I've never been a fan of mounting IC engines over wood boxes, but they're handy for hiding nuisances like big ignition coils. I typically use steel plates for display bases which are heavy and keep all the running accessories out in full view.
A 12" x 18" steel baseplate was prepared from some 3/8" material and a pair of motor mounts machined from what started out as 1-1/2" angle iron. An integral backing plate on the starboard side mount allowed positioning the starter solenoid up close to the starter. It had been a few years since I last welded, and some time was needed getting reacquainted with my tig torch. I really enjoy welding, but real world projects seem to have difficult or hard-to-reach joints that take away a lot of the fun.
The mounts were welded to the baseplate in opposite facing directions in order to clear the starter on the engine's starboard side and the oil filler plug on its port side. A fixture plate was used to keep the mounts aligned while being welded to the baseplate, but of course it made access to the joints difficult. My original two point mounting scheme looked doable in SolidWorks, but I wasn't comfortable with its mockup and added a last minute bolt-on support for the bell housing.
The steel radiator mounts fabricated earlier were used to position the radiator in front of the engine. I didn't do myself any favors with the minimal opening in the shroud for the fan, and the shroud's design didn't lend itself to easily being enlarged. I want the fan belts to be replaceable with the engine and radiator in place, and so the exact placement of the radiator became more important than I'd planned.
The fuel tank's location was pretty much fixed by the width of the baseplate and the location of the bell housing which in turn was fixed by the engine mounts. Drilling the mounting holes for the radiator brackets essentially locked down the locations of all three major components.
The weight of the assembly is already 45 pounds with nearly half that being the baseplate. A front lift disguised as a 289 HIPO badge was machined and bolted to the front of the baseplate to prevent using the radiator to lift the assembly.
A small console with switches for the starter, fuel pump, and ignition will probably be the last machined part for this build. After coming up with the mounts for the remaining regulator and ignition modules the baseplate can be painted. - Terry
A 12" x 18" steel baseplate was prepared from some 3/8" material and a pair of motor mounts machined from what started out as 1-1/2" angle iron. An integral backing plate on the starboard side mount allowed positioning the starter solenoid up close to the starter. It had been a few years since I last welded, and some time was needed getting reacquainted with my tig torch. I really enjoy welding, but real world projects seem to have difficult or hard-to-reach joints that take away a lot of the fun.
The mounts were welded to the baseplate in opposite facing directions in order to clear the starter on the engine's starboard side and the oil filler plug on its port side. A fixture plate was used to keep the mounts aligned while being welded to the baseplate, but of course it made access to the joints difficult. My original two point mounting scheme looked doable in SolidWorks, but I wasn't comfortable with its mockup and added a last minute bolt-on support for the bell housing.
The steel radiator mounts fabricated earlier were used to position the radiator in front of the engine. I didn't do myself any favors with the minimal opening in the shroud for the fan, and the shroud's design didn't lend itself to easily being enlarged. I want the fan belts to be replaceable with the engine and radiator in place, and so the exact placement of the radiator became more important than I'd planned.
The fuel tank's location was pretty much fixed by the width of the baseplate and the location of the bell housing which in turn was fixed by the engine mounts. Drilling the mounting holes for the radiator brackets essentially locked down the locations of all three major components.
The weight of the assembly is already 45 pounds with nearly half that being the baseplate. A front lift disguised as a 289 HIPO badge was machined and bolted to the front of the baseplate to prevent using the radiator to lift the assembly.
A small console with switches for the starter, fuel pump, and ignition will probably be the last machined part for this build. After coming up with the mounts for the remaining regulator and ignition modules the baseplate can be painted. - Terry
