Coupler Enclosure

Now that the motor has been positioned, all the rest of the mounting is falling into place. The flanges for the rear motor face and front of the torque tube are bolted on and the coupler housing has been precision cut to fill the space in between.

The top has been left open as an inspection port and will be covered by a bolt-on plate.

The new front crossmember has been welded into place and motor mounts fabricated.

The rear crossmember will be attached to the lower front face of the rear motor flange. There is a scant 1/16" clearance between the motor and the highest point on the steering rack. In this game of fractions, that's just enough!

Great progress this week!

Update 7/28/2015

Here is the coupler enclosure on the bench receiving the rear crossmember mount and being fitted for the top cover:

Of course it's not as elegant as an adapter plate CNC carved from a billet of shiny aluminum, but it's beautiful in its own direct way. It does the job and a little black paint will make it disappear.