Originally Posted by
CNHSS1
I think a road car engine as a stressed member isnt good for longevity, but F3 cars do it but the blocks are consumables...
Generally a turbo blocks stiffer than a NA one, but even so i dont think its worth the risk.
Re the bracing, yep usually just misses the engine as bonnet lines are low. The std 7 chassis is basically a trough, an incomplete structure, the cross brace (made into a slight pyramid/peak if poss) basically completes the structure making a spaceframe. Think of it in the same way as a roll cage for the engine bay! The brace adds the strength and rigidity to the open engine bay that a cage does to the open cockpit area. As the cradle is much lower, 20mm box should be fine. Ideally if you want to be really clever, you need male/feme ferrules turned up for the mountings. Weld a male to the chassis which is tapped, and then the female section to the brace ends. Then imho the bolts dont locate the cradle or take the loads, just hold it to the chassis upper rails. Would make huge addition to the rigidity