question about crossmembers

[84z31]

question about the crossmembers. i'm not sure if this really belongs here.

but looking at jasons picture below, and being a pretty competent welder / fabricator. it looks to me like you could cut off the engine mount on the drivers side and flip it around, then weld it in, and it would work perfectly for a turbo swap. am i right? what are your opinions?

i was not able to get a crossmember for my conversion so anyway i do it it is going to be a custom jobber. just looking for opinions here. has anyone done the swap with out the proper crossmember and just fab'd something up?

thanks

[GotFast?]

I'd say give it a try and find out if it works.

If not you can always find a turbo crossmember from someone parting out a car.

[Jason84NA2T]

Except that it would be angled in the wrong direction.

Yes, In fact I believe someone from AUS did that same thing when they could not locate a turbo engine crossmember for a reasonable price.

[SATAN]

Jason84NA2T wrote: Except that it would be angled in the wrong direction.

Yes, In fact I believe someone from AUS did that same thing when they could not locate a turbo engine crossmember for a reasonable price.

Right you can see as they sit there they both point toward the driver side. if you were to flip it around it would angle toward the passenger. but other than that they look the same. Try it. if you are capable of cutting and welding to turn it around then modding it slightly more to make it work would be cake for you.

[craZed]

The mount appears to be asymmetrical from every point, and to spin it
around would require heavy modification to fit. It would probably be easier to just make one from scratch.

If you can find another na crossmember, it appears that you could take
the right side mount and put it on the left side of yours with out any modification to the mount.

[FreeLanceBum]

craZed wrote: If you can find another na crossmember, it appears that you could take the right side mount and put it on the left side of yours with out any modification to the mount.

Now that seems like a solid idea.

[84z31]

i could just mirror and flip. i'll be custom building one. i shouldn't take more then a few hours to fab up.

it won't be until this summer. so i'll have to post the CAD drawing when i build it.

thanks for the input.

[grahfz]

what about chopping it into three pieces,

chop the mount off, chop the top off.

weld the x-member to the lower part of the mount, flipped around. Then flip the top part back around again so that it's angled correctly..again, then welding it all together.

??

[2+2turbo]

how about you just use a different exh. manifold , like the one SATAN makes and forget the whole problem with the mount....

[OR-Zman]

2+2turbo wrote: how about you just use a different exh. manifold , like the one SATAN makes and forget the whole problem with the mount....

Now there is an idea. :shock:

I don't remember who did it ( killed to many brain cells in my life ) but this idea of using an NA cross-member has been done before. Also there really isn't much reason to use a turbo oil pan if you have an oil bung welded into it. :shock:

If I were doing a turbo swap I guarantee I would not be worried about finding a turbo cross-member or oil pan. Have welder, have time, will modify NA parts as needed. Will go to Steve for an exhaust manifold when that time eventually comes.

84z31- you know what to do. Just do it. You have the ability and the will.

[grahfz]

I've noticed that having a shop with all the proper tools to do jobs, also enhances your ability to ghetto-rig things.

Like somebody that I know that had a 95 maxima.. he went to do a front brake job on it, and the bolts broke. He got it all apart, did the brakes, then welded it all back together, and traded it in.

[OR-Zman]

grahfz wrote: I've noticed that having a shop with all the proper tools to do jobs, also enhances your ability to ghetto-rig things.

I cant deny that. ghetto rigging things is a personal issue in my book. Finding an alternate way to achieve your goal is a different animal. Most of us here are looking for a different way based on other peoples suggestions are we not?

btw- part of the reason I said what I did is 2 fold.

1- no turbo Zs to scavenge off of within 3 hours of me and most of them are up in Portland and already scavenged. I cant believe that I am the only guy in this world with a Z31 with no useful Z31 parts within 3 hours. :shock:

2- as the turbo cars get crushed by the recyclers there are going to be less and less cross-members and oil pans to find. Manifolds also. Eventually the up and comers will have to innovate. Figure out a new way.

[84z31]

well,

i'll just weld something up. not ghetto crap here. i'm moving back to wyoming where i have plenty of shop space, and friends with welders.

now getting my chevy alternator to fit on the passenger side is going to be a chore.

i'm going to have to get a daily driver this summer so i can rip the car apart.

i'd really like to mount the turbo on the passenger side. it would make routing intercooler pipes much easier. so maybe while the motor is out i'll fabricate something. i'm just playing with ideas in my head. i'll know more when i get the motor out.

[OR-Zman]

swapping the alternator to the other side shouldn't be an issue.

Just supposing here...passenger side turbo. Are you going to buy a set of custom manifolds from Steve or some one with like skills? If not then I wouldn't bother. Just my personal input. Swap the alternator and put the turbo on the passenger side.

OH...just thought of this... do you have a specific inter-cooler in mind?

[84z31]

i'm not sure yet on the intercooler. i may go junkyard hunting and then save up for a spearco.

i'm thinking stainless steel pipe for the headers. and getting a set of headers from a mecury villager. they have a very think flange and are steel. not cast, so they would be easier to fabricate something off of.

but i still have the stock turbo header. so we'll see what transpires. :wink: