Engine location concerns

[airhead04]

Hey Guys,

I have some questions and now concerns as to wtf is going on with my car, and maybe others, who think its just normal. I have a 91 year car and swapped a 2jz gte into it a few years ago. My concern with engine placement came yesterday when I took the car to a shop to have a manifold made. I noticed my engine was actually touching my cooling fans I have on the radiator. My radiator is a Mizu performance dual core aluminum rad, so it is larger than stock. I want to know why some guys who swap these cars seem to have plenty of room up front to run the fan clutch setup, and some guys like myself have issues fitting hardly any type of fans on the radiator. My motor brackets are stock off a 1j car, and the mounts are solid mounts. I am somewhat concerned because of how close (not touching the fans) the motor is, and hoping maybe someone can shed some light on how it should be? AND maybe a possible fix I can do for it.

Thanks,
David
Pics for reference of what I have set up:

These are Ford Contour fans. At the thickest point, they are only 3.5in thick. And you can see how close they are to the engine.

 

[shipkiller]

I have the early crossmember and driftmotion jz swap bracket with the square motor mount and I've noticed that the engine is close to the rad than my 7m was. Gearbox is in the same location. Maybe the engine is a tad longer?

 

[airhead04]

Could be. I just feel like some guys have 10+ in in the front of their cars, but mine is packed.

 

[Flateric]

It looks correct from what I can see in the pics.

The JZ motor swapped into a MKIII will be sit a little longer in the motor bay which is why you have to source a different clutch fan setup if you also are running an aftermarket rad. Space is very tight in the rad/fan area for me as well.

You say you are using the 1JZ motor mounts so we can be assured you are mounted up where you should be. The electric fans you are making use of are likely also just a little thicker as well. I have been running electrics for some time now and it has always been a bit of struggle to find a combo of electrics that are a good fit.

I'm likely going to go back to the clutch fan setup for reasons of simplicity, reliability and peace of mind over all.

 

[Flateric]

I am absolutely sure there is no one with 10+" of space between the rad and motor anywhere in a mkiii swapped car.

No way.

 

[hvyman]

89+ cars using factory mounts generally have the engine sit farther back and lower.

 

[shipkiller]

89+ cars using factory mounts generally have the engine sit farther back and lower.

how can that be, if the gearbox is in the same location, same mount. It would be impossible to have it further back

 

[airhead04]

how can that be, if the gearbox is in the same location, same mount. It would be impossible to have it further back

This.

If I pulled the engine back more, it would cause the shifter location to be off. I just wanted maybe an inch between the fans and the water pump pulley (closes point to the fans), but I only have a finger tip, if that, when the trans is installed. When it isn't, the engine rocks forward ever so slightly, and it touches the fan. Not much pressure at all, not enough to even make the fan move, but it does touch.

 

[Nick M]

how can that be, if the gearbox is in the same location, same mount. It would be impossible to have it further back

The 2JZGTE doesn't use the R154. It seems like it was an option in the SC300 though.

 

[MarkIII4Me]

Those Contour fans move a lot of air, but are one of the thicker fan options I've come across. I had to ditch them for some weaker FAL's since they were the only ones thin enough to allow my charge pipe to squeeze past it. Now, I run a 7mgte and a Fluidyne radiator, so apple's and oranges here, but it looks like you may need to follow suite a thinner efan option.