umi k-member install problems
05-07-2013, 10:51 PM
#41
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Ramey sent me pictures of the car mounts. They are definitely not truck mounts. I agree with everythin you are saying in terms of fabrication and that really the only important part is the motor mount holes. Although that didn't work out very well for me. You are correct that it is an easy modification. But I don't feel it is right to ask your end customer to modify your "bolt in" parts. It would probably take 3 hours to get it back out of the car, modify it and put it back in. If this part was at a shop, I would be paying the price for it. As it stands, I won't be modifying it. I will just get solid mounts and live with it. Just another added cost that I shouldn't have.
FWIW, looking at the angles of the motor mount stands, if you put the gussets on the bottom instead of the top it should give alot more room to play with around the motor mounts.
Thanks
FWIW, looking at the angles of the motor mount stands, if you put the gussets on the bottom instead of the top it should give alot more room to play with around the motor mounts.
Thanks
HEY, wait a sec
i just looked at ur pics and ur mounts look like
absolute sh*t.
they are junk and cracked. well that is to say normally
worn out from 10+years of use.
you problem, in my professional opinion is worn cracked mounts.
not the K-member.
looking at the pics you, can see they are completly
broken and cracked.
the mount hole it sucked in towards the block. no way would it ever fit.
I'll put monet down you couldn't get ur old member back in either.
All the weight and years just wore out the mounts.
easy as that.
you can go with solids, or get new poly ones from Energy.
UMI did it right and pretty sure put out a solid piece.
05-07-2013, 11:04 PM
#42
I will agree that the pics make them look like crap. They are not actually that bad. But lets just assume they are junk, for the sake of arguement. Right now the block is wedged between the mounts, no weight on the jack. If new mounts were going to help that, the holes in the mounts would be over top of the holes in the k member, which they clearly aren't.
I have no problem putting my money into poly mounts. But when that doesn't fix the problem, no one is gonna step up and say what is really wrong. And I'm just out another couple hours and more money.
I have no problem putting my money into poly mounts. But when that doesn't fix the problem, no one is gonna step up and say what is really wrong. And I'm just out another couple hours and more money.
05-08-2013, 07:51 AM
#43
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I will agree that the pics make them look like crap. They are not actually that bad. But lets just assume they are junk, for the sake of arguement. Right now the block is wedged between the mounts, no weight on the jack. If new mounts were going to help that, the holes in the mounts would be over top of the holes in the k member, which they clearly aren't.
I have no problem putting my money into poly mounts. But when that doesn't fix the problem, no one is gonna step up and say what is really wrong. And I'm just out another couple hours and more money.
I have no problem putting my money into poly mounts. But when that doesn't fix the problem, no one is gonna step up and say what is really wrong. And I'm just out another couple hours and more money.
you need them anyway.
proper diag means eliminating all problems obvious.
05-08-2013, 08:37 AM
#44
Well you are right about that. I was figuring I would have to go with solids. But I have polys in my other camaro, so I'm gonna take some measurements first and see if mine are really that bad or not. I guess if I go with the poly's and it doesn't fix the problem then there should be no debate about what the problem is.
05-08-2013, 09:01 AM
#45
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Well you are right about that. I was figuring I would have to go with solids. But I have polys in my other camaro, so I'm gonna take some measurements first and see if mine are really that bad or not. I guess if I go with the poly's and it doesn't fix the problem then there should be no debate about what the problem is.
not gonna hurt only help weather it fixes this issue or not.
let us know. hope u get it resolved with this and
go burn up some back roads soon.
05-08-2013, 10:33 AM
#46
I agree with this guy. You need mounts. Period. The k-member is designed around good mounts... not old, worn out stuff.
I mean, you said so yourself, OP, that everything you're putting on your car has needed modification:
edit:
Oh, another thing that I just thought of... are you sure the mounts haven't been relocated for anything? How about for a manual steering rack conversion or something? Like I said above, the k-members are made for OE-type specs.
05-08-2013, 11:00 AM
#47
Homeless2bNY- Thanks i'll update it. I ordered the poly mounts this morning. Not going to be driving it anytime soon though. Still need new a-arms, shocks and springs. Just putting it together 1 piece at a time.
Demonspeed-Everything I have put on this car was not designed for it. I am using a corvette accessory drive so I can use an ecs supercharger kit. I needed a TPI style alternator with an ecs tensioner bracket. Which I needed to modify because it didnt fit the fbody frame rails. A battery box in the spare tire well that I custom made. Parts that weren't made for this car, I have no issue modifying. In fact I really expect that when I order them. Parts that are supposed to fit should not need to be modified.
I'll just give you a small example, not saying this is what is wrong with mine. If the driver side pedastal tubes are too long and you put the parts in the jig. It is possible to line up all the mounting points, but there is no way that it will fit around the motor mounts. Maybe my problem is the mounts, maybe it isn't. Once the poly mounts go in, then I will know for sure. But I would bet the farm that it isn't going to fit without grinding either the clamshell or the k-member. I already made my measurements off my 98 camaro with poly mounts.
Demonspeed-Everything I have put on this car was not designed for it. I am using a corvette accessory drive so I can use an ecs supercharger kit. I needed a TPI style alternator with an ecs tensioner bracket. Which I needed to modify because it didnt fit the fbody frame rails. A battery box in the spare tire well that I custom made. Parts that weren't made for this car, I have no issue modifying. In fact I really expect that when I order them. Parts that are supposed to fit should not need to be modified.
I'll just give you a small example, not saying this is what is wrong with mine. If the driver side pedastal tubes are too long and you put the parts in the jig. It is possible to line up all the mounting points, but there is no way that it will fit around the motor mounts. Maybe my problem is the mounts, maybe it isn't. Once the poly mounts go in, then I will know for sure. But I would bet the farm that it isn't going to fit without grinding either the clamshell or the k-member. I already made my measurements off my 98 camaro with poly mounts.
05-08-2013, 07:37 PM
#49
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+1 on new mounts. Every set i've seen removed has had tons of play when removed. Not sure why you would go through the effort of installing an aftermarket k-member on stock mounts? I understand budget is the limiting factor but save up to do it right or just hold off.
Also as the saying goes...bolt on's never are.
Very rarely have i had a part 100% bolt on without any modifying.
Also as the saying goes...bolt on's never are.
Very rarely have i had a part 100% bolt on without any modifying.
05-08-2013, 08:08 PM
#50
It wasn't a budget issue. I just didn't see the need to replace them at this point because the motor will be coming out later this year. I just find it hard to believe that I am the only person to ever encounter this problem. I guess everyone else is smarter than me and puts in new mounts at the same time, lol.
FWIW, the k-member is back out and I will be test fitting the mounts before putting them in the car. I can just set the mount at the 45 degree angle of the block and check the clearance. Mounts werent loose, rubber just didn't look so good. Not much play at all.
FWIW, the k-member is back out and I will be test fitting the mounts before putting them in the car. I can just set the mount at the 45 degree angle of the block and check the clearance. Mounts werent loose, rubber just didn't look so good. Not much play at all.
05-10-2013, 10:27 PM
#51
Got the new mounts today and guess what... still need to grind it. It needs to be ground on the passenger rear gusset and driver front gusset. This is with test fitting them out of the car with the mounts at a 45 degree angle. I'm gonna take a little extra off for when it is installed and the weight is on it.
05-11-2013, 10:04 AM
#52
My umi k member was quite tight trying to get the mount bolt through, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be solved with a little prying on the mounts to get them to seat in the right position for the bolt to go through. You can't expect something to stay in the exact same spot after 10+ years of weight, weight shifting and the engine torquing over thousands of times and many bumps down the road. I wouldn't trust a "test fit" by putting the mounts on the k member at a 45* angle before I took a grinder to a $500 kmember. But to each his own. I hope you get it to work.
05-11-2013, 04:22 PM
#53
Actually I will say that everything lined right up on the k member. No issues other than the gussets on the mounts. So really not much gringing needed. Just the pain in the *** of removing and reinstalling it. Since I have a digital angle finder, the test fit is more of an exact fit. But I hear you, I would have liked to not use the grinder. Hopefully the a-arms bolt right up easy too. I haven't tried them yet.
