So...does the V6 fit?

Have you ever run head first into something without proper research or planning? I have, that's how this whole rollercoaster began! Once finished I vowed to make sure any future project was properly thought through, researched and calculated. That would have probably led me to rewire the Zero, whack on a supercharger and fit a new fuel tank. That would have solved all my issues with the car since building. Power, wiring and leaking fuel. Easy right?

Well obviously the point has passed that I can return to that safe little plan and well trodden path. Engine sold, V6 purchased, adapter plates made, chassis cut. The perfect recipe for the point of no return. The only thing stopping me now is the engine not fitting......best go make sure....considering I never measured either engine or car and based all research on seeing one in an MK Indy and also a number of MX5s, I kinda just rolled with it, "Yeah it'll fit....I hope".

So, time to tick a few things off; Chassis ready to accept the engine, check. Engine and gearbox mated, check. Wondering if now its together if it'll actually fit, check. Tiny bit of suspense created for the blog, check?  So..place your bets!

So far so good....maybe...........................?

Bah! Absolutely does it fit! And looks very at home. It may not have engine mounts yet but its on the list. The main objective was to check it would fit and currently it does.





























Mounted in place only by the single gearbox mount, the positioning in the car appears to work well. The rear of the engine is only 12mm (adapter plate thickness) further forward than the 1.6 sat, however the front is a fair distance back into the chassis so should provide a greater weight distribution to the vehicle.

It's looking tight but it fits. That's the main thing. I can now happily resume with the build and begin sorting the engine mounts. The idea was to ideally re-use the ones for the MX5 engine, unfortunately this was not as straightforward as hoped. So they were chopped up, a new plate welded on and existing chassis mounts could be used. Easier than welding in new chassis pick ups! Thankfully the V6 had spare holes in the block to locate off. A nervous tapping session meant these could be used.

As previously mentioned, my planning is pretty much ad-hoc. Ok so the engine will fit and mounts can be knocked up pretty easily. Where do I go next? Well, obviously sorting some brakes and fuel would be helpful. Electrics are still a mystery to me. I'm planning to make my own loom....I just have no idea where to start or what to do. Maybe I'll get those new brake lines in properly, electrics can wait for now...

Adaptor Plates....Attempt No. 1

The monumental problem with the MX6 is that for some reason, Mazda decided their sports coupe would be front wheel drive. This also means that there never was a rear wheel drive gearbox designed to fit it. Nor does it particularly share any design with RWD applications elsewhere. Bit of a problem as I definitely don't want a FWD kit car...

However, nothing is impossible in my garage! Well....that is a lie. There is a lot that is impossible, so off to the garage to design some adapter plates!


My first attempt was to measure and measure and measure then mock something up in CAD, print off and see how accurate it was. If it was good, excellent, waterjet the aluminium, add some machining and jobs a goodun! Well that was the plan. After a few attempts of measuring and printing a paper template, I felt confident enough to try a 3D mock up. Cheap piece of MDF sourced (cheaper to buy than aluminium and easier to cut a prototype with) and my final paper template and off we went. So far so good! I wasn't exactly using precise measurements or tolerances however it came out ok....for the one side. Obviously tapping into wood and hoping to hang a gearbox off the other side wasn't an ideal scenario. However both sets of holes lined up to their respective designated positions. That's good enough for me to take the plunge for the real deal.

My first attempt for the throttle body adapter plates was not so successful. Aluminium is easy to cut and machine he says. Jigsaw with a metal cutting blade plus some time with the drill and filing combination should be a dream. Bit more labour intensive but saving money with my own man hours....right?






I mean, the general profile cut for the gearbox adapter worked out ok, even decided to do ALL the holes myself, why bother getting the waterjet to at least provide a pilot hole? Pleb. Anyway, using Mk1 prototype "woody" as a template I set about marking up the holes and drilling to the correct sizes. I had also found that Forstner drill bits for wood also worked well on Aluminium to provide a counter sunk hole without buying all the expensive machining equipment to do it properly, yay for cost saving. Just ignore all the mess it creates from drilling 11 holes, tapping 5, counter-boring 4 and complete clearance holes on 2. I definitely should not have done it inside.....

Ta daaa! A full set of adapter plates. Gearbox adapter, throttle body adapter and flywheel spacer. The flywheel spacer ensures the clutch mating is still the same with the gearbox as the adapter plate moves it away. So spacer designed and drawings to Red7 Engineering to turn up on the lathe and happy days!


I guess all that's left is to put them on the engine and cross my fingers they all work!





















So the plates fit to the engine. Gearbox adapter no problem, just need to calculate, design and manufacture a starter motor mount, due to fit in the triangle space in the bottom left. Throttle adapters required a minor touch up to fit properly but no issues there, angle grinder out and marked off chunk chopped out. Angle grinder fixes everything....mostly.















































All paws on deck! Once again I appear to be ignoring the use of my garage. Good reason too being visiting my parents and then being left to dogsit for a day. No problem, I have small things I can do....











......just don't let them come back and find you making a mess!




Whoops.







I ended up finishing them off back home in the end. Some paint on the adapter and modified linkages to accommodate the increased spacing from the T595 to the KL intake. Vauxhall injector rail with the bigger injectors was chopped in half and used as well (surprisingly the spacing fits well!). These are now ready. It feels like a little victory as I have missed a lot of things that have gone wrong or held me back. However I am fully aware that just because they are assembled here, does not mean they will work on the car....time will tell. It was a nice job to do in the warm of the house during the week nights, now to find a spare weekend for the test fitting....