It always seems like you are within reaching distance of putting an engine into a car, and then you realize that there are a myriad of small parts, hoses, fittings, etc that should be taken care of before the engine goes in. So it was here, today. Approaching the engine install, it appeared that all was ready, but in reality, there was still about 3 hours of minor nit-noy stuff that had to be taken care of. Eventually, the moment had arrived, it was go time! Load leveler installed, attached to the hoist, time for that nerve wracking time of a swaying 1000# weight hanging over your pretty car, ready to bump, scratch, tip or even crush your work, and if you're really unlucky, maybe even yourself! OK, being dramatic. On with it.





It was just about this time that I realized I had a problem. Those who have swapped V8's in probably already spotted it. I used the engine mount brackets from the V8. Specifically, for a V8 in a CL55. Yeah, they won't work in the tiny R170 platform. Grrrrrr.


Here's a comparison of the CL55 mount on the left, and the Crossfire mount on the right. These are both from the right side of the engine. Slight difference, eh? Swapping the right side was a non-issue (just time consuming), but the left side was a different matter. The engine mount bracket has a provision for supporting the rear of the A/C compressor. The V8 bracket fits this bill easily, but the smaller V6 bracket doesn't reach. I should have taken a pic, but didn't (was in a hurry/frustrated), but the solution was to simply take a hack saw to the V8 bracket, and cut that ear off the end of the bracket, bolt it to the block, and the A/C compressor to it. Crude, but effective. After the bracket swap was complete, things went much more smoothly. At last, here is the result:




Looks so big in there! Working on this engine is definitely going to be more of a challenge than the M112. It almost looked like the hood wouldn't quite make it, but alas, it does!


There's still tons of work left to be done. All of the usual parts need to be reinstalled. Exhaust system will be a mix of stock SRT6, and fabricated portions. There's wiring, hoses, and the usual items associated with the engine, plus a bigger fuel pump (and I will be adding a pressure regulator and return line), cooling fans, oil cooler, intercooler cooling circuit, and more. On top of that, work has not even begun yet on the rear axle and differential portion. Unfortunately, I have to take a little break from this project, and turn my attention elsewhere, but I will return to it in about two weeks. Until then, Happy Motoring!