Is Full Engine Mount X-Member Needed?

[FuriousGT]

My 1973 GT project is moving along. I purchased a 1973 GT with a KA24E already dropped in. The engine is now out of the car and totally disassembled. I'm going to refab the engine mounts because I don't like how they were done. One thing I am curious about is this. To get the engine in the PO cut about a 2 foot section out of the original engine mount crossbar. It looks like this:

__||ENGINE||__ instead of __||______||__

Sorry I don't have a picture. The __|| symbol signifies the upright mount and crossbar. I'm sure most GT'ers know exactly what part I'm talking about. My concern is that the car is going to be negatively affected by the loss of the reinforcement that the complete bar used to provide. Is this a valid concern? Do I need to figure out how to fab around the engine so that the bar is complete again?

Thanks!

[blancojp]

My 1973 GT project is moving along. I purchased a 1973 GT with a KA24E already dropped in. The engine is now out of the car and totally disassembled. I'm going to refab the engine mounts because I don't like how they were done. One thing I am curious about is this. To get the engine in the PO cut about a 2 foot section out of the original engine mount crossbar. It looks like this:

__||ENGINE||__ instead of __||______||__

Sorry I don't have a picture. The __|| symbol signifies the upright mount and crossbar. I'm sure most GT'ers know exactly what part I'm talking about. My concern is that the car is going to be negatively affected by the loss of the reinforcement that the complete bar used to provide. Is this a valid concern? Do I need to figure out how to fab around the engine so that the bar is complete again?

Thanks!

I know exactly what you are talking about since we do the same with the V-6 conversion. The engine crossmember ties the front rails, as they exit the cabin, together and helps to re-inforce that section. Is it an absolute requirement, no and the car can live without it.

We cut this section when installing a V-6 because the oil pan is in the way. You can manufacture a "U" shape bypass or craddle like Namba did on Willit, however we have verified over the years that it does not affect performance, nor does it promote chassis bend due to the lack of it.

[FuriousGT]

I know exactly what you are talking about since we do the same with the V-6 conversion. The engine crossmember ties the front rails, as they exit the cabin, together and helps to re-inforce that section. Is it an absolute requirement, no and the car can live without it.

We cut this section when installing a V-6 because the oil pan is in the way. You can manufacture a "U" shape bypass or craddle like Namba did on Willit, however we have verified over the years that it does not affect performance, nor does it promote chassis bend due to the lack of it.

The oil pan is the exact problem. My KA24 motor is from the hardbody truck but the exact motor from the 240SX has the oil pan install in the opposite direction which, I think, would free up the space where the crossbar used to be. I'll probably get the other oil pan so I can have the ability to install a sway bar. On your conversion do you have the ability to install the sway bar or is the pan in the way? If I don't need to change oil pans there's no point in doing it.

[krewzer]

Your front sway bar will install in front of the front wheels, so you won't have any interference with the pan

[FuriousGT]

Your front sway bar will install in front of the front wheels, so you won't have any interference with the pan

Oh. I feel foolish. The pictures I've seen of the sway bar look like it installed next to the engine mount crossmember. Glad it doesn't!

thanks!

[RallyBob]

An original GT front sway bar or an Opel GT Source aftermarket 1" front sway bar mounts to the rear of the front suspension. In fact it uses the engine cradle as a mounting point for the rear bushings and brackets.

[neuropel]

Is it the general consensus of the rest of the group here that the crossmember is in fact not needed??? That's news to me - I figured removing it would seriously hurt the structural integrity of the car.

[blancojp]

Is it the general consensus of the rest of the group here that the crossmember is in fact not needed??? That's news to me - I figured removing it would seriously hurt the structural integrity of the car.

I drove my 1972 GT with a 3.8L engine installed for over 10 years without the crossmember installed. But could be my bad since I have built over the past 20 years 38 Opel GT's with different engines and no crossmember.

[bigben]

Well, this bit of information would have been nice to know about a year and a half ago. . . before I spent so much time carefully trying to fit my SR20 engine under the hood while maintaining most of the cross member under the engine. I guess I should have asked the question.

[FuriousGT]

An original GT front sway bar or an Opel GT Source aftermarket 1" front sway bar mounts to the rear of the front suspension. In fact it uses the engine cradle as a mounting point for the rear bushings and brackets.

So to be clear... install pictures seem to show the sway bar being in very close proximity to the front edge of the engine mount crossmember which means I can't install one since my oil pan is currently taking up that real estate. Am I understanding correctly?

I looked for a picture of the front sway bar as it sits in relation to the engine crossmember but all the pictures I've found are shot looking at the front suspension so I can't really tell the clearance.

Does the ADDCO front sway bar sit close to the engine crossmember as well?