# LQ9 into E39 **URL:** \ **Category:** Builds\ **Created:** [August 12, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230 "2012-08-12T14:35:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Norb\_O](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/norb_o/32/5189_2.png) [@Norb\_O](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Norb_O)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/181 "2013-01-09T19:27:44Z")
test fit mounts, driver’s side ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0243_zps8f0b42d2.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0243_zps8f0b42d2.jpg) passenger side ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0244_zps9c1294bc.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0244_zps9c1294bc.jpg) ready for welding. my little pea shooter 115V MIG wouldn’t even penetrate at all so i had it done by a pro at work. ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0245_zpsc8e63e68.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0245_zpsc8e63e68.jpg) prepped the block for heads. scraped them of all material and cleaned with mineral spirits. ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0246_zpsbe5f60c5.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0246_zpsbe5f60c5.jpg) new OEM GM MLS 6.0 headgaskets, nice pieces. new head/block dowels since the old ones disappeared. new ARP head bolts torqued down in 3 passes to their specs, not GM’s. ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0250_zpsd68535b5.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0250_zpsd68535b5.jpg) figured i’d put the intake manifold on too since there was no reason not to. ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0251_zpscd3090a2.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0251_zpscd3090a2.jpg) i had the mounts fully welded today at work and they came out awesome. the motor still needs to come out to get all new front and rear cover gaskets and main seals, as well as to have the pan welded up and GTO pickup installed with windage tray. but, it’s in. ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0253_zps2eba3c40.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0253_zps2eba3c40.jpg) ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0255_zpsdc41df93.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0255_zpsdc41df93.jpg) well of course there’s a goddamn problem…i was so concerned with clearing the steering arm (which is a moving part about 3/4" underneath the oil pan) that i totally disregarded hood clearance. it’s not terrible but i may need to figure out something creative. ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0257_zps2c33247b.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0257_zps2c33247b.jpg) room for days in the rear. ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0260_zps0ede255c.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0260_zps0ede255c.jpg) ![http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0261_zps16dfccf0.jpg](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj270/nsogiba/_DSC0261_zps16dfccf0.jpg) truck manifolds didn’t fit on either side…but i’m keeping them, since i might boost this sucker at one point. have to start the headers next. i have a pair of used shorties i can hack up and modify. i also have an old tubular stainless header left over from my SE-R Spec V that i can chop up. Always prefer to use what i have rather than buy new. junkyard engine, transmission out of a wrecked Camaro, mounts made out of steel that was pulled from a scrap bin…i’m sensing a trend here ---
**Author:** ![focusinprogress](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/focusinprogress/32/7227_2.png) [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/182 "2013-01-09T19:35:12Z")
I’m usually not one to say something negative in a build thread…but those mounts really don’t look like they’ll support that powerplant, and I don’t mean because of the welds. that driverside one makes me feel like someone divided by zero. I’d want to make a cardboard template to weld a piece of 1/4" plate like a shark fin along the top side to tie all of those pieces together and act as a major gusset. Probably would do something similar on the other side too. ---
**Author:** ![Norb\_O](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/norb_o/32/5189_2.png) [@Norb\_O](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Norb_O)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/183 "2013-01-09T20:47:11Z")
appreciate the input, but there’s literally no other way to route either of the mounts. i based mine upon a set produced by a guy on bimmerforums. his don’t have a notch for the steering box, so they must be smaller (probably 1.5" tube steel). i overbuilt mine using 2" steel, welded at every junction all the way around. i’ll be monitoring for any cracks, but i don’t expect much trouble since i’m running stock M5 rubber mounts (not solid) and stock T56 rubber mount (for civility–it is a summer daily after all). it’s also not cammed as fuck so it won’t be vibrating any more than a standard LS would. for what it’s worth i was shocked to see that the OEM BMW M62 mounts were cast aluminum, of all things. ---
**Author:** ![travisn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/travisn/32/5046_2.png) [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/184 "2013-01-09T20:51:17Z")
what torque do you expect the motor to make? dimensions of the mount? I can run the number and see how close you will be to yield/ultimate strength. 1018 cold rolled, right? edit: I need the radial distance from the crank to the motor mount too. ---
**Author:** ![focusinprogress](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/focusinprogress/32/7227_2.png) [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 6:10am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/185 "2013-01-10T06:10:59Z")
> [@96V6Bird](#): > > there’s literally no other way to route either of the mounts… i overbuilt mine using 2" steel, welded at every junction all the way around… it’s also not cammed as fuck so it won’t be vibrating any more than a standard LS would. I still think they should be reinforced a couple ways, considering they are not formed as one solid piece and their strange design… ---
**Author:** ![95dime](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/95dime/32/7514_2.png) [@95dime](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/95dime)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 8:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/186 "2013-01-10T08:20:39Z")
> [@focusinprogress](#): > > I still think they should be reinforced a couple ways, considering they are not formed as one solid piece and their strange design… i had problems with the design as well (more so the amount of offset leverage/strain at the single mounting point to subframe) but if hes comfortable with it then he can do as he wants. it appears that he is doing things right with paying attention to angles and such instead of just shoving it in there so the progress still gets a :tup: ---
**Author:** ![Norb\_O](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/norb_o/32/5189_2.png) [@Norb\_O](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Norb_O)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 11:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/187 "2013-01-10T11:16:43Z")
You know I love just shoving it in there. The steel mounts, although at a 90\* angle to the load, still have the force directed down into the rubber isolator. Someone who is doing the same swap on bimmerforums made a great point: a steel member could go directly straight to the rubber mount and load it like that, or, it could loop around the entire engine, and then come back and mount to the rubber. Either way, the rubber mount doesn’t care, as long as the loading is the same, and the steel can take the stress. My stock rubber mounts are all torn and shot, which makes them very flexible. This actually kind of came in handy, since when the weight of the motor laid on the rubber mounts, they would have exaggerated the deflection caused by any torsional loads in any direction. They didn’t move a bit, everything stayed the way it was when they were unloaded. New rubber E39 M5 mounts will be here tomorrow (and the rubber is a stiffer durometer to boot). Also on the hunt for some 98-99 LS1 tubular stamped steel exhaust manifolds. The truck manifolds don’t fit and it might take more time than I’m willing to put in right now, to make the LS1 aftermarket shorties I have, work. ---
**Author:** ![95dime](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/95dime/32/7514_2.png) [@95dime](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/95dime)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 11:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/188 "2013-01-10T11:46:12Z")
the weight of the engine is coming straight down. mounting point of the car is forward of the engine. you have a single attachment point with a flat plate where the motor mount is welded to the plate behind that single attachment point. the weight of the engine is redirected into the motor mount which is directed to a point behind where it attaches. think of it as a lever. there is far more force to the back of the attachement point then what is centered on the attachment point. that causes a much higher load on the attachement point then if that weight was centered on it. i dont care what the guys on bimmerforums say. just because they do it doesnt mean its right. will it work? sure. will it fail? possible. ---
**Author:** ![cougarspeed](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cougarspeed/32/7468_2.png) [@cougarspeed](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cougarspeed)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/189 "2013-01-10T14:04:32Z")
I think I have some stock manifolds from an 01 z28 you can have if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Norb\_O](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/norb_o/32/5189_2.png) [@Norb\_O](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Norb_O)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/190 "2013-01-12T15:07:58Z")
thanks cougar, i don’t think they’ll work though. they’re cast iron anyhow. i bought a set of tubular stamped steel 98-99 manifolds on ebay for cheap that will work. i’ll sell the shorties i bought now, and keep the truck manifolds for if i eventually go turbo. derek, thanks for your input. time will tell. i’m confident in them. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymity](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/anonymity/32/7215_2.png) [@Anonymity](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Anonymity)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/191 "2013-01-12T18:42:22Z")
So? Your using those mounts?? I really enjoy your effort, but this looks to be about a 14-16k project, be carful. Why not a motor plate on the front of the engine? ---
**Author:** ![newman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/newman/32/7569_2.png) [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/192 "2013-01-12T19:23:48Z")
I’m with Dan, you really should check driveline angle… just because the motor is at 4.x degrees doesn’t mean a lot in terms of DL angle. ![http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/dt69nova/2011-03-26_210629_pic1.jpg](http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/dt69nova/2011-03-26_210629_pic1.jpg) As far as the mounts go, you SHOULD be ok. Did you consider just welding mounts to the unibody? That worked great for my BMW with no issues. ---
**Author:** ![Spam16v](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/spam16v/32/5287_2.png) [@Spam16v](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Spam16v)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/193 "2013-01-12T19:28:41Z")
Motorplate=baller status. ---
**Author:** ![95dime](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/95dime/32/7514_2.png) [@95dime](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/95dime)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/194 "2013-01-12T20:02:18Z")
motorplate on the street? lmao. tilt in the engine is necessary for tunnel clearance as well as compensating for the wedge machined in carburated manifolds, sometimes to compensate for large differences in height between transmission output to rear end height, but you def want to make sure pinion angle is acceptable. you also need to take into consideration “axle wrap” on hard acceleration when determining pinion angle, however that wouldnt be an issue on the irs… ---
**Author:** ![Spam16v](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/spam16v/32/5287_2.png) [@Spam16v](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Spam16v)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 9:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/195 "2013-01-13T09:02:30Z")
> [@95dime](#): > > motorplate on the street? lmao. Motor plate is proof that if a little is good, a lot more is terrible. Certainly isn’t common place under a BMW hood for sure though, gotta admit that. lol ---
**Author:** ![Norb\_O](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/norb_o/32/5189_2.png) [@Norb\_O](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Norb_O)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/196 "2013-01-14T05:09:00Z")
> [@newman](#): > > Did you consider just welding mounts to the unibody? That worked great for my BMW with no issues. Nah, I wanted to use the nice OEM rubber isolators to help out with NVH. > [@Spam16v](#): > > Motor plate is proof that if a little is good, a lot more is terrible. Certainly isn’t common place under a BMW hood for sure though, gotta admit that. lol Street car on a budget, no need for that stuff. You guys sure do love overbuilding. ---
**Author:** ![cougarspeed](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cougarspeed/32/7468_2.png) [@cougarspeed](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cougarspeed)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/197 "2013-01-14T05:15:04Z")
I sure don’t miss having a build thread haha ---
**Author:** ![Anonymity](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/anonymity/32/7215_2.png) [@Anonymity](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Anonymity)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/198 "2013-01-14T07:51:01Z")
> [@96V6Bird](#): > > You know I love just shoving it in there. > > The steel mounts, although at a 90\* angle to the load, still have the force directed down into the rubber isolator. > > Someone who is doing the same swap on bimmerforums made a great point: a steel member could go directly straight to the rubber mount and load it like that, or, it could loop around the entire engine, and then come back and mount to the rubber. Either way, the rubber mount doesn’t care, as long as the loading is the same, and the steel can take the stress. > > My stock rubber mounts are all torn and shot, which makes them very flexible. This actually kind of came in handy, since when the weight of the motor laid on the rubber mounts, they would have exaggerated the deflection caused by any torsional loads in any direction. They didn’t move a bit, everything stayed the way it was when they were unloaded. > > New rubber E39 M5 mounts will be here tomorrow (and the rubber is a stiffer durometer to boot). If done properly, you wont need to justify it on what other say… > [@95dime](#): > > i dont care what the guys on bimmerforums say. just because they do it doesnt mean its right. will it work? sure. will it fail? possible. [Truth.org](http://Truth.org)… > [@newman](#): > > I’m with Dan, you really should check driveline angle… just because the motor is at 4.x degrees doesn’t mean a lot in terms of DL angle. > > ![http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/dt69nova/2011-03-26_210629_pic1.jpg](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/speedlife/original/3X/4/e/4e2309cd6387f3cdc002c951addd6e5163017e02.jpeg) > > As far as the mounts go, you SHOULD be ok. Did you consider just welding mounts to the unibody? That worked great for my BMW with no issues. should, is the key. is it safe?? come on he is using small hardware, wrong steel. Come on some one needs to take a step back and say "Can you build a “LS BMW” = yes “Should you build it out of the scrap bin at work with angle iron and square tubing?”= not sure if that is the budget build, or just being cheap… > [@95dime](#): > > motorplate on the street? lmao. in this case I could see it being a cost isssue, would you like to pull the engine to change the ps pump? > [@Spam16v](#): > > Motor plate is proof that if a little is good, a lot more is terrible. Certainly isn’t common place under a BMW hood for sure though, gotta admit that. lol i think some sort of plate, and mount design could work. But when in doubt, claim its a budget build and replace ujoints every 1k miles. > [@cougarspeed](#): > > I sure don’t miss having a build thread haha how did that belair go? ---
**Author:** ![97FormulaWS-6](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/97formulaws-6/32/7384_2.png) [@97FormulaWS-6](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/97FormulaWS-6)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/199 "2013-01-14T07:59:23Z")
I said a plate style motor mount a long time ago with this build… ---
**Author:** ![cougarspeed](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/cougarspeed/32/7468_2.png) [@cougarspeed](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/cougarspeed)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230/200 "2013-01-14T08:09:31Z")
What belair? The Impala? It is sweet. Anyhow I am going to pm Josh to get this guy mod privileges of his build thread. Until then I have heard enough about the mounts. Move on. [Previous page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230.md?page=9) [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/lq9-into-e39/225230.md?page=11)