Moparts Tech Archive

Drag Racing Tips

Motor Plate Pics

Afew different Motor Plates and I'll add some more as I get the pics.

I'm not sure what the frame rail configuration will be like with your engine plate, but I didn't weld onto my rail, just another option. I bolted on a bracket that I made up from a slice of 4x4 1/2' thick aluminum angle stock, then I cut it up a bit, rounded the corners etc.., made it "pretty". I added a 1/4" rubber insulator on either side of the rail, big washer underneath with the 1/4" rubber sandwiched on both sides of the rail. The frame rail bolt was a 5/8" bolt, about 6 1/2" long passing thru the bracket and the rail. Then, two 1/2" bolts for the plate itself. This was for my li' Hemi Barracuda, just a shot in the dark for your application..

Here's a pic of a different style motor plate. It's slightly different becouse it comes down and grabs the bottom timing cover bolt as well. Seems silly but I figured that it might be easier on the water pump gaskets. As far as mounting it I just welded a bracket onto the frame rail then bolt the plate to the brakets.

On a typical full tube chassis where the upper front suspension is anchored to a tube member, the front plate is a critical structural part because it ties the two sides of the frame together, so normally they would be bolted solid. On an application where that isn’t a consideration, then in my opinion it’s a matter of personal preference. In a car where the engine is likely to be removed often, it is nice to set it up so that the front plate will set on a perch to locate it. Then, you can merely set the front front of the engine down in place, align with the transmission and slide it back without all of the normal juggling to get everything lined up.

Tech Index