21 Feb 2009

The front drivetrain mount is done, though one overlooked aspect was the consequence of swapping pans. I bought a baffled aluminum pan which bolts to an RSX engine. While my transmission is from an RSX, the engine is from a CRV. The CRV stamped steel pan is one size while the aluminum pan is another and it (the aluminum pan) bolts to the face of the transaxle unlike the steel part. However it appears I lucked out because the aluminum pan is actually slighty smaller in the most critical areas so it should still work.

Someone asked why the tubes on each side of the engine don’t meet the floor in the corner of the main bulkhead, instead being welded higher up. That’s because the trailing link pivots go there and the tubes would be in the way. The suspension brackets will double as gussets to strengthen the area though.

Next will be extending the tubes back to complete the floor; that shouldn’t take too long. That’s safe to do because it doesn’t box in the engine, but it is getting near time to take the engine out and start on the rear-most chassis tubes.