Ralt RT 5 Question

[Bart Perlman]

Can anyone shed some light on how the engine tray, front lower engine bracket and tub are connected? The lower engine bracket is bolted to the front of the oil pan via three bolts. At the front of bracket there is a strap bolted underneath, which has holes which line up with holes in the back of the tub. The engine tray, which is bolted at the rear to the Ralt trans adapter. has the same number of holes as the bracket strap, but they are approximately 1 1/2" rearward. I believe there is supposed to be a skid plate underneath, which is bolted to both the tub and the engine tray. Is there supposed to be any spacer between the bracket strap and the tub? How on earth can you reach between the engine bracket and the engine tray to get any bolts on the front side of the tray? I also have a very thin (maybe .040 steel shim) which has the same hole alignment as the back of the tub. I have been told this gets slipped in between the floor pan and the rear cell cover/bulkhead. Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks!

[Charles Warner]

Bart,

Without pictures it is difficult to explain, and your application may have been modified by previous owners. To answer a couple of questions: yes, there were skid plates under the rear of the tub (bolts coming up from underneath) and Ralt indeed did make matching shims with the same holes and bolt patterns. Not sure of the purpose of the shims other than to fine tune the skid plate height. The back of what you call the engine plate is sandwiched by another skid block.

If you can post pictures it will help.

[RussMcB]

I'll try to help, too, if I can. I recently re-installed an engine into my RT-5.

Are you installing an engine? Or just the lower pieces? If you are installing the engine, is the transaxle and rear suspension attached to the engine? Or attached to the chassis?

Those answers will help us help you.

The last part I bolt on when I am reinstalling an engine is the rear skid plate (1" x 6"?). It is held on by two bolts which go through two of the four holes in the back of the large undertray. The threads are in the engine-trans adapter (easy to strip - all of mine have been Heli-coiled at least once)..

The second to last piece I install is the large under tray.

I have a mid-section rub strip (aluminum 4" x 14" x 1/8"?) that goes under the seam between the tub floor and engine undertray. I rarely remove it. It stays in place when the engine comes out. I leave it bolted to the tub. When installing the under tray, the front of it can rest on top of the mid section skid plate while you bolt the rear.

[Bart Perlman]

Charles & Russ,

I appreciate your responses. Charles, you may remember from a previous post that I purchased this car from your friend Marty Monier. What you may, or may not know, is that the car was totally dissambled, and was shipped to me in three 4' x 4' x 8' crates. 14 months later the car is finished, except for painting, bolting up the above referenced parts and one cooling line. When I installed the engine, I temporarily installed the engine tray using pop rivets through the gussets at the sides of the tub and tray. I figured that as the crates of parts were used up it would be come clear how this engine bracket/tray and tub connected. Unfortunately, it has not. It's also interesting that the bracket in question, and the upper engine bracket were purchased by Marty from Russ. As he was missing a few pieces these were in a new box with Russ's name and address in one of the three crates. I even called Marty today for any clarification he could give me. As the car had been dissambled for so long, and in the course of transformation from Supervee to Formula Atlantic to Mazda power his recollection was somewhat vague. I will take some digital pictures for posting tomorrow.

Russ, I have the rear skid plate, which is a 1" x 6" x 1/4" steel strip, counterbored, so that the bolt heads are recessed. You mentioned that the mid-section rub strip is aluminum. Is aluminum okay, or should it be steel, like the rear one? Once the bolts for this mid-section rub strip go through the tub, do they go through anything else, or are they just nutted.? Does the approximately 3 1/2" offset hole in the lower engine bracket have any significance?
When you slip the engine tray over the mid-section rub strip, how do you get to the interior nuts? Aren't they block from the top by the lower engine bracket? Sorry for so many questions...............Thanks

[RussMcB]

Ahh, good questions.

You mentioned that the mid-section rub strip is aluminum. Is aluminum okay, or should it be steel, like the rear one?

Maybe the middle skid plate doesn't come into contact with the track often. Mine does not seem to have worn much after 4-5 years.

Once the bolts for this mid-section rub strip go through the tub, do they go through anything else, or are they just nutted.?

My car has nut plates riveted on the back side of all of those holes. I think the size is 1/4-28, or the metric equivalent.

Does the approximately 3 1/2" offset hole in the lower engine bracket have any significance?

That is an access hole for the fuel filter. I wouldn't be surprised if the location of your filter has changed, but in that original location you can remove a bolt, lower the filter cannister down thru that hole to replace the element.

When you slip the engine tray over the mid-section rub strip, how do you get to the interior nuts? Aren't they block from the top by the lower engine bracket? Sorry for so many questions...............Thanks

Again, nut plates. Wonderful things.

My most frequent problem is damaged threads in trans adapter for the holes that hold the rear skid plate. The skid plate is often loose after a session. I need to find a better solution for that. You should make sure that those threads are in good shape before bolting the pieces on.

Good luck.