Zerolift JZ swap brackets

[Albert_Trd]

Hey guys,

As some of you know, I am a Supra owner(1jz) that has been helping my brother build his 1jz into his s14 (http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=589870). Ive done so many jz swaps into supras, ive lost count. My occupation is a quality manager at a AS9100 registered Machine shop, we make precision turbine aerospace parts.

I did my due diligence when ordering swap brackets, because I am new to the s-Chassis, and decided to have him buy the Zerolift swap brackets.

My initial thought of the brackets were great. Good bends, decent welds, and coated nicely. However upon installing them, I started noticing small issues that I normally dont see when Installing JZs into supras. The motor seemed to sit slightly crooked, rotated off a bit, and sat high, and trans low.

Here are my findings:
The front of the motor sitting high vs the trans sitting low:
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/A2E6F7B7-D083-4AA7-AE93-F08A52CE6727_zpsi5w2pcor.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/4778C1D0-2BCE-411A-A940-E06F7DFD8EAB_zpsyfe02e1v.jpg

You can see how high off the subframe it is:
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/B85F73C6-7A5F-4180-957C-45E95D2FB002_zpslirtntdj.jpg

So I ended up making solid motor mounts that are shorter to bring the engine down a fit. I was told by Zerolift you could utilize on center solid motor mounts. Which is just NOT the case.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/F318DF54-634C-45F2-854E-02ECB9EB7C60_zpsokr6jgbo.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/0F6CB4B8-895D-400A-BC60-5785AD14BDC5_zpssv0bg9qp.jpg

This Now made the entire engine sit crooked because the OEM mounts are offset in the opposite directions.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/618E84A2-8ACA-4CD8-A1D9-1AF555577156_zps3xz8f58f.jpg

You can see the Bolt on the passenger side trying to make it to the subframe
slot, but again, its already sitting crooked relative to the trans hole.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/23A996F1-79BF-4471-B847-86BC6812CD18_zpsjjxmtkc3.jpg

However I did get the engine to sit as low as it could to the subframe but still didnt sit lever because the TRANS sits too LOW.http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/E126AD12-9F6B-4142-A3EB-4A2A41766A40_zpsieco8dx7.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/A11A1B8A-D790-41F3-9E6F-35D2CAAF7882_zpsrryg9n4g.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/5DCE5E4D-B5D7-445D-B75C-3E077B44E37E_zpshfrnq8y9.jpg


So at this point I made OFFSET motor mounts. That helped with the engine being crooked(copying the oem design) but once I installed them I realized the angle of the brackets are not parallel.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/6C33DFE4-5F63-4E78-9FD5-27F14E9B60B6_zpsjebvdw4z.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/3D5F9DD2-561F-4A73-9A96-EF8E9305074F_zpsmvaoifnf.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/6CA0764B-8F37-4229-8784-6C98ABDDF14D_zpsm5v0xagc.jpg

So I put the Motor mounts in the brideport and I cut a 9deg angle on them.
Now it sit fine, after I Made a stand off for the trans to bring it further up and more level.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/2190B0F1-1498-4EAE-AC54-88C0FFFEE960_zps1ixzz8y3.jpg

Here was the trans spacer:
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/D6C45AA1-E393-4371-AC26-392FD7FBB491_zpsgr8nm5ip.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/BD372CD5-BDE7-4EC3-80ED-F1F1C300A855_zpsmatbwr8d.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/CA07BD3A-B87E-4A2B-BBF2-E95C8CACFED2_zpsbez6dg8v.jpg
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/657CDA76-B1B7-401F-9B0D-2F5657FC0951_zpsms1d3ud9.jpg

Now it sits level and its up inside the frame rail area.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j182/hitman022005/Zerolift%20Bracket%20Issues/56F08D75-C243-49FE-9E5D-1A6633496519_zpsp9xo3mpp.jpg


My suggestion, knowing that I make motor mounts for the supra owners on supramania, and how the True-position on our brackets fits dead nuts, no bullshit, I would recommend another bracket. I just cant recommend another bracket, as these are the only ones Ive dealt with.

[bmaddock]

Wow what an experience. Good feedback, thanks for this. Sorry to hear about all the trouble they gave you and your brother.

[Albert_Trd]

Wow what an experience. Good feedback, thanks for this. Sorry to hear about all the trouble they gave you and your brother.

Yeah, Luckily we had the tools and knowledge to fix the issue. The funny thing is there is another local s14 1j here in AZ that uses zerolift and his is the same way, just never noticed it until i mentioned it. Plus every jz swap I see on FB that has a crooked motor, i ask what mounts they used, all of them have been zerolift. zerolift said they've never had any issue or feedback like mine. and yes the engine can still run crooked. just not my cup of tee, especially when we are running clutch ran and have about 3/4"-1" of space between the radiator and fan blade. Before, the fan blade wasn't parallel or perpendicular to the radiator and extremely close to hitting the radiator.

half way tempted to CMM all my data and make our own brackets what will hold the JZ in there level and sitting right.

[claine650]

Thumbs up for a fellow machinist who takes things into their own hands to make it right and make it work.
It's very gratifying producing self made car parts that you know 100% will work and are what you want. I've made my own parts more than a few times on different cars.

[thienthan]

Any suggestion on which kit to use?

[Albert_Trd]

Any suggestion on which kit to use?

I cannot recommend another bracket, I haven't dealt with another company.