converting FWD inlet

[meadan]

I have just started slowly taking apart a FWD bigport to slowly prepare it to be put into my ae71.
Ive taken off almost everything so i just have a bare block and head, and ive spent way too many hours scrubbing crap off all the bits and pieces.
Now i want to do a cut and shut job on the inlet. I figure it will be easiest just to weld a plate over the open side.
Then im planning to just make another plate with a hole and 4 bolts welded onto it for the throttle body. Is this the general way people do it?
Also im wondering what is generally used to weld it. Im probly going to TIG weld it, should i use the rods which have the silicone in them, or will normal aluminium rods be fine?

[dctrd]

My fabricator (Dad) made up an adaptor plate out of 20mm aluminium billet.
Drilled one large hole the same size as the throttle and 4 holes for the studs and bolts.
He doesn't have MIG/TIG, so we got a local shop to weld it on for a few bucks (shop around, one place quoted $80 for what was a 10 minute job). But i don't know what rods/wire they used.

We just bolted a plate onto the old opening at the back with a gasket, I suppose i can unbolt it if i needed to clean it or something later. Also, there isn't a huge amount of clearance between the plenum and clutch master, so don't make the plate too thick.
Also think about putting on a new clutch master BEFORE you bolt the plenum on, you will need to remove the whole plenum to change it later - on the AE86, AE71 would be similar/the same.

Don't forget to have a look at your throttle cable setup, we made another small aluminium plate to weld to the side of the plenum, and bolted the throttle cable/return spring bracket to that. If you go that way, you can get it all welded at the same time. The other way is to drill and tap the cable bracket directly to the plenum, but you risk drilling straight through the wall and having vacuum leaks.

I've got some photos at home, bug me for them tomorrow if you would like to see them.

Good luck with the conversion dude.

[dctrd]

Here's a pic of the assembled plenum, i can't find a pic of the plate before it was welded on at the moment.

http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/dcimages/4/8/4/3/140740.jpg

[meadan]

cool, thanks for that.
ive already made myself a 10mm thick plate for the throttle body, i just need to find time to weld it on.