[jimlab]

Originally Posted by jgrewe

The eshaft and crankshaft are at the same height in the two engines unless you lower the tranny with the engine.

Really? Have you measured?

I hate to break it to you, but V8s sit lower (at least in an FD) than the rotary. They require a K-member engine cradle open at the back to make this possible. The engine has to move down not only because it's taller, but because the T56 case and bellhousing are significantly larger in girth than the OEM 5-speed.





The steering rack has to move down to clear the balancer and oil pan which, as you might have guessed, is usually about half full of crankshaft counter weights and the rotating assembly at any given time. There's plenty of weight below the centerline of the crankshaft, in other words.

The V8 has its crank almost at the bottom right about the level of the pan gasket.

Depends on the engine, but you're right; the crankshaft (the single heaviest component in the engine, besides the block) is at the bottom of the block, and it sits lower in the car than the rotary's eccentric shaft. You can tell just by looking at the drive pulley location of both engines. The camshaft ends up at about the same height as the eccentric shaft.

Some have it tucked up inside the block for strength but even then its only an 1 1/2" or so.

The crankshaft doesn't sit any higher in the block. The block just has a skirt around the base which helps make the main caps and bottom end more rigid.

So pretty much the whole engine is above the crank.

Well, except for the main caps, the thickest portion of the block, half of the crankshaft and about half of the rotating assembly, the oil pump, oil pan, and starter, etc.

The center of gravity of the average V8 is about midway between the crankshaft and the camshaft centerlines.