Look what came in the mail - Our Engine

This one's not plastic

It looks a little wrecked, but that's because we couldn't wait to open it before taking pictures! I threw the sides together for the photo.

It's a Chevy ZZ4 crate engine from Apple Chevrolet. 350 c.i., 355hp, 405 ft/lbs, aluminum heads & intake, angle plugs, etc. The first thing we'll be doing is replacing the long water pump.

Water Pumps - SB or BB?

Comparing Water Pumps

We thought we had a small block short water pump lying around somewhere, so when we found this one and it didn't fit, we were a bit miffed. "What's with this stupid ZZ4 and its crazy water pump?!" Fear not, all you need to know is a Big Block water pump will not fit on a Small Block. The BB WP is wider.

Are you seeing things? It's not your eyes, it's my attempt at overlapping two pictures that were supposed to be taken without the camera moving. Here you can see the difference between the two water pumps, after we found the right one. The difference in real life is 1-3/8" on a small block.

Macho, Macho Forklift

Paul wasn't available when I was putting the engine in, so I had to use the forklift. Notice the stock-looking ribs on the firewall. You can also see the windshield frame- it's part of the body, and could be airbrushed to appear chromed. The 1x2 under the crank bolts is a temporary way of holding the engine in its approximate location until we get the two jacks under there. The jacks will make it much easier to level the motor, and to raise/lower it without having to find the right size shim.

Installing the Transmission Mount

Here we see Mr. Horton attaching the 700r4 bracket to the insulator, which is bolted to the tranny. He's not holding the engine up in this picture- we got a handy transmission jack to do that job. You'll want to get everything mocked up where you want it, so that you attach the bracket to the center section at the correct angle for your car.

Center the tailstock in the frame, and set it up about 1/4" high; the insulator will settle a bit. Everything is tacked in place now.

Installing the Motor Mounts

Do you think this is level enough? We used two hydraulic jacks, one under each motor mount, to level the motor side-to-side. A lot of people say to make sure that the motor is level front-to-back, or it won't run right. What, no one with a hot rod has ever driven through the Appalachians?? It's not a crucial measurement. It's more important to have the engine and driveshaft at the same angle. See Street Rodder's driveshaft angle setupand Inland Empire Driveline's power train setup guide for excellent information on this topic.

Here I'm giving the top plate a little pre-bend so it will clear the rubber lip on the insulator. They come with a tiny laser-cut slit across almost the whole plate that makes it really easy to bend, and yet it keeps its shape.

This is the ridge I was talking about.

I've marked the bracket where I want to trim it. Remember: mark twice, cut once. Something like that. As you can see, there's lots of extra length on the bracket, just in case you've got a freak frame or something. These mounts will fit anything from a model A to an F-100.

Safety first. Just in case an asteroid hits the shop while he's trimming the bracket... Paul is ready for anything. He even has his lucky horseshoe.

This is the result of the bending and trimming. Now we need to transfer the angle under the bracket to the gusset. The slit will be welded shut after the gusset is made.

The trimmed gusset is on top of the gusset as it comes in the kit. Considering steel prices, buying this kit just so you have extra 3/16" plate to make other brackets is well worth it!

All welded up: This picture shows a few things. The motor mount is being fitted, although it still needs a bit more welding between the gusset and the top plate. You can also see the passenger side jack which makes it really easy to level out the motor while we're fitting the mounts. There is also one on the driver's side.

This is another view of the motor mount. Looks good, eh?
 

Here's the driver's side mount being installed. This is the part where you bend the top plate down to the frame rail. Remember, there's a slit in there - all you need to do is give it a little push, and it'll bend and hold in position.