I'm not sure how far you've got with your engine but if you're interested in making you're swap and mount fabrication a little easier what I just did a couple days ago is cut out the rad support. It may sound extreem at first but consider you'll be inserting and pulling you're new engine several times getting it in the right spot for fabrication and messing around it's nice to slide the whole works in and out with ease.

It is quite easy to do. It took me a couple hours mixed with a few beers and a bathroom brake. you make 95% of you cuts on both sides between the open part for the rad and the headlights wherever makes the most sense to you, I can show picks of where I went. I did this with a mix of a cutting disk and a sawsall.

then while it's still in place fab and weld on tabs for remounting I did 4 points 2 at the top 2 at the bottom, if I feel I need more I'll do them later on, you weld them an and drill the holes before the rad support is completely cut off, this allows you to easilly maintain it's stock possition, then make the last cuts.

I'm installing a 3.5l vortec inline 5, it hasent been doen much and there's no how to manual so I'll have some custom mounts to make so it made alot of sense for me, I also might need to move the trans mounnt back a bit. you may have bought the swap mounts to do this so it's not so bad but you'll still need to mock it up place the moutns tach thim in place, remove the engine to fully weld then reinstall the engine so for me it's still worth the effort.

I found it supprizing when serching for a bit of history that this hasn't been done much. Maybe I'm an idiot?

 

My 86 was missing the whole front end and I had to bolt a core support in to replace it. No way am I going to weld it back in. It makes installing and removing the whole drive train a breeze. I still dont have AC and that would be a problem when I get it installed but as of now, I like having my core support removable.

 

I didn't mean to permenantly weld it back in place, weld the mount tabs on the core support then have bolt holes drilled into cab part for remounting with bolts.

 

I know you didnt mean to say weld it back in. I mean on mine I am not welding it back in. It is handy having it removable. I can have the complete drive train motor, tranny,and tcase in and out when all connections are undone in about a minute. It is nice having it bolted in.

 

Glad to see wer're on the same page then ...... now more people should get on board and start cutting out there rad supports just in case.

I'm board at work and it's friday.

 

Cut my radiator support!? No way. However i wish you luck on the inline 5. My 4.3 is still in the jimmy until i get the axle done. I replaced the trunnion races last night and installed the inner axle seals. Im going to disassemble the birfs and greasem up!!

By the way i bought some extreme pressure moly graph grease for the birfs,is this the right stuff??

 

Moly grease will work it's what I used, I'm of the opinion you don't need to get too fancy with birf grease but it shouldn't do any harm, this stuff sounds fancy and I've never used moly "graph" grease, the pressures in the birf are notthin crazy, I would go as far as saying there is no pressure in there.

If you've never pulled out a V6+trans+xfercase you might change your tune when you see how big a pain in the ass removing an entire drive train is without a removable core support. it's that or take the cab off really if you want to keep it togeather.

 

Chris, rich cut his support out when doing the v8 swap on his. It made for a pain in the rear to figure out a good latch. I'm sure it would make it easier for sure. Not sure what I would do in that situation.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear, nothing changes, with a V8 he was probly looking at clearance issues wich forced a rad relocation but what I'm saying is make the cuts and fab up some tabs to bolt it back into the exact same spot so your hood latch never moves but now you have an easily removable core support.

 

Ahhhh. I get hat your saying now. Do it just to make it easier getting in and out

 

But i dont see why id want to pull the engine,trans and tcase in one shot anyways??Id just remove the 4.3 if i ever had to by itself. I want it to be clean and tidy with the wiring and factory support. SLEEPER!! stock exhaust blah blah blah ill do a engine swap thread when i do it. When kyle bought riches truck which had been cut due to the v8 needing more room than the 4.3 will. It was a PITA trying to mount a radiator back in it and getting the hood to latch correctly,tight,and safe. NOW ON THE OTHER HAND...i see where your cimng from if you made a removable one with like dzus fasteners or whatever..however in kyles case...there was nothing there to work with.
Well see how it goes when i get there, but for now i need to get this axle put back together.I wish i had a locker for it since i have it apart but no cash for that now.

 

speaking of lockers:

zukaz.tripod.com/supralsd.htm

I'm doing that in the rear and I'll probly just weld the front, I picked up a supra pumpkin for 120$ and already have the spare open 3rd to finish the job.

From all reports is a smooth and seemless setup and built for a supra you know it can handle whatever power you trow at it.

 

Dont cut your front core support out. NOT worth it!! And you don't need to pull your motor out/in several times. You'll put it in, hold it where you want it, and fab your motor mounts. I put my diesel in once and it hasn't come out since. I had no choice but to cut my core obviously since my motor sticks out past it, but that's a different story. Your V6 should fit in there nicely. Definitely worth keeping the A/C if you can, too. Hood pins suck. Anyone can come along and pull the pins out to eff with you, or worse, screw with your engine bay (steal your battery, put rocks in your motor, etc.).

 

I agree. 100%.

I didn't like the good pin idea on my buddies v-8 swap. But he , like you had issues with it in the core support, and it caused a lot I problems with trying to find a way to lock the hood so no one could mess with anything.

 

Dont laugh!!Realized i put my steering arms on vice versa just to tired to switchem back tonight...Gonna actually test my pre load and make it correct to on the trunnions. First time ive done this but its kinda fun.

 

Looking good.

 

cutting out a factory welded in core support just to facilitate engine removal installation is silly.

like doing brain surgery for a headache. I can see if you are doing a repair to a damaged core....and you don't have a welder. I'm of the opinion welding is the best option.

No factory bolts them in I know of. Compromising the structural integrity if you ask me. All opinion of a grumpy guy who is often wrong.

 

Rechecked the preload on the trunnions...15lbs.It feels good at that so im ready to put the rest back together.

Gonna try and hope for good luck on removing the pitman arm.



Heinz says hopefully the welder will be wired up and throwing sparks by the weekend.

 

Nice work buddy. I have a pretty solid pitman arm puller if you want to use it. Heinz looks like she just got done killing a rabbit or something and licking the chops. Haha

 

more pics





So i got the birfs packed full of grease and installed,indexed my spindle housing and gaskets,cut down my dust sheild, and installed outer seal.Im looking towards the tacoma brake upgrade kit through front range,i talked with Brian (who is a awesome guy who knows his stuff!!) and think the taco brakes being a slip on rotor would make brake work alot easier down the road.The kit sells for $99 then i just have to do some massaging on the ifs hubs to make it work.