LT1 swap motor mount direction
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LT1 swap motor mount direction
Hello Thirdgener’s
PO had a carbed LT1 swapped into a 92 RS. I noticed that the back of the motor looks shifted towards the passenger side and the passenger side of the motor is lower (out of level). I did some research and it looks like the motor mounts are the correct part number (334971 driver side and 4039436 passengers side) but I’m wondering if the passengers side mount is installed backwards? On the drivers side the part number faces the firewall, on the passengers side the part number faces the radiator. Can anyone verify if the passenger mount needs to be turned around? Would that in turn move the back of the engine towards the drivers side and lift it up?
p.s. I verified that the radiator support is level so I know the entire vehicle is not crooked on the jack stands.
Thanks in advance for your time,
Ted
PO had a carbed LT1 swapped into a 92 RS. I noticed that the back of the motor looks shifted towards the passenger side and the passenger side of the motor is lower (out of level). I did some research and it looks like the motor mounts are the correct part number (334971 driver side and 4039436 passengers side) but I’m wondering if the passengers side mount is installed backwards? On the drivers side the part number faces the firewall, on the passengers side the part number faces the radiator. Can anyone verify if the passenger mount needs to be turned around? Would that in turn move the back of the engine towards the drivers side and lift it up?
p.s. I verified that the radiator support is level so I know the entire vehicle is not crooked on the jack stands.
Thanks in advance for your time,
Ted
Last edited by Bustionironi; 08-29-2020 at 05:16 PM.
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Car: 92 Firebird, 77 Trans Am SE, 86 Z28
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Re: LT1 swap motor mount direction
I could be thinking wrong but, you can't bolt the clamshell part on upside down without it being in a completely different spot. 3 bolts in a triangle shape hold it to the block. If you turn it upside down and don't move it anywhere then none of the bolt holes go to anything. It can be bolted upside but it won't match the chassis at all since it moves the whole clamshell rearward to the flywheel.
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Re: LT1 swap motor mount direction
Not to discount John's notion of possible damage (and he will possibly recall a conversation he and I had about this), but years ago I had done a Gen 1 swap into a V6 chassis. With the engine in place with correctly orientated engine mounts, the driver's side was higher. (check out the level not the tilted photo).
Wasn't sure what to make of it nor did I recall if the engine was also crooked in the previous 86 IROC that it was in.
Then I came across this spacer (literally just laying on the workbench along with a pile of other parts), with a GM part number stamped on it (not sure if I recorded that number anywhere). Obviously designed to fit between the mount and the block, it provided exactly the right amount of offset needed to level the engine perfectly.
I've no idea which car the spacer came from but it would have to have been a Camaro as those were the only vehicles that had rolled through the shop in any recent past. There were possibly as many as 5 different cars that rolled through. Years 85-87, a couple of Coupes, an IROC, an RS and maybe one other. Some V6 (both Coupes) and the rest V8s. No 5.7s.
That V6 chassis definitely had no signs of any collision damage.
Still a mystery to this day.
Wasn't sure what to make of it nor did I recall if the engine was also crooked in the previous 86 IROC that it was in.
Then I came across this spacer (literally just laying on the workbench along with a pile of other parts), with a GM part number stamped on it (not sure if I recorded that number anywhere). Obviously designed to fit between the mount and the block, it provided exactly the right amount of offset needed to level the engine perfectly.
I've no idea which car the spacer came from but it would have to have been a Camaro as those were the only vehicles that had rolled through the shop in any recent past. There were possibly as many as 5 different cars that rolled through. Years 85-87, a couple of Coupes, an IROC, an RS and maybe one other. Some V6 (both Coupes) and the rest V8s. No 5.7s.
That V6 chassis definitely had no signs of any collision damage.
Still a mystery to this day.
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Car: 1985 IROC
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Transmission: 5 speed
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.23 limited slip
Re: LT1 swap motor mount direction
I could be thinking wrong but, you can't bolt the clamshell part on upside down without it being in a completely different spot. 3 bolts in a triangle shape hold it to the block. If you turn it upside down and don't move it anywhere then none of the bolt holes go to anything. It can be bolted upside but it won't match the chassis at all since it moves the whole clamshell rearward to the flywheel.
Last edited by Bustionironi; 08-30-2020 at 07:27 PM.
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Car: 1985 IROC
Engine: 350HO
Transmission: 5 speed
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.23 limited slip
Re: LT1 swap motor mount direction
Not to discount John's notion of possible damage (and he will possibly recall a conversation he and I had about this), but years ago I had done a Gen 1 swap into a V6 chassis. With the engine in place with correctly orientated engine mounts, the driver's side was higher. (check out the level not the tilted photo).
Wasn't sure what to make of it nor did I recall if the engine was also crooked in the previous 86 IROC that it was in.
Then I came across this spacer (literally just laying on the workbench along with a pile of other parts), with a GM part number stamped on it (not sure if I recorded that number anywhere). Obviously designed to fit between the mount and the block, it provided exactly the right amount of offset needed to level the engine perfectly.
I've no idea which car the spacer came from but it would have to have been a Camaro as those were the only vehicles that had rolled through the shop in any recent past. There were possibly as many as 5 different cars that rolled through. Years 85-87, a couple of Coupes, an IROC, an RS and maybe one other. Some V6 (both Coupes) and the rest V8s. No 5.7s.
That V6 chassis definitely had no signs of any collision damage.
Still a mystery to this day.
Wasn't sure what to make of it nor did I recall if the engine was also crooked in the previous 86 IROC that it was in.
Then I came across this spacer (literally just laying on the workbench along with a pile of other parts), with a GM part number stamped on it (not sure if I recorded that number anywhere). Obviously designed to fit between the mount and the block, it provided exactly the right amount of offset needed to level the engine perfectly.
I've no idea which car the spacer came from but it would have to have been a Camaro as those were the only vehicles that had rolled through the shop in any recent past. There were possibly as many as 5 different cars that rolled through. Years 85-87, a couple of Coupes, an IROC, an RS and maybe one other. Some V6 (both Coupes) and the rest V8s. No 5.7s.
That V6 chassis definitely had no signs of any collision damage.
Still a mystery to this day.
Last edited by Bustionironi; 08-30-2020 at 04:07 PM.
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Axle/Gears: 3.08 posi, 3.23 posi, 3.23
Re: LT1 swap motor mount direction
Are you sure it's not just a broken mount?
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Re: LT1 swap motor mount direction
None of those pictures indicate the engine is severely out of level. There is more variability in the suspension, tires, and floor than likely whats in your mounts. It's more likely that you have one facing the wrong direction. I would check that our first.
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Re: LT1 swap motor mount direction
The passenger side mount looks beat up compared to the drivers side, that’s why I was thinking the passengers side mount is shot and needing replacement. I’m leaning towards pulling the motor out so I can go through it, replace the motor mounts and clean up the engine bay before re-install.
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Car: 1985 IROC
Engine: 350HO
Transmission: 5 speed
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt 3.23 limited slip
Re: LT1 swap motor mount direction
Almost ready to pull motor out, just two stubborn torque converter bolts, two lower bell housing bolts And the motor mount bolts left to remove. I thinkI discovered part of the problem. When the PO had the LT1 put in they left the AC compressor in place on the lower passenger side but did not notch the k member. The motor doesn’t sit back far enough which gives it the funky angle. Maybe the motor mount is bad too, not sure yet.
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