Manx II “2-Face” Ecotec IRS Bus 091

[sailtexas186548]

Benco built 091, bus to bug nose cone conversion, Weddle 3rd and 4th gears, upgraded gear carrier, super diff, bus flanges, maybe some other stuff I forgot that’s all the big ticket items

I’ve had the engine for a few weeks, 2.4L from Alphafab, claims 10.5:1 CR and 210hp. It doesn’t really matter it will be more than enough! Just going for reliable

Drive by wire pedal and ECU:

Also pulled the bender and notcher out, and picked up an air/hydro ram from HF and started putting together a bracket for it I’m done yanking on that lever

[sailtexas186548]

Finally got going today, after failing to get .095 wall DOM local I had to settle for mounting the engine and transaxle.

Rolled it out into the sun for the first time in a while:

Using a SSC type 1 solid mount kit, and a 002 type 2 solid mount kit, and some plate steel I cobbled together a mount that works for the 091 and required minimal frame horn cutting. The engine is slightly off to the passenger side and the transaxle is sightless to drivers side (split the difference). I also had to push the transaxle forward and use a flat price of .200” steel as the front mount with the type 1 nose cone and stock pan side mount, or the shift rod would be too far back and the shift coupler would hit the torsion housing splined center section. I will be adding more support and a front mid-mount or strap but these mounts solidly locate the engine/transaxle. This pic shows the rear 002 mount, I actually needed to turn it around a backwards to shift the engine to the passenger side and clear the frame horns.

The engine (test fit as part of the transaxle mount adjusting) just barely clears the rear of the fiberglass and engine cut out and the vertical fiberglass wall, but it does! I modified the bell housing mount plate by enlarging the holes for the frame horn bolts on the top by .300” so the engine isn’t particularly high off the ground but I will not cut the body. With an 002 bell housing it would not have cleared. The throttle body is a little tight and I will have to machine it down but it will clear.

I took a chance on a Polaris slingshot header and got lucky, it fits great (1320 V2) and also clears the body, probably need a heat shield there just in case.

In the last pic you can see the space for a horizontal radiator above the transaxle with a couple puller fans.
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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

I finished the bender modifications today

Here is a pic of the front mount for the transaxle (need to drill the bolt holes once I pull the engine/trans again.

After hogging the bell housing mounting plate to lower and shift the engine the holes were way to big. I drilled a couple holes that fit the frame horn bolts tight then ground them down until they fit snug. I will tack these into place then weld them up both sides and dress down flat. I want to remove all slop/slotted holes so the engine will go back in the exact same spot every time

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[calebmelvin]

Holy cow! That is amazing! You have to take some videos when it is up and running. I need to see it on the road.
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Caleb
'68 Tagged Manx | My Wanted Ads
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[Letterman7]

Looks great! I want to see how you do the pedal by wire conversion. Usually, all the electronics have to play together.. waiting to see how you approach this.

[sailtexas186548]

Not much physical progress in the last few days, but I did get a bunch of parts coming. Clutch, starter, 5 sticks of .095 DOM, some .100”, 125”, and .200” plates, radiator, exhaust parts, and some bolts I was missing.

Kennedy stage 3 single disc, will be running their “street race organic” disc, hopefully this PP isn’t too hard on my clutch leg since I am sticking with cable actuated

Radiator, summit brand for a Jeep Cherokee, only $75 hard to complain about that!

For the DBZ fans!

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[joescoolcustoms]

Nicely done, and fast!

I have done 3, 091/2.4 LE5 combos and have enjoyed them all. My next one is going to be a 2.0/091 combo in my personal buggy.

For NORRA 1000 in April we are building two buggies that have the Alpha Fab 2.4 LE5s and they are Dyno'ed to 210 Crank HP. Alpha Fab is one of our sponsors.

The last one I built this Summer went on a wheel Dyno and shot out 165 HP and 168 ft/# torque. The torque was basically flat (less than 10% variance) from 1600 rpm to 5500 rpm. The pull is unreal heading up hills.

I do run the 9 inch clutches instead of the 8 inch. The 8 inch with a stage 3 are not enough for a stock 2.4 with the VVT. With the torque they have, I am blowing through the clutch at mid range rpm in the higher gears.
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Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[sailtexas186548]

Lots of little things done this week, tightened up a bunch of things that were only finger tight in case they had to come back off, welded up the engine mount, drilled the front trans mount, picked up a bundle of DOM and some plate.

Mounted the engine/transaxle for the almost last time, but now without a jack underneath! I can pick up a front wheel pretty easily with the engine in the rear now

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

About 80% done with the cage now, all tacked together at this point. I have fit the diagonal bar but it cannot be tacked In Until another joint is welded up. The only bars I still need to bend are the door/elbow bars.

I also need to add gussets to the major joints, pan plates, and add some pan plate bolts and move them all up to 1/2”. Also looking into putting rocker bars under the pan that I could bolt the cage to through the pan/tub.

I ended up abandoning the steering column support bar, it was just not reasonably located to tie into the cage as the dash bar, I think it will be a better support in the new location anyways.

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

[joescoolcustoms]

[Letterman7]

[joescoolcustoms]

[sailtexas186548]

Drivers side elbow/door bar has been fit, it took some serious finesse to get it to drop in but I got it without scrapping the tube. the passenger side one should be a bit easier - I write down every step/length/angle when I make the first side as instructions for the other side.

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[calebmelvin]

That cage is looking nice!
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Caleb
'68 Tagged Manx | My Wanted Ads
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[sailtexas186548]

Thanks! It’s not perfect but it’ll work

Fit the diagonals, just need to add some tacks and it’s ready to pull out and weld/gusset. Tomorrow I will build the engine cage, gotta search and get some ideas tonight the Ecotec motor mounts are Low and on the sides/rear, hard to get any meaningful support without going up and over the body and I’m NOT doing that

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

Finished the engine cage but still need to add engine mounts And tie it into the cage through the rear firewall. I have about 1/2” maybe 5/8” clearance to the engine and oil pan, just need some skid plate material now.

I ended up adding some bars to the rear of the main cage in the package tray area so I have something more solid to tie the engine supports to.

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

Made up the motor mounts tonight, passenger side needed an offset so I repurposed a couple inches of bottle jack handle.

Also made the backing plates and drilled/tacked in place so all cage parts inside minus gussets are fit.

I am going to tie the through “firewall” plates direct to the engine mounts to give some support to the cantilevered engine. I intend to leave the engine and rear cage/bumper independent so the engine and trans don’t see the loads from bottoming out. Still need to look at that concept since the bumper/cage might just bend up too easy and hit the engine anyways... perhaps tie it into the firewall plates and bypass the engine so the force will push up on The cage and therefor pull up on the engine. I will figure it out

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[joescoolcustoms]

Very nice work! Keep after it!
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Bad News Racing 2018 NORRA 1000 3rd in Class
Best Day Ever Racing 2022 NORRA 1000 2nd in Class and first All Female team to complete the race

Everyone is gifted. Some just do not open the package.

Looks like it was painted with a live chicken,polished with a brick and buffed with a pine cone

[sailtexas186548]

Fit the engine mount hangers, I could put my weight on the engine and move it 3/16” down, now it’s ROCK SOLID and the whole car moves when I bounce on it. Not gonna tie the engine cage/bumper in, I will weld it up and see how stiff it is, I think plenty for the driving this car will see

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it's more fun loud and dirty