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CJ7 Build Page 17

 
Final coat of paint for the frame
Figure 63

Figure 63. The frame has now been topcoated with Eastwood Extreme Chassis Satin Black, and it has also been treated with Eastwood Internal Frame Coating Black. No images of the internal frame coating were taken, you cannot see much anyway through the small holes of the frame. This should take care of 99 percent of any future rust issues on the frame by preventing them from occurring in the first place. By doing this instead of powdercoating, if the frame gets scratch on the trail, it is easily fixed by re-applying the Rust Encapsulator and the Extreme Chassis Black.

Lifting the engine to install
Figure 64

Figure 64. We now begin to install the engine and transmission into the frame. Here it is being hoisted into the air to move it over the top of the frame.

Setting the 5.3L LS in the frame
Figure 65

Figure 65. Here we are setting it into the Novak Conversions Motor Mounts. We had to put it in from the side, as the nose of the frame did not give us enough length of the hoist arm to get it centered over the motor mounts. Getting the carriage bolts that are in the motor side of the mounts into the frame side mount is a little finicky, but overall went pretty smooth.

5.3L LS sitting in the CJ7 frame
Figure 66

Figure 66. The full weight of the engine is now down on the mounts. The motor mount carriage bolt does not have the nuts and lower rubber cushion yet as the engine may have to be shifted around. The transmission also needs to be supported until the rear crossmember can be welded up. One thing we did not like about the Novak mounts, it was extremely diffcult to get the rubber pucks aligned and into the holes in the frame mounts. A lot of pushing, and pulling and jockeying it around finally got them into position. Doing it alone was not easy.