Engine set back

Discussion in 'Race car chassis tech' started by Stubbe, Aug 10, 2007.

  1. Stubbe

    Stubbe Stubbe

    Do any of you guys set back the motor in your cars for better weight balace. Just curious if anyone did it before in a buick. I've seen it in a camaro before and supposedly it actually handled really well because of 50/50 balance.
     
  2. bob k. mando

    bob k. mando Guest

    i believe it's easier to do in a bigger car like an Electra. the 455 actually has 3 different holes per side to bolt the engine mount into, depending on which car it's going into.

    in my Electra, the engine was mounted in the rear holes so to move it back we just put the engine mounts in the front holes (moves the block back towards the firewall) and drilled new holes in the frame for the trans cross member. then we had to do a little jiggering with the lever to the auto trans. no big deal.

    oh yeah, the big cars have CV joints at both ends of the drive shaft. we converted one end to a U-joint and re-used the shaft.

    no beating on the firewall or trans tunnel involved.

    the car was ungodly fast in the corners.
     
  3. Stubbe

    Stubbe Stubbe

    Sorry, must have read that wrong. An electra was ungodly fast in the corners. :eek2: So moving it helps that much. I wonder if its worth it to move it more as in, into the firewall a little.
     
  4. bob k. mando

    bob k. mando Guest

    Sorry, must have read that wrong. "An electra was ungodly fast in the corners".

    well, ahem, there was a leetle bit more done to it than simply moving the engine back. for instance, what wasn't rusted out was completely stripped. IIRC, scaling it with driver yielded 3,900lbs. but we did start with the engine set back.

    we ran it against other purpose built, Strictly Stock/Enduro class, SBC powered, ~3,100lb cars on DOT tires and gave up nothing in the corners. with the BBB, we murdelized them down the straights.
     
  5. Buizila

    Buizila GO BROWNS !!!!!!

    Doug Paine does in his white 69 GS racecar Painekiller. The firewall had to be cut and set back. The car was used as a street racer for a long time before he bought it.This was how they where able to get better traction on street tires. Sneaky, Sneaky, Sneaky! Now it makes for a very good 60' cutting racecar.
     
  6. blown455

    blown455 Pit crew

    in a regular car it is a lot of work but 50% on rear is very good for traction and handling in big end , i moved regal motor back 4 inches this winter
     
  7. ibmoses

    ibmoses TORQUEMONSTERHASBEENSOLD

    Dirt track engineering

    On the Chevelles we built for dirt track racing we always moved the engine/trans back as far as the rules allowed. We also lowered the body as much as we could onto the frame...
    Bert
     
  8. bob k. mando

    bob k. mando Guest

    We also lowered the body as much as we could onto the frame...

    good point. if you're up to the work involved you can unbolt the body from the frame and pull the rubber frame biscuits/spacers out. then bolt the body back down in solid contact to the frame rails.

    this lowers your CG slightly, stiffens the entire car and reduces excess body roll.

    it will however make your ride a bit harsher.
     
  9. Scrappy

    Scrappy Well-Known Member

    You can set the engine back an easy 2.5 inches usually without cutting any sheet metal. I am the one that did the setback in what is now "painekiller". I did 5 inches total. It is true that 50/50 weight distribution is best and stock cars are definately not 50/50. The setback was done so that the car would hook better in the street and stand on the bumper at the track. And yes it was a sneaky sneaky car.
     

Share This Page