{"id":100047,"date":"2025-02-28T07:48:21","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T15:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=100047"},"modified":"2025-02-28T12:43:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T20:43:59","slug":"dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-carousel-extra='{\"blog_id\":1,\"permalink\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\\\/\"}' id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-100047 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-1-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-1-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-100048\" data-attachment-id=\"100048\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-1-min\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-1-min-scaled-e1740757586724.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"640,429\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;click__begin&quot;&gt;Click Here to Begin Slideshow&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Assume you have a custom-built car you\u2019re working on.\u00a0 Assume you have an engine.\u00a0 At some point you have to mix the two together.\u00a0 No big deal right?\u00a0 Probably not.\u00a0 You just slide the thing on the mounts and forget about it, but have you really considered why racers often use motor plates?\u00a0 There are a couple of reasons, not the least of which is header clearance.\u00a0 When a conventional three-point mount (one on each side of the block and one on the transmission tail shaft) is used, then the headers are sometimes forced to snake over and around the mounts, which, for the most part are located at the sides of the engine.\u00a0 If the factory mount isn&amp;#8217;t in the way, it&amp;#8217;s easy to see that the header design isn&amp;#8217;t nearly as compromised.\u00a0 Another factor is ease of engine installation and removal.\u00a0 Instead of laying on your back trying to line up a pair of bolts, a typical motor plate-equipped engine can be slipped onto the saddles, a few easily aligned bolts installed (from the top side no less) and you\u2019re done.\u00a0 One more benefit of a motor-plate equipped car is the ease of transmission swaps.\u00a0 When changing a transmission in such an application, there&amp;#8217;s no need to support the rear of the engine when the gearbox is removed.\u00a0 The front and rear plates hold the engine up.\u00a0 All of this adds up to a pretty big plus in a modified application.\u00a0 The downside (isn\u2019t there always one?) is the fact the mounts are solid. You\u2019ll get some engine vibration in the cockpit. If you can live with that, read on:&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Motor Plate Materials&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Front motor plates are almost exclusively constructed from aluminum while rear plates can either be constructed from aluminum or steel.\u00a0 Is any type of aluminum suitable for motor plates?\u00a0 Absolutely not.\u00a0 For example, the Competition Engineering plate shown in the photos is constructed from 0.250-inch thick 6061T6 aluminum (which is a grade commonly used in aircraft).\u00a0 Why is the aluminum grade important?\u00a0 It&amp;#8217;s simple:\u00a0 Pure (99.0%) aluminum is unsuitable for racecar structures because it is far too soft.\u00a0 There&amp;#8217;s a catch though.\u00a0 When alloyed with other materials or elements, aluminum can be made into an ideal structural material. \u00a0One major reason aluminum is so attractive is weight.\u00a0 Typically, aluminum is roughly 1\/3 the weight of steel.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;As indicated above, alloying can change the properties of aluminum.\u00a0 Alloying is simply the method of mixing aluminum with other materials to make it stronger.\u00a0 The percentage of copper or zinc mixed with aluminum will determine the strength of the alloy.\u00a0 According to the Standard Aviation Maintenance Handbook, when aluminum is mixed with copper, manganese or magnesium, the alloy is capable of carrying major structural loads.\u00a0 Aluminum alloys are identified by a four-digit numbering system.\u00a0 The first digit identifies the primary alloy group and the others indicate the additional alloys present.\u00a0 For your information, 6061T6 aluminum includes the following percentages of alloying elements:\u00a0 Magnesium: 1.0; Silicon: 0.6; Copper:\u00a0 0.25;\u00a0 Chromium:\u00a0 0.25.\u00a0 When aluminum is alloyed with copper or zinc, it&amp;#8217;s characteristics change to the extent that it can be hardened as well as softened by the use of heat.\u00a0 The T6 suffix indicates the aluminum is solution heat treated and artificially aged.\u00a0 Why is this important with regard to motor plates?\u00a0 It has to do with strength properties.\u00a0 6061T6 aluminum has an ultimate strength of 45,000 PSI, a Brinell (hardness) rating of 95 and a shearing strength of 30,000 PSI.\u00a0 In comparison, a more, &amp;#8220;pure&amp;#8221; aluminum such as 1100-0 has an ultimate strength of 13,000 psi, a Brinell rating of 23 and ultimate shear strength of 9,500.\u00a0 As you can see, the differences in strength numbers between the two types of aluminum are considerable.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Rear motor plates can also be manufactured from mild steel and they have one major advantage when compared to aluminum rear plates:\u00a0 Sheet metal steel rear plates or &amp;#8220;mid mounts&amp;#8221; can be constructed thin enough so that major modifications to the transmission input shaft and clutch throw out bearing are not required.\u00a0 According to Competition Engineering, their mild steel mid mount is 0.090&amp;#8243; thick, and is machined on a computer-controlled punch. \u00a0This ensures consistency between components, and of course, an exact fit.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Plate Configurations&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;A number of different motor plate styles are readily available in the racing aftermarket. \u00a0For example, big and small block Chevy plates, small block Ford plates, 460 Ford plates as well as big and small block Chrysler plates are generally available.\u00a0 You can purchase plates for specific chassis types (tube frame cars or &amp;#8220;converted&amp;#8221; production cars), universal plates (which allow you to trim them to size) or &amp;#8220;pre-cut&amp;#8221; plates, which are often profile milled and ready for installation in a kit chassis.\u00a0 Some companies also manufacture &amp;#8220;conversion&amp;#8221; plates.\u00a0 In this case, the plate design allows you to install a small block Chevy into a tube frame chassis that was originally set up for a big block.\u00a0 These plates are engineered to compensate for the shorter length of the small block, but it is factory offset (with a custom series of bends on each end) allowing it to bolt to big block mounts.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;At one time, it was relatively common to modify a safety bell housing by welding ears to the external ring or ears so that a second plate or mid mount wasn&amp;#8217;t required.\u00a0 It was a clean solution, but unfortunately, when the welding was accomplished it was impossible to know if the bell housing was structurally sound.\u00a0 Obviously, the welding could change the properties of the safety bell housing, and as a result, that practice is now forbidden by the respective race sanctioning bodies.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Motor Plate Mounts&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;When installing a motor plate-equipped engine in a car, you&amp;#8217;ll obviously need some way to bolt the pieces together.\u00a0 Generally speaking, there are two different motor plate &amp;#8220;systems&amp;#8221; in use today:\u00a0 One geared toward tube frame cars and the other geared toward converted &amp;#8220;built-in-Detroit&amp;#8221; cars.\u00a0 Typically, a tube frame car will have a forward roll cage hoop in the engine compartment, which can easily accept a mount saddle and tab for the motor plate.\u00a0 At the bottom, a tube frame chassis will also readily accept a lower plate mount or saddle system.\u00a0\u00a0 In comparison, this isn&amp;#8217;t always possible with a factory car since the frame rails are usually further apart and at a far different height than in a tube frame car.\u00a0 Further to this, many combinations that began life as &amp;#8220;real cars&amp;#8221; are not equipped with forward roll cage hoops.\u00a0 Not only does this have an effect upon the mounting, it also changes the shape and design of the motor plate.\u00a0\u00a0 Purpose built tube frame style cars usually have a front motor plate that is mounted in two locations per side (upper and lower).\u00a0 Meanwhile, a front motor plate for a production car is often mounted at the bottom only (one mount location per side).\u00a0 Rear plates also differ.\u00a0 Full tube frame chassis are often designed so that the mid mount is tied to the roll cage.\u00a0 Because of the differences in motor plate mounting, fore and aft engine movement can prove critical, especially in cars with production line chassis.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Controlling The Movement&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Motor plates are very good at controlling the rotational engine movement in a chassis.\u00a0 In some applications where OEM style transmission cases are included, they aren&amp;#8217;t that great at controlling fore and aft movement.\u00a0 In a Pro Stock drag race car, the transmission is held fast by the mount package.\u00a0 Typically, these cars have a robust transmission case and integral transmission mount arrangement that allows for solid mounting.\u00a0 In the case of a Pro Stock drag car, most fabricators use a relatively stout 6061T6 mid mount which is not only bolted to the lower frame rail:\u00a0 It&amp;#8217;s also fastened at the top (over the bell housing) which allows the plate to tie directly to the roll cage of the car.\u00a0 Obviously with this sort of arrangement, the engine isn&amp;#8217;t going anywhere.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;When an automatic transmission enters the mix (particularly with a relatively flexible sheet metal mid mount), it&amp;#8217;s not easy to control the fore and aft movement of the engine.\u00a0 The solution is an engine limiter.\u00a0 Typically, a limiter is mounted at a rearward angle between the cylinder block and the front frame rail on the driver&amp;#8217;s side of the car. This arrangement precludes large scale fore and aft motion from the engine.\u00a0 The result, of course, is a happy transmission case and a front motor plate that doesn&amp;#8217;t bend or fracture.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;In the end, you can see motor plates can ease the pain of working on your custom-built application (sometimes by considerable margins).\u00a0 Not only do they make life easier when it comes to installing an engine, they can also make room for more efficient headers.\u00a0 The result, of course, is a bit more power potential and obviously, less clutter in the engine compartment.\u00a0 Harnessing the engine to the car might be more important than you think.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br \/&gt;\n&lt;a class=&quot;click__begin&quot;&gt;Click Here to Begin Slideshow&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-1-min-300x201.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-1-min-1024x685.jpg\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-100048'>\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"click__begin\">Click Here to Begin Slideshow<\/a>\n\nAssume you have a custom-built car you\u2019re working on.\u00a0 Assume you have an engine.\u00a0 At some point you have to mix the two together.\u00a0 No big deal right?\u00a0 Probably not.\u00a0 You just slide the thing on the mounts and forget about it, but have you really considered why racers often use motor plates?\u00a0 There are a couple of reasons, not the least of which is header clearance.\u00a0 When a conventional three-point mount (one on each side of the block and one on the transmission tail shaft) is used, then the headers are sometimes forced to snake over and around the mounts, which, for the most part are located at the sides of the engine.\u00a0 If the factory mount isn&#8217;t in the way, it&#8217;s easy to see that the header design isn&#8217;t nearly as compromised.\u00a0 Another factor is ease of engine installation and removal.\u00a0 Instead of laying on your back trying to line up a pair of bolts, a typical motor plate-equipped engine can be slipped onto the saddles, a few easily aligned bolts installed (from the top side no less) and you\u2019re done.\u00a0 One more benefit of a motor-plate equipped car is the ease of transmission swaps.\u00a0 When changing a transmission in such an application, there&#8217;s no need to support the rear of the engine when the gearbox is removed.\u00a0 The front and rear plates hold the engine up.\u00a0 All of this adds up to a pretty big plus in a modified application.\u00a0 The downside (isn\u2019t there always one?) is the fact the mounts are solid. You\u2019ll get some engine vibration in the cockpit. If you can live with that, read on:\n\n<strong>Motor Plate Materials<\/strong>\n\nFront motor plates are almost exclusively constructed from aluminum while rear plates can either be constructed from aluminum or steel.\u00a0 Is any type of aluminum suitable for motor plates?\u00a0 Absolutely not.\u00a0 For example, the Competition Engineering plate shown in the photos is constructed from 0.250-inch thick 6061T6 aluminum (which is a grade commonly used in aircraft).\u00a0 Why is the aluminum grade important?\u00a0 It&#8217;s simple:\u00a0 Pure (99.0%) aluminum is unsuitable for racecar structures because it is far too soft.\u00a0 There&#8217;s a catch though.\u00a0 When alloyed with other materials or elements, aluminum can be made into an ideal structural material. \u00a0One major reason aluminum is so attractive is weight.\u00a0 Typically, aluminum is roughly 1\/3 the weight of steel.\n\nAs indicated above, alloying can change the properties of aluminum.\u00a0 Alloying is simply the method of mixing aluminum with other materials to make it stronger.\u00a0 The percentage of copper or zinc mixed with aluminum will determine the strength of the alloy.\u00a0 According to the Standard Aviation Maintenance Handbook, when aluminum is mixed with copper, manganese or magnesium, the alloy is capable of carrying major structural loads.\u00a0 Aluminum alloys are identified by a four-digit numbering system.\u00a0 The first digit identifies the primary alloy group and the others indicate the additional alloys present.\u00a0 For your information, 6061T6 aluminum includes the following percentages of alloying elements:\u00a0 Magnesium: 1.0; Silicon: 0.6; Copper:\u00a0 0.25;\u00a0 Chromium:\u00a0 0.25.\u00a0 When aluminum is alloyed with copper or zinc, it&#8217;s characteristics change to the extent that it can be hardened as well as softened by the use of heat.\u00a0 The T6 suffix indicates the aluminum is solution heat treated and artificially aged.\u00a0 Why is this important with regard to motor plates?\u00a0 It has to do with strength properties.\u00a0 6061T6 aluminum has an ultimate strength of 45,000 PSI, a Brinell (hardness) rating of 95 and a shearing strength of 30,000 PSI.\u00a0 In comparison, a more, &#8220;pure&#8221; aluminum such as 1100-0 has an ultimate strength of 13,000 psi, a Brinell rating of 23 and ultimate shear strength of 9,500.\u00a0 As you can see, the differences in strength numbers between the two types of aluminum are considerable.\n\nRear motor plates can also be manufactured from mild steel and they have one major advantage when compared to aluminum rear plates:\u00a0 Sheet metal steel rear plates or &#8220;mid mounts&#8221; can be constructed thin enough so that major modifications to the transmission input shaft and clutch throw out bearing are not required.\u00a0 According to Competition Engineering, their mild steel mid mount is 0.090&#8243; thick, and is machined on a computer-controlled punch. \u00a0This ensures consistency between components, and of course, an exact fit.\n\n<strong>Plate Configurations<\/strong>\n\nA number of different motor plate styles are readily available in the racing aftermarket. \u00a0For example, big and small block Chevy plates, small block Ford plates, 460 Ford plates as well as big and small block Chrysler plates are generally available.\u00a0 You can purchase plates for specific chassis types (tube frame cars or &#8220;converted&#8221; production cars), universal plates (which allow you to trim them to size) or &#8220;pre-cut&#8221; plates, which are often profile milled and ready for installation in a kit chassis.\u00a0 Some companies also manufacture &#8220;conversion&#8221; plates.\u00a0 In this case, the plate design allows you to install a small block Chevy into a tube frame chassis that was originally set up for a big block.\u00a0 These plates are engineered to compensate for the shorter length of the small block, but it is factory offset (with a custom series of bends on each end) allowing it to bolt to big block mounts.\n\nAt one time, it was relatively common to modify a safety bell housing by welding ears to the external ring or ears so that a second plate or mid mount wasn&#8217;t required.\u00a0 It was a clean solution, but unfortunately, when the welding was accomplished it was impossible to know if the bell housing was structurally sound.\u00a0 Obviously, the welding could change the properties of the safety bell housing, and as a result, that practice is now forbidden by the respective race sanctioning bodies.\n\n<strong>Motor Plate Mounts<\/strong>\n\nWhen installing a motor plate-equipped engine in a car, you&#8217;ll obviously need some way to bolt the pieces together.\u00a0 Generally speaking, there are two different motor plate &#8220;systems&#8221; in use today:\u00a0 One geared toward tube frame cars and the other geared toward converted &#8220;built-in-Detroit&#8221; cars.\u00a0 Typically, a tube frame car will have a forward roll cage hoop in the engine compartment, which can easily accept a mount saddle and tab for the motor plate.\u00a0 At the bottom, a tube frame chassis will also readily accept a lower plate mount or saddle system.\u00a0\u00a0 In comparison, this isn&#8217;t always possible with a factory car since the frame rails are usually further apart and at a far different height than in a tube frame car.\u00a0 Further to this, many combinations that began life as &#8220;real cars&#8221; are not equipped with forward roll cage hoops.\u00a0 Not only does this have an effect upon the mounting, it also changes the shape and design of the motor plate.\u00a0\u00a0 Purpose built tube frame style cars usually have a front motor plate that is mounted in two locations per side (upper and lower).\u00a0 Meanwhile, a front motor plate for a production car is often mounted at the bottom only (one mount location per side).\u00a0 Rear plates also differ.\u00a0 Full tube frame chassis are often designed so that the mid mount is tied to the roll cage.\u00a0 Because of the differences in motor plate mounting, fore and aft engine movement can prove critical, especially in cars with production line chassis.\n\n<strong>Controlling The Movement<\/strong>\n\nMotor plates are very good at controlling the rotational engine movement in a chassis.\u00a0 In some applications where OEM style transmission cases are included, they aren&#8217;t that great at controlling fore and aft movement.\u00a0 In a Pro Stock drag race car, the transmission is held fast by the mount package.\u00a0 Typically, these cars have a robust transmission case and integral transmission mount arrangement that allows for solid mounting.\u00a0 In the case of a Pro Stock drag car, most fabricators use a relatively stout 6061T6 mid mount which is not only bolted to the lower frame rail:\u00a0 It&#8217;s also fastened at the top (over the bell housing) which allows the plate to tie directly to the roll cage of the car.\u00a0 Obviously with this sort of arrangement, the engine isn&#8217;t going anywhere.\n\nWhen an automatic transmission enters the mix (particularly with a relatively flexible sheet metal mid mount), it&#8217;s not easy to control the fore and aft movement of the engine.\u00a0 The solution is an engine limiter.\u00a0 Typically, a limiter is mounted at a rearward angle between the cylinder block and the front frame rail on the driver&#8217;s side of the car. This arrangement precludes large scale fore and aft motion from the engine.\u00a0 The result, of course, is a happy transmission case and a front motor plate that doesn&#8217;t bend or fracture.\n\nIn the end, you can see motor plates can ease the pain of working on your custom-built application (sometimes by considerable margins).\u00a0 Not only do they make life easier when it comes to installing an engine, they can also make room for more efficient headers.\u00a0 The result, of course, is a bit more power potential and obviously, less clutter in the engine compartment.\u00a0 Harnessing the engine to the car might be more important than you think.\n\n&nbsp;\n<a class=\"click__begin\">Click Here to Begin Slideshow<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-2-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-2-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-100049\" data-attachment-id=\"100049\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-2-min\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-2-min-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1714\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Clearly Chevy didn\u2019t build a small block powered Cavalier. This NHRA Comp Eliminator car shows the need for motor plates. Note there are zero issues with header fit, even in a relatively tight chassis. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-2-min-300x201.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-2-min-1024x685.jpg\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-100049'>\n\t\t\t\tClearly Chevy didn\u2019t build a small block powered Cavalier. This NHRA Comp Eliminator car shows the need for motor plates. Note there are zero issues with header fit, even in a relatively tight chassis. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-3-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-3-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-100050\" data-attachment-id=\"100050\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-3-min\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-3-min.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1761,1132\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Virtually all front motor plates are manufactured from aluminum alloy.  This plate from Competition Engineering is constructed from 6061-T6 aluminum.  It&amp;#8217;s 0.250-inch thick and is designed for a big block Chevrolet.  While completely finished plates are available, this model is universal in that it must be trimmed to fit the chassis.  Many chassis builders prefer this arrangement (particularly for a car that originally began life on an assembly line) since it allows a custom installation.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-3-min-300x193.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-3-min-1024x658.jpg\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-100050'>\n\t\t\t\tVirtually all front motor plates are manufactured from aluminum alloy.  This plate from Competition Engineering is constructed from 6061-T6 aluminum.  It&#8217;s 0.250-inch thick and is designed for a big block Chevrolet.  While completely finished plates are available, this model is universal in that it must be trimmed to fit the chassis.  Many chassis builders prefer this arrangement (particularly for a car that originally began life on an assembly line) since it allows a custom installation.\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-4-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-4-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-100051\" data-attachment-id=\"100051\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-4-min\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-4-min.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1381,1132\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;When you purchase a partially finished plate such as this, the big benefit is the precisely located holes.  As you can see, the water pump mount holes along with the pair of lower block mount holes are already machined into the plate.  If you start with a blank sheet of aluminum, then you&amp;#8217;re faced with locating, drilling and cutting the plate to fit.  &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-4-min-300x246.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-4-min-1024x839.jpg\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-100051'>\n\t\t\t\tWhen you purchase a partially finished plate such as this, the big benefit is the precisely located holes.  As you can see, the water pump mount holes along with the pair of lower block mount holes are already machined into the plate.  If you start with a blank sheet of aluminum, then you&#8217;re faced with locating, drilling and cutting the plate to fit.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-5-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-5-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-100052\" data-attachment-id=\"100052\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-5-min\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-5-min.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1768,1160\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Once the plate has been located, you can trim it to size.  Typically, most chassis builders will slice the plate at an angle to remove excess aluminum.  Others will punch holes in the plate for lightening purposes, and for the sake of appearance.  Just remember that if you get carried away with the lightening process, you&amp;#8217;ll eventually reduce the strength of the plate.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-5-min-300x197.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-5-min-1024x672.jpg\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-100052'>\n\t\t\t\tOnce the plate has been located, you can trim it to size.  Typically, most chassis builders will slice the plate at an angle to remove excess aluminum.  Others will punch holes in the plate for lightening purposes, and for the sake of appearance.  Just remember that if you get carried away with the lightening process, you&#8217;ll eventually reduce the strength of the plate.\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-6-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-6-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-100053\" data-attachment-id=\"100053\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-6-min\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-6-min.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1775,1172\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Two different types of mid mounts or rear plates are generally available:  Aluminum models and steel versions.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages (the text offers more information).  This Competition Engineering mid mount is manufactured from 0.090-inch-thick mild steel and is machined on a computer-controlled punch. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-6-min-300x198.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-6-min-1024x676.jpg\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-100053'>\n\t\t\t\tTwo different types of mid mounts or rear plates are generally available:  Aluminum models and steel versions.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages (the text offers more information).  This Competition Engineering mid mount is manufactured from 0.090-inch-thick mild steel and is machined on a computer-controlled punch. \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-7-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-7-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-100054\" data-attachment-id=\"100054\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-7-min\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-7-min.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1757,1169\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;While it is possible to home build a mid-mount, the amount of cutting, grinding and machining required likely isn&amp;#8217;t worth the effort, especially when you can buy a plate already pre-punched.  Things like starter pocket cutouts, access holes for mechanical clutch linkage and so on have to be considered.  This mid mount has all of the tedious work completed.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-7-min-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-7-min-1024x681.jpg\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-100054'>\n\t\t\t\tWhile it is possible to home build a mid-mount, the amount of cutting, grinding and machining required likely isn&#8217;t worth the effort, especially when you can buy a plate already pre-punched.  Things like starter pocket cutouts, access holes for mechanical clutch linkage and so on have to be considered.  This mid mount has all of the tedious work completed.\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-8-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-8-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-100055\" data-attachment-id=\"100055\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-8-min\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-8-min.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1735,1159\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Gusseted tabs such as this can ease plate installation headaches considerably.  The idea here is to position the plate in the car, then weld the tabs to the chassis.  Some builders also make use of special saddles that allow you drop the engine into the chassis without any special mount bolt alignment headaches. Saddles and tabs such as this are readily available from chassis parts manufacturers.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-8-min-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-8-min-1024x684.jpg\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-100055'>\n\t\t\t\tGusseted tabs such as this can ease plate installation headaches considerably.  The idea here is to position the plate in the car, then weld the tabs to the chassis.  Some builders also make use of special saddles that allow you drop the engine into the chassis without any special mount bolt alignment headaches. Saddles and tabs such as this are readily available from chassis parts manufacturers.\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-9-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-9-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-100056\" data-attachment-id=\"100056\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/dropping-the-engine-when-side-mounts-wont-work\/plate-9-min\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-9-min.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1784,1180\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dropping the Engine: When Side Mounts Won\u2019t Work\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;As mentioned in the text, motor plates are very good at controlling the rotational engine movement in a chassis.  In some applications where OEM style transmission cases are included, they aren&amp;#8217;t that great at controlling fore and aft movement.  The solution is an engine limiter arrangement.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-9-min-300x198.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-9-min-1024x677.jpg\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-100056'>\n\t\t\t\tAs mentioned in the text, motor plates are very good at controlling the rotational engine movement in a chassis.  In some applications where OEM style transmission cases are included, they aren&#8217;t that great at controlling fore and aft movement.  The solution is an engine limiter arrangement.\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Assume you have a custom-built car you\u2019re working on.\u00a0 Assume you have an engine.\u00a0 At some point you have to mix the two together.\u00a0 No big deal right?\u00a0 Probably not.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":100048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5028,3697,5008,11,3470,4879],"tags":[281,41,1632,321],"class_list":["post-100047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fuel-delivery","category-galleries","category-engine","category-how-tos","category-news","category-slideshow","tag-how-to","tag-news","tag-racing","tag-wayne-scraba"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Plate-1-min-scaled-e1740757586724.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-q1F","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100047"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100057,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100047\/revisions\/100057"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}