Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

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foundationapps
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Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#1

Post by foundationapps »

Gents, I apologize if I'm loading a bunch of questions in a short period of time. Without all the history, I'm putting my 48 pan engine / STD heads and tranny into a Kraft Tech frame. All is going well so far, no doubt NOT without the wisdom of this site. I appreciate that. My old top motor mount doesn't match up to the top motor mount tab on the frame.

The pic shows the engine and the distance over the motor to the bottom of the frame. The offset is 3/4" to the left (for the wide tire rear end setup) and the frame is 1" higher in the motor mount area, leaving the current mount short of that tab.

How rigid does that motor mount have to be? Can I use the old mount and correct the offset with a block of steel that I rig up from tool steel barstock? Does it have to be a solid mount?

Lastly, does anyone know a source for custom made top motor mounts, chrome or otherwise?

Respectfully
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Bigincher
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#2

Post by Bigincher »

Sounds like some fabrication is in order. A spacer would probably be adequate, but without your stock mount bracket in the photo, it's hard to see what the end result would look like.
I'm going to assume you're not set up for steel fabrication, so you need to find a local fab/weld guy that you can take stuff to. I'm also going to assume you're a talented guy, capable of crafting a cardboard facsimile of what you need, using good stiff cardboard of the correct thickness, and a hot glue gun. (If you don't already have a hot glue gun, it's a good excuse to buy one.)
Once you're satisfied with the cardboard mockup, have the fab/weld guy make you one. It won't be cheap, might be an hour or more at shop rate. But in the end, it would look (and function) like it belongs there.
That's what I'd do.

And now that I've said all that, I have seen aftermarket top mount brackets that are heavy-duty, thick metal, with an adjustable bolt-on vertical section that could be raised or lowered. (I bought one for my shovelhead at Miller's in Daytona Beach once because mine broke about 100 miles out.)
But that doesn't solve the offset issue.

And after having said all that, forget it; a spacer would be just fine...!
foundationapps
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#3

Post by foundationapps »

Bigincher, great suggestion on the fab with cardboard!! That's a great idea. I think i'll incorporate a coil mount into that top mount. There isn't enough room on the vertical frame tube for the normal location for a coil. I like the looks of the old design chrome coil. Right now, it's frame clamped to the left front downtube. That's looks pretty bad ass and but it's out in the weather for sure. I could silicone the wire contacts to waterproof them.

Thank you sir!
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#4

Post by Bigincher »

You might have to add a temporary stiffener to the cardboard mockup to hold the bends to shape. Also would be wise to allow some adjustment- either slot the holes slightly or allow for a factory shim at the frame tab.

I think if there's room for the coil there, it would be much more aesthetically pleasing than on the front downtube. You see them there a lot on customs- and the H/T leads would be much shorter and equal length.
foundationapps
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#5

Post by foundationapps »

Update photos with coil mounted in a proposed location. Thinking the coil might also look ok between the cylinders, but would catch heat from the front cylinder.
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Bigincher
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#6

Post by Bigincher »

A shovelhead style coil would fit a lot nicer in the space we're talking about...

For image only:
http://foghollow.com/E-Shop/index.php?m ... b21a0a57dd

I see this style coil all over eBay for $19.95.
DynaTek makes a nice one, too.
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#7

Post by Buddhahoodvatoloco »

Man este BigCincher, be on hit, way too many times. Yea that coil would look better, and probably easier to mount.
Bigincher wrote:A shovelhead style coil would fit a lot nicer in the space we're talking about...

For image only:
http://foghollow.com/E-Shop/index.php?m ... b21a0a57dd

I see this style coil all over eBay for $19.95.
DynaTek makes a nice one, too.
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Bigincher
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#8

Post by Bigincher »

That's the coil I have on my dual-plugged Evo.
foundationapps
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#9

Post by foundationapps »

Bigincher... what clutch setup is that? Looks like an older hub with a Barnett clutch? Thanks for the pic. I don't have enough room to mount a coil on that vertical post due to the add on of the RSES unit. Stuck with the conventional location between the cylinders, or something unconventional.
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#10

Post by Bigincher »

Not my pic, not what I'm talking about.
I just commented that I know that 4-tower coil. It would not be something for your application. Sorry for the confusion.
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Re: Panhead Top Motor Mount Wisdom needed.

#11

Post by foundationapps »

No worries at all.
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