Questions about trial fitting of Coyote engine

[JPPT]

I have a RHD Mk4, with gen 3 Coyote engine.
I thought I would trial putting the engine in to see how much space I would have. Also, trying to get an idea of where extra bits go because everything is on the wrong side from the instructions and I'm not sure which accessories it matters for.
Also, the RHD instructions call for spacers on both sides of the mount - so I thought I would check that out too.

I have been given black 3 piece spacers which required me to take the engine mounts apart and have the spacers inserted into them (photos attached).
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To be clear, the clutch/bellhouse/transmission are not attached in these photos.

Boy, it was a tight fit. I'm guessing its going to be even harder with the transmission etc attached so not looking forward to that at all.

My questions are (probably stupid):

1) I wondered (for next time): is it easier to have the engine mounts loosely mounted to the frame instead of the engine?

2) The engine is very slightly tilted to the left side (my passenger side). The Moroso oil pan is well above the 4 inch tubes but there is a slight tilt. Should I be worried about this? It is a little annoying so if I were to try and fix it, do I put an extra spacer between the engine and the mount on the left hand side?

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3) The crankshaft is about 3/4 of an inch from the transverse 4-inch tube and the (short) oil filter about half an inch. My spirit level tells me the engine is pretty much horizontal in the front to back axis. I presume the engine will lean back further when the transmission is attached (the second photo has my son pushing the engine back. It'll still going to be very close - is that normal? How much space do other Coyote owners have between that transverse tube and their crankshaft pulley?

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4) The instructions seem to indicate that the computer goes on the right had side but I don't have that space because my pedal box stuff is on that side. I'm wondering if I mount the computer on the other side, will I have enough wire to go to all the appropriate plugs - is there enough redundancy built in for this?

5) I guess I will mount brake lines and cylinders on the RH side (my driver side) and the fuel lines on the left. Does anyone see any major issues with this?

Thanks for your advice/answers.

Cheers
JP

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[Junbug]

Hi JP,
I have my perspective on your RHD version but please understand I’m no expert!
1. I don’t believe putting the mounts on the frame will make install any easier. I found that ensuring the engine is level from side to side is the most important thing when you get to the point of the lift where the motor mounts start to engage the frame mounts. Also getting the headers onto the engine is often very challenging, but easier to do while suspended above the motor mounts and the headers clear of the 3/4” bars.
2. I wouldn’t add any additional spacers to your motor mounts. Below is a pic of my coyote/TKX installed and it’s pretty level. Without your bellhousing and trans it’s too hard to say that it needs a shim or spacer.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=190166&d=1694971425

3. Your pics are pretty much the same as mine. I have about 3/4” between the front transverse tube and my pulleys. Likewise I have about 1.25” between my oil filter and the 4” frame tube… pic also attached below.

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=190165&d=1694971425

4. I think the biggest challenge installing the coyote as a RHD will be finding a place to mount the main computer. The main engine harness (connects to the middle port of the computer) is pretty short and sits on the right hand side of the engine…in the pic below it’s the one that is wrapped in fabric rather than shiny convolute tape. You could potentially push it forward of the RHD drivers footbox, just short of the f-Panel? The other two harnesses are more flexible as the cables are long enough to reach. You’ll likely have to pull the cable sheath and wrap back to separate out components in the transmission and control pack cables but that’s not too bad of a job and most do some level of the same to get the O2 sensor legs long enough to reach the right places. I added an overhead shot of my installed engine, though I’m still working on my electrical system. May be helpful to see some of the cable lengths.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=190167&d=1694971425

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=190168&d=1694971425

Good luck and let me know if I can be of any more help!
-Bryan

[Al_C]

To quote Junbug, I, too, am "no expert". My engine is a Gen II, but the footprint is essentially the same. You want spacers on both motor mounts for certain. The tolerances are close all around, but the only thing - at least in my mind - you need to worry about is footbox clearance. If you have installed your pedal box and footbox aluminum for the RHD, then everything should fall into place. On a LHD car, the PCM goes over the PS footbox; the brake reservoirs go in front of the DS footbox. I see no reason why that can't be reversed to accommodate the RHD. I understand your concern about there being enough wire for the PCM harness if the PCM is mounted on the other side - this is one thing to check during your trial fit. You could, I suppose, mount the PCM further forward on the right (DS in your case) side. If the PCM bracket doesn't fit, you could always modify the existing or fabricate a new one. (for me, fabricating new parts was fun. That may or may not be the case for you!) I would get the motor mounts as snug as possible. Yes, the crankshaft pulley is close, but consider that there is little to no movement of the engine once installed. My pulley has less than an inch clearance and it hasn't been a problem in more than four years of use.

Are you running full length headers or shorty headers? If full length, you should have no problems. If you are using shorty headers, ensure your j-pipe will clear the frame on both sides. That was one of the reasons for motor mount spacers - to get the engine high enough for the j-pipe to clear.

I certainly didn't always maintain a good sense of humor about things that didn't fit perfectly as expected according to "the book". But in hindsight, this is part of the adventure. This vehicle is an extension of you! Enjoy the challenges!

[JPPT]

Thank you both for your help. Phots are helpful and reassuring.

I have full length headers. No problem fitting the passenger side one on (my left) but the right hand one simply doesn't fit. I tried bolting it on with the engine slightly out of the mounts. It went on fine but when I try to lower the engine into the chassis mounts with the header attached, the rearmost pipe catches on the inner front corner of the driver footbox. It jams against this with the right engine mount still about 3/4 of an inch from reaching the chassis out. It's not even close to fitting.
Even I put an extra spacer in, the header will be firmly pushing on the footbox corner which I am not sure is a good idea.

I'll go see the local exhaust shop and see what they suggest.

How close are your driver's side headers to the footbox? And how close is too close? I will be doing insulation on the inside.

Do you know of anyone who made their footbox smaller to accommodate their header?

One last thing, the computer will be sitting right over the header. I read about someone making a heat shield for their computer in this position? can't remember where.

Cheers

[Nigel Allen]

Hey JP,

there is a lot of stuff to work through in your posts. Probably worth posting smaller bits at a time in order to get more responses. Being a RHD guinea pig, I can certainly help with most of it.

Some of my solutions, like having to weld in replacement engine mounts, will make you wanna cry. But as one of the first RHD chassis, it was the only way to make the engine fit left to right. I also mounted my engine very slightly angled right to left, in order to do away with excessive drive shaft misalignment. Hopefully FFR addressed those issues over the last 10 years.

I recently upgraded my phone and lost your contact. Give me a buzz; 0400 200 777

Cheers,

Nige

[Junbug]

With the tight fit of the coyote, I recommend not putting the headers on until the engine is about 2-3 inches above the engine mounts. Its much easier to install the headers with the engine just above the engine mounts, then lower the engine into place. That way you don't have to worry about moving the engine around much to clear the headers and the top 3/4" bars. On my "correct" side drive :) Mk4, I ended up with about 1" of clearance on my PS footbox and about 1/4" on the DS once the engine was in place. See post #62 in my build thread for pictures. My son and I were able to do it in a few hours... having never put an engine in before. So its possible!

[nashuanuke]

Here's Dave Smith's 20th Anniversary roadster with I believe a Gen II. You could maybe fit a sheet of paper between the valve cover and the footbox. In retrospect, I wish I'd taken some shots of the lower mounts and headers.
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