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im thinking about going with a turbo 2 swap in my fb, but i figures since the engine will be heavier would it benefit me to moved the engine back some...
You CAN move the engine back, but of course you know that means moving the trans back, which means a relocated shifter and a shortened driveshaft. You'll probably also need to lower it since the bellhousing already sits fairly close to the firewall....... Or you could just bolt it in because they SE came with a 13B and the weight difference is probably negligible. If your overly concerned with front end weight a fiberglass or carbon hood/fenders will help get it back to factory distribution.
Add coilovers so you can compensate for the added weight and set the proper ride height. Then move the battery to the passenger's side storage bin to restore the balance of the car.
If you wanted to really go for it you could do what this Austrailian Tuner did with a 20b in their first gen But seriously no need to reinvent the wheel as kentetsu said. Just mount the 13b in the same spot as the 12a is, the slight increase in weight really isn't that big of a deal...
Have a S5 tII swap in my '79 sa22, by avoiding the front housing swap that most people do to stick with factory 12a mounts you can locate the engine forward back left or right. This is achieved by transplanting the S5 front crossmember and transmission mount, does require a custom driveshaft but you gain FC suspension and brakes in the process.
wow...if your not gonna be helpful dont post at all please i was just wondering since having a turbo setup involves more weight in the front and with a 12a its already near 50/50 weight distribution would it be a good idea to slightly move the engine back.
i was actually thinking of going with a respeed rack conversion later on.
in some turbo swaps ive seen enough space to set the engine back an inch or 2, i know in fc's some people set the engine back a little to achieve better 50/50 weight.
oh maybe it would make more sense if i mentioned that the car would be used for roadrace and drifting...
exactly so! So in the interest of moving the engine backwards I offered a solution that would allow you to do so. In the future I will pm you first to ask what answer you prefer to your question
wow...if your not gonna be helpful dont post at all please i was just wondering since having a turbo setup involves more weight in the front and with a 12a its already near 50/50 weight distribution would it be a good idea to slightly move the engine back.
i was actually thinking of going with a respeed rack conversion later on.
in some turbo swaps ive seen enough space to set the engine back an inch or 2, i know in fc's some people set the engine back a little to achieve better 50/50 weight.
oh maybe it would make more sense if i mentioned that the car would be used for roadrace and drifting...
SEARCH...
There are so many TII swapped FB's that all your answers are here.
The added weight is not a factor since the power difference is there...
If you wanted to really go for it you could do what this Austrailian Tuner did with a 20b in their first gen But seriously no need to reinvent the wheel as kentetsu said. Just mount the 13b in the same spot as the 12a is, the slight increase in weight really isn't that big of a deal...
Same here... A local engine importer has a few 20b's sitting there, so tempted to go get one lol.
Anyway the reason I posted that pic was to show that pushing the engine back is possible, obviously in this case its a 20B and they had to modify the firewall significantly but it can be done. Honestly though not really worth it with a 13b. It isn't *that* much heavier and as others have said there are easier ways to balance out the car....
wow...if your not gonna be helpful dont post at all please i was just wondering since having a turbo setup involves more weight in the front and with a 12a its already near 50/50 weight distribution would it be a good idea to slightly move the engine back.
i was actually thinking of going with a respeed rack conversion later on.
in some turbo swaps ive seen enough space to set the engine back an inch or 2, i know in fc's some people set the engine back a little to achieve better 50/50 weight.
oh maybe it would make more sense if i mentioned that the car would be used for roadrace and drifting...
Okay, I gave you advice on an option to redistribute the weight so that you wouldn't have to go to extremes to move the engine back. Feel free not to take my advice if you don't care for it.
I will try not to clutter your threads in the future.
Okay, I gave you advice on an option to redistribute the weight so that you wouldn't have to go to extremes to move the engine back. Feel free not to take my advice if you don't care for it.
I will try not to clutter your threads in the future.
ay i wasnt knocking you, i know you know your stuff....your on alot of sa/fb posts lol
Technically you could move it as far back as you want... but you will have to deal with the oil pan. I have seen some who pushed it back over 4 inches. But they ended up having to modify the oil pan with a notch for the steering bar. Then again just flipping the pan front to back might acheve the same thing. then you could set it back even furthur.
Then remember after that is complete you will have to fabricate all your own header/downpipe to fit since nothing stock will bolt up after that.
These are all things I have had to wrestle with on my street/drag FB. It has been tried and works.
not to steal the thread but does the respeed rack accommodate the later side mounts? I am doing a swap with the respeed and the pics dont show the side mounts. I am still waiting for the parts to arrice.
Technically you could move it as far back as you want... but you will have to deal with the oil pan. I have seen some who pushed it back over 4 inches. But they ended up having to modify the oil pan with a notch for the steering bar. Then again just flipping the pan front to back might acheve the same thing. then you could set it back even furthur.
Then remember after that is complete you will have to fabricate all your own header/downpipe to fit since nothing stock will bolt up after that.
These are all things I have had to wrestle with on my street/drag FB. It has been tried and works.
well i noticed there is enough room to atleast move the engine back 2inches with no trouble, maybe even 3 but how does the balance feel and steering?
i mainly want to get as close as possible to 50/50 since ima have a turbo,v-mount, 2 oil coolers, etc i want to avoid having a heavy front end
Makes life a whole lot easier with larger brakes and rack and pinion as a bonus!
I would seriously consider this. The biggest issue I have with my TII swap is that with higher power you may start cracking rear irons due to the long distance between the front engine mounts and the tranny mount. Alot more twisting force is put on the engine plates requiring doweling which can be hit or miss, depending on who does it. Studding engines also has alot of mixed reviews so it's very difficult to push the limit past 400 rwhp while having a reliable setup.
Realistically, how much weight are we talking? What are the actual numbers here?
But really, the final decision will be how much time/money you want to spend on it. Carve out the firewall, reposition the shifter, custom driveshaft? Sure, it can be done. But will the theoretical benefits be worth the time and effort to you?
That's why I suggested just relocating the battery. It would be damn near as good as the custom option, but take like 1/50th the time and money. Any additional benefit (to me) from sliding the engine back probably wouldn't be noticeable to me over the battery relocation idea. But that's just me. You are the one who has to live with it, so how much of a perfectionist do you want to be for this? (that's a serious question, not sarcasm)
But really, the final decision will be how much time/money you want to spend on it. Carve out the firewall, reposition the shifter, custom driveshaft? Sure, it can be done. But will the theoretical benefits be worth the time, MONEY and effort to you?
Exactly!
For example, installing the a 2nd gen front subframe + a quick fab tranny mount and you can swap on a j/y S4-S5 N/A auto yoke to a GSL-SE driveshaft and have an instant conversion driveshaft for $40 in RDL u-joints.
Moving the engine rearward 2 or 3in may (read: will) need a custom shaft which = big $$$$.
fb turbo 2 questons...
Dont believe what anyone tells you, just do it.
But seriously no need to reinvent the wheel as kentetsu said. Just mount the 13b in the same spot as the 12a is, the slight increase in weight really isn't that big of a deal...
I always wanted to do that swap, but I'm too poor 
