flanges of the radiator. The radiator flange itself is too pliable to use directly. If you mount to it directly, the flexing will eventually crack the flange. This happens to be a common problem in airplanes as well.
On the top flange, I just stuck some short bolts in to hold the fan in place. This is a temporary situation. This area will be covered by a shroud of some sort when I get more to the finishing stages so I'm not going to worry about the final attach design just yet. I'll leave that to later. UPDATE: In order to construct a stone guard for the radiator before it is installed, I went ahead and bracketed the front flanges with aluminum angle just like the bottom flange pictures and I used spacers and long bolts too.
Next step is to begin locating the radiator on the frame. There are a kazillion options here so to simplify, I used some common measurements provided to me by other builders and started eliminating options. First, I decided to locate the mounting hole for the lower brackets about 1 1/2 inches aft of the inside edge of the cross member. I also wanted the mounts to sit a tad lower than their original length. To accomplish both, I drilled holes in the cross member the side to the mounting tubes, stuck the tubes in the hole, and welded the assemblies to the frame. I didn't see a need for them to be removable.
UPDATE: Well, a lot has changed since the first pictures were posted. I cut the brackets off the frame because I was having difficulty getting the radiator positioned correctly. So I bolted them up to the radiator frame and I'll weld them into the car frame after the final mounting position is determined.
In preparation for mounting, I glued the hard rubber strips to the radiator hold dowm brackets using rubber cement.
After letting the cement set up for 15 minutes, I clamped it all together.
After messing with the radiator position for two full months, I've decided to mount it as low as I can go and then just lift the body high enough to clear the radiator cap. I used a couple of clamps and strips to hold the position of the radiator. It is just clearing the steering rack on the bottom, not touching the frame in the corners, and is as close to the engine as I can get it.
Once in this position, I welded the lower mounts to the frame and screwed the hold down brackets as well. That finishes up the first section of construction, assembly of the frame. Next up will be to get the body prepared for mounting. |
WHAT'S NEW ON THE PAGE OVER PAST 30 DAYS 03/27/10 - Updated the Radiator section
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