This is for those people that want to save a couple hundred
on a custom oil pan and use a stock oil pan. This is near
identical to the way the Questair bed mount is done for the
air cooled Cont. IO-550 AC engine. This bolt pattern is for an
RX8 engine but the same idea is used for a 2nd gen or 3rd gen
engine.

What does everybody think of this? In particular what
do you think Jerry? Does it add so much to the cost that
a custom aluminum oil pan is still worth while?

Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

Paul,
Yes!  I like this one!  This is much better than structural supports
attached to the oil pan.  This is a big move toward standardization.  I
have two possible suggestions:
1)  IF, the side channel material is not available as off the shelf 4130
channel, use 3/4 x 1.5 tubing counterbored on the bottom side and use
Torx flange head bolts.

2)  Make a standard variation of  it with the rear beam extended a few
inches on each side for a four point mount.  This would be useful for
those who can't make a hard point on the firewall.

Make it three suggestions:

3)  Could possibly use off-the-shelf rectangular tubing for the main
beam also.

Let's try to standardize this basic configuration into as few variations
as possible so Jerry (or someone) can manufacture them as readily
available items.  We need to get away from custom fitting everything.

This now gives us a standard structural part for attaching radiators, etc.

Aubrey

Metric 6 mm socket head screws are much cheaper and you can
get ball end hex screw drivers. Makes it much easier
to screw them inside the Schertz beam.

It is easier and better to make a hard point on the
firewall. A four point tubing mount would be more expensive,
over kill and be in the redundant constraint category.
It takes FEA to analyze them. Goes against my engineering
sensibilities :) Not elegant.

The advantage of the ball joint rear is the down thrust
can be easily adjusted for max speed or max MPG at cruise.

The rectangular tubing is more expensive and heavier and not high
enough at only 1.5 inches. I considered it. It needs to be two
inches deep to properly support the Schertz beam. The 4130 sheet
thickness required here is only .049" thick. The flange width
shown is only .625" wide.

Most RX8 are going to need a custom oil pan anyway as the stock
oil pan has real breathing problems and we all could use
more quarts to delay oil heating on take off.

This is primarily intended as a money saving option for those
cheap skates out there :) I am not sure if it would really
be any cheaper.

Paul Lamar

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